Page 23 of Surprise Me Tonight
And somehow, it’s the scowling one I can’t stop thinking about.
TheRoyal Boaris packed for a Tuesday. Voices bounce off the low ceilings, the air smells of chips and old ale, and Fran’s already claimed our usual corner booth like it’s reserved in her name.
She slides a full glass of prosecco across to me the second I sit down. “Drink. Then talk.”
I eye her over the rim. “About?”
She gives me a look. “Don’t.”
I sip. “It was just my first day.”
“And?”
“And… it was fine.”
“Fine,” she repeats, unimpressed. “That’s your headline?”
“What do you want me to say?”
Fran’s gaze flicks over me, and a smile tugs at her lips. “First off, that dress. Gorgeous. You should wear things like that more often instead of hiding in cardigans.”
Heat crawls up my neck. “It’s just a dress.”
She shrugs and takes a sip of her drink. For a moment I think she’s going to let it drop.
Then her eyes narrow again, sharp as ever. “You don’t usually turn up here looking quite so flustered.”
I groan. “You’re reading into things.”
“Am I?” Her smirk widens. “Because something’s put that colour in your cheeks. So... was it him? Did Callum stand there and stare at you until you forgot how to breathe?”
I nearly choke on my drink. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Fran leans closer, eyes gleaming. “That’s not a no.”
“It’s not a yes either,” I shoot back, though my ears are burning.
Fran just arches a brow, calm as you like. She doesn’t need to push hard; she knows me too well.
I look down, tracing the rim of my glass with a fingertip. My pulse is still a mess. Do I even want to say it out loud? It wasn’t anything. Or maybe it was. God, I don’t even know.
“He just…” My voice trails off, and I hate how uncertain it sounds.
Fran waits, silent but expectant, like she’s giving me space to fill in the blank.
“He just stood too close,” I say finally, the words slipping out before I can stop them.
Her head tilts. “Too close how?”
I swallow, suddenly wishing I hadn’t started. “Close enough that I could feel him behind me. He reached past me. I was getting the coffee filters.”
For a moment she doesn’t say anything, and that almost makes it worse. My cheeks burn hotter. Maybe I imagined it. Maybe it was nothing.
Then Fran sets her glass down and looks at me steadily. “That sounds… intense.”
I force a laugh. “Or maybe just clumsy kitchen logistics.”
She smiles softly, not gloating this time, just curious. “Do you want it to mean something?”
