Page 39 of The Midnight Book Club
“Did he, now?”Antonia’s voice went up dramatically, clearly happy to have a scoop.
“He did and don’t you dare tell David.”
“He came by to tell you he’s desperate for a second date and to give him another chance, didn’t he?”
“Mm—not quite,” Aurelia mumbled, embarrassed by how very different his message had been.
“You said he’s cute, right?”
Aurelia thought back to that smile of his—the few he’d given her that lit up his face—and had to admit, “Yeah, he is.”
“Well, did you ask him to go out again?”
Embarrassment doubled as memories of Oliver’s visit came back in full force—how he’d come by just to tell her he wasn’t interested in her, how he’d paused as if he’d wanted to kiss her again but then quickly changed his mind.Those were details she didn’t feel guilty about hiding from her sister.
“No, he’s not my type.He’s cute, but sort of… buttoned up.He’s also hung up on an ex-girlfriend.Oh!Andhe hates classic literature.”
“He’s out then,” Antonia said with a laugh.
Aurelia was so focused on trying not to think about how Oliver’s visit to the shop had felt like a rollercoaster ride with its unpredictable highs and lows that she forgot to hold back yet another yawn.
“Why’re you so tired?”Antonia asked.
“I haven’t been sleeping well.”
“What’s been going on there, Aurelia?”Antonia asked, her tone quickly shifting to concern.“First burglars, then ghosts—are you alright?”
“Oh, no, nothing’s going on,” Aurelia said quickly.“I was just overtired before, but I’m catching up on sleep.”
“Are you still hearing things at night?”
Aurelia hated to lie to her sister—again—but didn’t think she had a choice.
“No.Nope.All quiet here.I’m really settling in.I’ve been unpacking and getting things sorted in the flat and organizing the shop.”
“Okay…” Antonia said, sounding unconvinced.“But it sounds like you’re spending all your time there—aside from this failed date, when was the last time you actually left the building?”
“I go out!I leave the building.I told you—I went out for dinner with Dad.”
“Hmm,” Antonia intoned critically.“Why don’t you meet someone for dinner tonight—a Sunday roast with friends?”
Looking around her flat longingly—she’d wanted to spend the day and evening researching and thinking—Aurelia decided it wouldn’t hurt to leave for a few hours.
“Fine.I’ll find something to do.”
“Relia…”
“I will, I promise.”
Deftly switching the subject to her niece and nephews, Aurelia managed to fend off Antonia’s disapproval for the rest of their call.
Once they’d rung off, Aurelia had to decide which of her friends might be up for a last-minute plan as she knew Antonia would call the next day for a full report on where she’d gone.Kali usually went to her parents’ house in Essex for Sunday dinners, but David and James might be up for a visit, so she gave David a call.
“What are you up to?”
“I’m plotting my next culinary masterpiece,” he said matter-of-factly.
Aurelia hesitated.As a history buff, David had recently started a food blog where he detailed his attempts to make recipes from different historical periods.He was a fantastic cook, but some of the strange dishes—tested frequently on Aurelia and James—weren’t all that appetizing.
