Page 53 of Choose Us
“I’m kind of curious,” she finished.
“Okay,” I said. The latter part of the word was drawn out.
“Have you been dating anyone?” Brooke said. The words came out in a flurry. Her cheeks flushed.
She glanced at the eel skewers and pulled a disgusted face, which left me bemused. Between narrowly missing the plethora of accidents waiting to happen, she looked up and I think she caughtme smirking.
Scrap that. She 100 percent caughtme smirking.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Brooke laughed.
“No, I’m not smirking because of your question. I just think it’s funny we’re trying to have a serious conversation whilst dodging bodies. I feel like I’m on an episode ofTakeshi’s Castle,” I said.
Brooke did a cute half laugh half-smile. Back in London I fell in love with that half laugh, the curl of her lips, the crinkle of her eyes, and the elevation of her cheeks that created the tiny laugh lines around her mouth.Perfection.
“What?” Brooke asked.
“Nothing.”
“You’re staring at me.”
Was it that obvious?
“Sorry.” I looked to the right and my eyes were drawn to a shop on the corner covered in strawberry decor. I stopped dead in my tracks. “I want whatever they’re selling.”
Brooke linked our arms and pushed me towards the queue. “I thoughtyou might.”
It seems I had escaped the dating question for now.
The display case was full of different confectionary items with strawberries incorporated. It was heaven, if you liked strawberries, which I did. The final choice was between custard-filled mochi with a strawberry on top, strawberry skewers covered in what looked like syrup, or a strawberry swirl ice cream in a wafer cone, also with a strawberry on top.
The latter looked like the most popular, but the least edible. It looked fake, like it should be inCharlie and the Chocolate Factory,or like the fake food you find on a food counter in Spain, to show you how nice the food could look, but it neverquite does.
“Does that look fake to you?” I nodded towards the ice cream.
“I think that one is for show purposes, otherwise it’d be melting,” Brooke said sarcastically.
“I knowthatone is, I just mean in general. Look, that girl just ordered one. Let me watch her lick it.” I bobbed my head to geta good look.
“Okay, weirdo. Let’s just get one and test it.” She pulledme forward.
At the front counter, the lady serving us offered a sample of the custard mochi that determined beyond reasonable doubt that it was the nicest thing I’d tasted in my life. I bought eight.
It was greedy. I was aware, but I wasn’t about to eat them all at once. I would share with Beth.
“Are you going to tell me who you’ve been dating?” asked Brooke.
Gulp. She wasn’t letting it go.
“Erm.” I laughed nervously.
“Or do I have to steal your phone, unblock me on your social media, and stalk your most recent pictures to see who liked them?” Brooke raised her eyebrow suspiciously.
“Very specific.”
I wasn’t sure if she was hoping I’d say no, or if she was genuinely curious to know who her predecessor was. I tried to broach the subject as carefully as I could. There was no usein me lying.
“There was one woman.” Brooke’s eyes narrowed; her expression was pinched. “Her name isFrancesca.”
