Page 24 of A Fighter’s Love

“Please.”

Soon they were sitting side by side on the sofa, the TV was on, and Jenny was tucking into wonderfully fluffy rice and sweet and sour chicken. “This is delicious. How much do I owe you?”

“Owe me?” He appeared confused as he munched on a prawn cracker.

“Yes, for dinner.”

He shook his head and smiled. “Nothing.”

“But—”

“I can treat a pretty woman to dinner, can’t I?”

She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again. He thought she was pretty? In her drab office gear, any makeup from this morning must have worn off, and she hadn’t brushed her hair for hours.

“What?” he said.

“Nothing…I guess it’s been a long time since anyone described me as pretty.”

He put down his empty plate, then tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, his fingertips brushing her skin.

She stilled, her fork halfway to her mouth. What was going on?

“You have no idea, do you?” he said quietly.

“About what?”

“How alluring you are.”

She laughed, a sharp, nervous bubble of sound. “I’m not alluring.”

He sat back and tipped his head. He was half smiling. “You most certainly are.”

“But…but why?”

“Why? Okay, how about sweet, pretty, kind and there’s that certain something, what was it Jackson said?” He tapped his lips with his fingers and looked at the ceiling as if recalling a conversation. “Ah yes, he said you were like a butterfly, just waiting to be free enough to spread your wings and take to the air.”

Jackson thought she was a butterfly?

Jenny’s mind was spinning. The men had conversations about her. They discussed her alluring qualities?

The familiar jingling tune at the end of the evening news filled the room.

“I guess I should get going,” Dale said, glancing at the heavy black watch he wore. “It’s getting late.” He stood.

“Er…yes. Okay.” Jenny set her plate down and laid her fork on the top of the last of her rice. She didn’t want Dale to go, but he was right, it was getting late. They both had work in the morning.

“You want me to clear this?” he asked. “I don’t mind washing up.”

“No, don’t worry about it. I’ll do it.”

“Are you coming to the gym tomorrow?”

“Yes, just to finish a few bits off. I’m winding it down. Billy will have to figure out the accounts for himself or hire someone to do it.”

“He didn’t deserve you all these years.”

“There’s no point dwelling on that. I can’t change the past.”

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