Page 9 of Begin Again Again

He drank some more beer. “Why would it?”

It was a good question, one Beth wasn’t equipped to answer. This date was turning out to be a lot…morethan she expected. She watched The Guy swallow another quarter of beer. “Thirsty?”

“Been in the sun all day.”

Beth had a mental flash of him standing in the middle of the road, the blue butterfly gliding past his tanned throat. “Yeah, um, what do you do?”

The Guy made a face like his beer was too sour. “Electrician.”

“Oh, was that hard when the stage four lockdown was on? Could you travel for work?”

There was no mistaking it this time, The Guy grimaced. “Let’s not talk COVID.”

“Because… you think it’s a Chinese hoax?”

The right corner of his mouth jerked up. “Nah.”

“Then why…?”

“Because it’s all anyone wants to talk about. And we can do better than that.” He leaned back in his chair, green eyes on hers. “What’s your favourite game?”

“You mean like, chess? Or hunting man? Or football? Or what?”

He raised a brow as though it was obvious.

Beth sipped her Carlton Zero, buying time. Surely, he couldn’t mean anything but sport?

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll consider telling you, but how about we start with your name? I can’t do personal trivia with a stranger.”

“What’ll you give me for it?”

Heat snaked down Beth’s middle. “What do you want?”

That amused stare again. As though she already knew. Was holding out on him. Then it clicked. Beth gave a theatrical sigh. “Blimp.”

He grinned. His eyes really were amazing. Deep jade with dark chocolate lashes.

“Pay up,” she said. “What’s your name?”

His eyebrows lifted a centimetre.

“You seem to have far better control over your face than most people,” Beth blurted out as though shewasdrunk.

And just like that, he smiled, properly smiled, and gone was the handsome statue. The Guy looked boyish and bright. Mischievous. Beth could see the kid he’d been, the kind who tied sheets around his shoulders and ran around making swooshing noises. She could imagine him flossing, watching TV, swearing when he stubbed his toe. She stared, amazed by his transformation, then the smile faded, and the handsome dude was back. The Guy raised his beer, took a deep swallow and shrugged. “Fine. It’s Byron Thomas.”

“That’s two names.”

His mouth kicked up at the corner. “Byron, comma, Thomas.”

“So, you’re a man with two first names?”

“Normal accent though.”

Beth leaned forward and swatted his forearm like she’d known him for a million years. His skin was hot, the sinew beneath it hard as stone. Her stomach swooped, and when he looked at her, Beth wanted him to say something flirty more than she’d ever wanted anything. But he stayed silent, letting the seconds spin out.

She licked her lips. “Byron. Like the poet?”

“Like the bay. I was…” He raised his eyebrows.

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