Page 113 of Playing for Keeps

An hour later, she’d just delivered dinner to a couple by the window when she caught sight of more customers arriving. Turning to greet them, she gave a pleasant smile, before seeing who it was and breaking into an uncontrolled grin.

“Hello!” She strode towards Hugh, then resisted the urge to fling her arms around him and kiss him. It probably wouldn’t be appropriate at work, even if Emmy wasn’t standing beside him. Plus, she still wasn’t sure how things stood between them. He was here though, so that was a good sign. “What are you doing here?”

“We’ve come for dinner,” Emmy said brightly.

“That’s great.” Feeling an uncontrollable rush of joy, Allie beamed at Emmy. “It’s lovely to see you again.”

“You too. Dad said you were working tonight. He thought maybe we should only come for a drink so we don’t annoy you at work, but I thought you might not mind us annoying you.”

“I don’t mind at all.” She caught Hugh’s eye and he smiled sheepishly before she led them to a table near the window. A pang of nerves hit her as they took their seats. “How was Paris?” she asked Emmy.

“It was okay.” She shrugged and opened the menu. “My friends are always jealous that I get to go to Paris so often, but sometimes it gets a bit boring.”

“Going away can be an effort.” She thought back on all the golf tournaments she’d been to as a teenager. While she’d loved the time away and was grateful that she got to do it, it could also be exhausting. “Sometimes it’s nice to chill out at home and not have to do anything.”

“Exactly.” Emmy’s eyes sparkled as she grinned up at Allie.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” Allie said, when a woman at the table nearby waved to get her attention. Having Hugh and Emmy in the restaurant left her slightly self-conscious as she took the dessert order for the woman and the rest of the table, then brought it to the kitchen.

“How’s everything with you?” Hugh asked when she returned to take their food order.

“Fine.” Her brain flashed to her conversation with Phil and she smiled tightly, thinking how much she’d like to chat it through with Hugh.

Not that she could have in front of Emmy, even if she didn’t suddenly have all her tables demanding her attention at once. Things only really quietened down again after Hugh and Emmy had finished eating. Taking the opportunity for a break, she made a beeline for their table and pulled out a chair.

“Finally, I can sit for a minute,” she said.

“What was your favourite thing to do when you were my age?” Emmy asked.

The question took Allie by surprise. “How do you mean?”

“What did you do with your friends? I’m trying to think of something cool we can do, but everything around here is boring.”

“It’s her birthday next week,” Hugh put in. “It looks as though it’s going to be a sleepover party since all my ideas are boring.”

“I didn’t say they were all boring,” Emmy countered. “I’d like to go ice skating, but it takes an hour and a half to drive there. Spending three hours in the car is boring.” She looked to Allie. “What did you do with your friends when you were my age.”

“I was mostly on the golf course,” she said.

Emmy leaned onto the table. “Really?”

“Yeah. My dad owns a golf course in Surrey, so that’s where I grew up. We lived in a cottage on the grounds.”

“So you’re really good at golf?” Emmy asked eagerly.

“I used to be, but I injured my shoulder so I haven’t played for ages.”

“I played golf once,” Emmy said. “Louise took me with her friends in France.”

“Her mum’s partner,” Hugh explained.

“It was really good fun,” Emmy said. “Do you think I could play here one day?”

Allie glanced around. “There’s currently an over-eighteen policy, but I suspect that might change soon.”

“Sounds like you have some inside knowledge,” Hugh said with a flicker of humour in his eyes that immediately made Allie feel better.

“I might,” she agreed coyly.

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