Mel pulled her legs under her and reached for her cup of tea on the side table. “So you don’t care now that his career aspirations aren’t up to snuff?”
Keira shrugged. Nothing seemed to matter much any more. “I’m just having fun, it’s not as though I'm planning on marrying him.”
“Of course not.” Mel pulled a face. “Because he works in a bar.”
“I never said it like that,” Keira insisted. “I find it surprising though. He seems like someone who’d be more ambitious. But he said he’s always worked in a pub and can’t imagine doing anything else.”
“When are you seeing him again?” Mel asked, bringing the smile back to Keira’s face.
“Hopefully Wednesday. He’s going to try and get tickets for this cinema in the park thing.”
“Ooh, romantic!”
“Forty quid a ticket, though, so I probably can’t go out again until payday.”
“If he’s getting the tickets I bet he’s paying.”
“I can’t let him pay,” she said with a quick shake of the head. “He already insisted on paying for dinner tonight.”
“I knew he’d be all gentlemanly. He’s a good guy. I chose well for you.”
“You’re claiming you chose him?” Keira wrinkled her nose.
“Yes! I practically asked him out for you. How can you not give me the credit?”
“Okay, fine. You chose well.”
Mel blew on her tea. “Is he working on Sunday?”
“I forgot to ask.” At least that gave her a reason to message the following day.
Not that she needed to wait that long for contact with him. A message came through from him just as she was getting into bed, and she excitedly unlocked her phone to read it.
She’s amazing,it read. Going out with her again next week.
Confused, Keira re-read the message until it dawned on her that he’d messaged the wrong person. In a blink the message disappeared, to be replaced with a comment about the sender removing it.
Keira beamed as she crawled into bed, imaging Noah’s panic when he realised he’d messaged her by mistake. Settling on her pillow, she couldn’t stop smiling.
Their next date couldn’t come soon enough.
Chapter Four
Even though Noah knew from messaging with Keira that she was coming into the pub on Sunday evening, he still felt the familiar rush of relief when he came out from the kitchen to see her and Mel settling themselves at the bar. With his hands full of plates, he exchanged a quick greeting with them as he passed, then got caught up with customers for the next half an hour.
Finally there was a lull and he went to talk to them properly.
“I got the tickets for Wednesday,” he told Keira with a smile as he poured himself a Coke. “It starts at 8.30 p.m. Do you want to get dinner first?”
“Yes, please. What film is it, by the way?”
“Indiana Jones: Raider of the Lost Ark.” He watched her press her lips together and wince slightly.
“Are you kidding?” Mel asked, slapping a hand on the bar.
“No.” His eyes darted between the two of them as he tried to gauge the problem. “I told you it’s classic films, not new ones. I think it will be cool because the music is so iconic … but I’m a fan of the film so I would think that … if you don’t like it …” He trailed off, not quite sure where he was going with the sentence. If she didn’t like Indiana Jones they probably needn’t go on another date. That might sound a bit harsh. Everyone had flaws, he supposed. And the main reason he loved the films so much was nostalgia from watching them with his dad.
“I like Indiana Jones,” Keira said. “But I also wouldn’t dare say otherwise …” She grimaced as she cast a sidelong glance at Mel. “Raiders of the Lost Arkis Mel’s all-time favourite film. She’s a massive Indiana Jones fan.”