As they all called goodbye to Lowen, Keira had a moment to regain her composure. Unfortunately a moment wasn’t anywhere near enough, and Noah gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as she mumbled about how embarrassed she was.
“Is anyone else starving?” Noah asked, passing her a menu which she gratefully distracted herself with.
“I’m having fish and chips as a birthday treat,” Mirren said.
Keira scanned the options. “I can’t decide.”
“I can recommend the burgers,” Seren said, then tilted her head to one side. “The salads are good too, if that’s more your thing.”
The comment irked Keira, but to be fair, her dress wasn’t the sort of thing you’d expect to see someone chomping down a burger in. For once in her life she should at least attempt to appear sophisticated. Except when the barman came to take the order, she was still undecided. The voice in her head screamed at her to order a salad, but when Kit and Noah ordered burgers she lost her resolve.
“I’ll have the same,” she said, snapping the menu closed and handing it to the middle-aged barman.
“Double bacon burger?” he asked.
“Yes, please.”
“With curly fries?”
“Yes.” She nodded, then grinned at Mirren. “I’m really hungry.”
“That should fill you up,” she said cheerfully.
She was right; when the food arrived the burger was so big that Keira had no idea how to tackle it. Even after she’d cut it in half it wasn’t easy to get her mouth around. Bits of salad and dollops of barbecue sauce slopped out with every bite.
Halfway through the delicious meal Keira caught Kit watching her with a smirk. He whipped his gaze away when she looked at him, but the shake of his shoulders was plain to see.
As she took the next mouthful, a blob of ketchup dripped onto her cleavage and Kit snorted a laugh.
“What the heck are you laughing at?” Seren fired at him.
“Nothing.” He thumped his chest as though he was choking.
Keira discreetly wiped ketchup from her chest. “He’s laughing at me.”
“What?” His voice went slightly high-pitched. “I wasn’t.”
“Yeah, you were.”
“Ignore him,” Noah said. “He’s weird.”
“I promise I wasn’t laughing at you,” Kit said.
“It’s all right.” She popped a chip in her mouth and the corners of her mouth twitched up. “It’s pretty funny.”
“What is?” Noah asked.
She sat up straighter. “Me. In this dress, trying to eat a massive burger and getting it all down me. I thought I could pull off sophisticated for one evening, but apparently I overestimated myself.”
“It’s a great dress,” Kit said, his voice filled with mirth.
Mirren nodded. “It’s beautiful.”
“Also completely inappropriate!” Keira pointed out.
“Is it?” Kit asked, stifling a grin.
Keira twisted in her seat to face Noah. “I read your message wrong,” she confessed with a grimace.