“Thank you. I was worried that I’d frightened you away.”
“I was going to call you for coffee,” he said.
“You were?”
“Yes. I didn’t want to seem too … desperate.”
She winced. “Did I sound desperate?”
“No, no, not at all. It’s just when we want a female, I mean woman, erm, I come from a pack, a family, I mean, that er, we’re the ones that chase the women.”
She frowned at him. “I find it quite refreshing how you talk. It’s, like … strange but not.”
****
Rebecca didn’t know what it was about this man, but she couldn’t stop thinking about him. He’d saved her the other night when no one else could have, and he did so without even allowing his dog to get hurt.
“I see you brought Alphie.” The dog came to her wagging his tale as he did. “He’s so cute.”
Liam lowered himself down into one of the chairs, and she was surprised it took his size.
“My dog comes everywhere with me.”
“It’s why I suggested this place. They allow for pets and dogs. There’s even a little dog bowl for water.”
“Go on, boy, go drink.”
She watched the dog go and drink some water before coming back and sitting beside his master.
Pushing some hair off her forehead, she smiled at him. “So, I wanted to thank you for the other night.”
“You don’t even have to mention it. It’s never normally like that here, at least not from what I’ve seen.”
“How do you mean?”
“Not all men behave that way in front of a lady.”
She glanced down at the table. The menu was beneath a coaster, and she picked it up. “Tell me what you’d like and I’ll go and order it.”
They only offered a small selection of sandwiches and nibbles.
Deciding what she wanted, she was about to ask him why he’d been staring at her, his menu untouched.
“You pick something for me.”
“You don’t have any allergies?”
“None.”
“Anything you don’t like?” she asked.
“I’ll like whatever you pick.”
“Oh, okay.” She got up and made her way inside. The waitress took her order and promised to bring it outside when she was done.
Rebecca’s nerves were getting to her again. She hated being out in public. It’s why she’d made a life for herself working over the Internet. No one had to see their editor in this new world of e-books.
It’s fine.