Sweetly Isolated (The Swallow Barn Cottage Series, Book 1)

Flow and Focus

Author's Note:

A double update today again. I'm taking advantage of my days off ;) This is part 1 out of 2. Hope you enjoy!

K. xx

***

He laughed and rose to get her more water.

"Let's get you a drink first," he said.

Tina drank another glass and cleared her throat.

"What did you just say?" she croaked.

"I asked you if you'd like to go out with me." He looked her over down his long nose. "Didn't expect you'd react that way."

"You surprised me," Tina muttered and stretched the hand with the glass to him. "Thank you."

He put it in the sink and looked at her expectantly.

"Right." Tina gave out another little cough. "Go out as in–"

"A date," he said. Tina's right eye twitched, and she pressed her hand over it. He chuckled. "Are you being a pirate?"

"We can't– go out," she said. "We're isolating. And everything is closed anyroad, and– Wait, a date?! You don't date!"

He sat at the table across from her.

"I do. I haven't recently, but I do in theory," he answered and smirked. "And I reckon, we'd just have to go for a walk. And when the restrictions are lifted, we can go out properly."

Now, her left eye had joined in, and she lifted the second hand and pressed the heel into her eyeball.

"Just give me a mo, please," she said in a small voice, "I'm processing. It's just I had a completely different idea of what we–" She dropped both hands and stared at him. "I thought we're just shagging."

"I don't suggest we stop," he said sardonically. "You said it feels nice to go on dates. You aren't going out with that mycologist anymore. I thought I'd offer my candidacy."

Just like that?! I mean, he's literally quoting their prior conversation– but what?!

Tina slowly blinked, and then shook her head.

"Nope. Still not getting it." She exhaled sharply. "At what point did you go from 'I'm here for a non-committed hanky-panky because I'm conveniently in your bed' to 'I'd like to take you on a date?'"

"Some time around The Third Man," he said offhandedly and picked up his spoon again.

"What?! Wait– What? That was days ago!"

He shrugged and started eating.

What?! But– but–

"That was before Edwin!" she voiced out a sudden realisation.

"What does Dr. Mount of Joy have to do with it?" He gave her a sincerely confused look.

"Clearly nothing whatsoever in your mind," she mumbled. "And that was before you knew who I was!"

"I know who you are, Clementine," he said and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Like I said, it took just a couple of days to figure out I was wrong about you at the launch."

"You're endlessly self-assured, you know that?" she muttered.

"You haven't said 'no' so far," he said with another of his shrugs. "Are you going to finish the soup?"

Tina shook her head, and he rose to put away their plates. While he was taking out the pies, Tina was digesting the new data. He arranged the pies and the side salad on two plates, put them on the table, and started tea - when she finally spoke up, "How is it even going to work, in your mind?"