Page 96 of Big Sexy Love
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After an incredible mealof roasted oysters followed by grilled garlic lamb with market greens, we leave the restaurant and step into the unseasonalbly warm evening. Seth suggests we wander around to a nearby ice cream shop to get a couple of smalldesserts.
On the way, we pass by Gramercy Park. I can’t see much through the cast-iron fence but I notice that there are little twinkle lights strung up inside the garden. It looks sopretty.
And then something occurstome.
‘Wait,’ I say to Seth. ‘Hold onasec.’
I reach into my bag and pull out my little coin pouch. I pinch my fingers inside and pull out the key I stole. I hold it uptoSeth.
‘You still have it? I thought the police tookitback!’
I shake my head. ‘It was in my pink bum bag, in this little pouch. The day I was arrested I was wearing mysatchel!’
‘We couldn’t,’ Seth breathes, eyesglittering.
I raise an eyebrow. ‘What happened to super chill “arent we all looking for excitement”SethHartman?’
I dramatically creep towards the gate and gently slide the key intothelock.
‘You’re really doing this?’ Seth laughs. ‘You’re actually going tobreakin?’
‘It’s not breaking in if you have a key! It’s gorgeous in there. You have toseeit.’
I push open the gate door, grab Seth’s hand and lead himinside.
‘Wow,’ hewhispers.
‘I know!’ I look up at the hedges strung with fairy lights and the gravelled pathways lit by littlelanterns.
We walk down the path into the centre of the garden, where Seth pulls out his phone and fiddles with the buttons until the gruff soulful voice of Otis Redding’sI’ve Been Loving You Too Longrings its way intotheair.
‘Would you dance with me?’ he asks, bowing his head alittle.
I blink. I have never been asked to dance before in my life. I feel my cheeksturnred.
‘Alright then,’ I say quietly, reaching up to put my arms aroundhisneck.
As the evening spring breeze whips around us, Seth presses his hands onto the small of my back and we sway underneath the trees and the stars, the only two people in this beautiful park, in this big old city. My heart thuds in my ribcage, and when I lay my head against his chest, I hear that his heartthuddingtoo.
I lean back and study his face. I want to kiss him. If we kissed right here it would surely be the most romantic moment anyone had ever hadinlife.
But before anything kiss-related can happen, the music changes to the next Otis Redding track on the album – the super sexyLoveMan.
I burst into laughter as Seth steps away from me and comically swirls his hips from side to side, a dumb pervy expression on his face. It’s so funny that I decide to do the same thing, putting my hands on my hips and rolling them around like I’m doing a hula hoop. I pull a stupid face as I’m doing it and Seth starts to laugh too, clutching his stomach withamusement.
The two of us saucily dance our way around the park. Seth wiggles and twirls around a bush. Getting well and truly into the spirit of the bit, I start to fake hump a tree which causes tears of mirth to roll fromSeth’seyes.
When the song ends it takes us a whole ten minutes to stop giggling. I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun with anyone other than Birdie. In fact, I’m pretty sure Ineverhave!
* * *
After sneaking back outof the park, we find a bench to sit on so I can check my email again and see if any leads have come through about Chuck. But nope. Nothing. Then I check the burner phone that Anders bought for our mission, making doubly sure that all the notification volumes are as high as they can go. But no-one has tried to get through on that, either! I sigh and put the phones back inmybag.
‘No luck?’Sethasks.
‘No.’ I shake my head, confused. ‘We must have given out a gazillion leaflets. I thought we’d have at least a fewcalls.’
