Page 55 of The Way Home

“This is us,” Caleb said softly. Jamie hopped off the bench, ready to get off the Tube, and Caleb hovered a hand at his lower back as they exited the train.

This was good. It was good for Jamie to be out in the city, gettingsome fresh air, and eating good food. Caleb was determined to make this night nice for him.

Chapter 13

“This is allforus?”Jamie’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates as he took in the room. Caleb was thrilled by this reaction, and yet, sad. This place had been special to Jamie, once.

“Yep. All for us,” Caleb said as he rushed forward and pulled Jamie’s chair out for him. The room was beautiful, just as he remembered, with its dark wood furniture and soft leather chairs. The lighting was dim and warm, casting a golden glow over the table.

After Jamie settled into his seat, Caleb sat in his own. As requested, Loretta placed a vase of lilies on the table. Caleb made a mental note to send her a thank-you card.

“I love these,” Jamie said, sniffing the bouquet. “Lilies are my favorite.” His eyes shot to Caleb in question. Caleb swallowed the wordsI knowand said instead, “I’m glad you like them.”

He took a steadying breath. Tonight didn’t have to be about what Jamie didn’t remember or the fact that he used to like to come here. They could make new memories, starting right now.

“So you know the manager here?” Jamie asked, glancing at the door Loretta had just disappeared through.

“Sort of. Loretta’s husband is a season ticket holder, and I met them at a Chelsea function. Loretta and I hit it off, and…” He shrugged. “She gets us reservations and throws us free appetizers, here and there.”

Jamie smiled. “That’s brilliant.”

Caleb smiled back, but it didn’t feel quite right on his face. He wanted to tell Jamie that this restaurant meantsomuch to him because he had declared things to Jamie in this room that he had never said out loud before.

The server appeared and saved him. She was a nice, young lady standing pin-straight with a sleek blonde ponytail. “Gentlemen. What can I get you to drink?”

“The, uh, Soberoni? If you don’t mind?” Jamie always ordered drinks like he was wildly inconveniencing the staff by wanting one.

“Absolutely, sir.” She jotted down his order. “You’re aware that it is a zero-proof cocktail, yes?”

Jamie nodded. “Yes. The name is pretty clear.” He said it so genuinely, but Caleb still chuckled.

“Beautiful.” The server turned to Caleb. “And you, sir?”

“I’ll have the Beetroot Breeze, please.”

“Very well. I will be back with those shortly.”

Caleb smiled as she trotted away. “You didn’t want a glass of wine or anything?”

“No.” Jamie fiddled with the corner of his menu. “Well, I remember that you don’t drink, so…”

Caleb couldn’t help the grin that spread on his face. “That’s sweet of you. But, just so you know, it doesn’t bother me if you drink.”

Jamie smiled. “Okay. Next time, maybe I’ll get a pinot noir.”

“Nice. See anything on the menu you like?”

Jamie flipped to the starters and studied the list for a moment. Caleb studiedhim,particularly interested in the way he was nibbling on his plump bottom lip. Maybe it was the lighting, or the smell of the lilies, but Caleb felt drunk on the sight of Jamie, here, on a date with him.

After the accident, Caleb didn’t know if he’d ever have this again. And now Jamie was sitting across from him, tracing his bottom lip with his thumb in thought, and Caleb was slowly losing it. He wanted to pull Jamie’s hand away and replace it with his own, running his own thumb along Jamie’s bottom lip, and then tug it gently until Jamie sighed. He wanted to watch those spring green eyes turn dark and aroused, waiting for Caleb to kiss him. And hewould. He’d ravage Jamie with his tongue and taste what he’d been missing all these weeks…

Caleb took a sip of water. Those thoughts were uselessly making him horny right now, becausenothingphysical was going to happen between them tonight. It was too soon for Jamie, and he knew that, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t still try to woo him. Make him feel loved in other ways.

Jamie was so easy to woo. All Caleb needed to do was, like… order something vegan. Was that manipulative? Caleb didn’t think so. Just because Jamie got slightly horny when Caleb did good things for the environment, they were stillgoodfor the environment, right?

“What’s good here?” Jamie asked, blissfully unaware that Caleb was playing mental gymnastics. “I assume we’ve been here before?”

“Yeah, the minestrone is great. And it’s vegan.”