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“Thank you.”
I climbed the stairs. The restaurant interior was modern and elegant with a black-and-white colour scheme. On one side of the room, a glass wine rack extended from floor to ceiling, backlit with yellow light, housing a vast collection of wine. On the other side of the room, large windows and French doors faced a balcony over the harbour and ferry terminal. I saw Neil, seated by himself at a table indoors. He wore his white shirt with one button open at the collar, his suit jacket flung over the chair behind him. With fluttering anticipation, I approached. He glanced up, his mouth falling open a fraction. Appreciation flitted in his eyes. I lifted the fallen right strap of my dress while his stare lingered on my shoulders and loose hair.
“Hello.” I pulled out the chair opposite him.
“You look…” he swallowed, hesitating over how to finish the sentence he had started, “lovely.”
“Thank you. So do you. I mean, you look good. As always.” I cringed inwardly as I stumbled over my words.
“Christine and Ed are running late.”
I nodded along, trying my best to act casual. Even though we had just spent the day together, I felt nervous tonight.
“Would you like a drink while we wait?” Neil asked.
“Yes, please.”
He passed me the drinks menu. I scanned the list, weighing my options, until a waiter approached the table. “Can I take your drinks order?” the young woman asked.
“I’ll have a lychee cosmopolitan, please,” I said.
“And for you, sir?”
“A bottle of San Pellegrino, thank you,” Neil said.
“Anything else?”
Neil looked to me. I shook my head.
“That’s all,” Neil said.
After the server left, I distracted myself from the awkwardness of the situation by glancing around the sophisticated dining space. My focus drifted to the French doors and the balcony beyond. The doors had been propped open, allowing the murmur of conversation and clinking of glasses to reach my ears. Sheer curtains billowed in the breeze. Through the gauzy panels, I could make out intimate round tables dotted across the balcony. Diners laughed and chatted, soaking up the last rays of golden-hour sunlight as they sipped wine and picked at shared plates. The atmosphere was much more casual than the formality indoors.
“I’m afraid I couldn’t get a table outside,” Neil said.
I waved him off. “This is perfect.”
Our drinks arrived. Condensation dripped down the chilled glass as I brought the light pink cocktail to my lips. The sweet taste of lychee and kick of vodka made me sigh. Meanwhile, Neil’s phone buzzed. He swiped at the screen. “It’s Christine,” he said. “Her babysitter has fallen through.”
“Oh no. Does that mean she can’t come?”
“She’s still coming. Ed’s staying home with Rosie.”
“Ah. Poor Ed. So, it’ll just be the three of us now.”
Neil glanced at his watch. “It might be awhile before she gets here. Shall we order an appetiser in the meantime?”
“Good idea. I’m getting hungry already.”
We ordered some bread with dips. As we waited for the food, we talked about work to fill in the time. Somehow—maybe it was the alcohol kicking in—I felt bold enough to bring the conversation to Zelthia and Neil’s schemes. “How are things progressing in Singapore?” I asked.
Neil stiffened. “You shouldn’t concern yourself with any of that.”
“I thought we agreed I was going to help you.”
“You would help me the most by staying out of it as much as possible. Besides, it’s a waiting game now. I’ve already set things in motion. Now we’ll see if the right dominoes fall.”
The bread arrived. We nibbled in silence until Neil’s phone rang. He answered the call. “Everything okay?” After a pause, his frown deepened. “I see… That’s too bad… Well, some other time, then. Have a good night. Bye.” He hung up. “That was Christine. I’m afraid she won’t be joining us after all. Car trouble on top of the babysitter issue.”
