Scarlett giggles. “Don’t worry, I’d be there with you. And it would save you having to go to two events.”
“That is a very good point.” I look at Kingi.
He shrugs. “Sounds like a good idea.” He pushes his chair back. “Well, today’s my treat as you two are also celebrating an engagement.”
He rises and goes over to the till. I watch him walk away, not surprised to see that he draws the eyes of most of the women in the room as he passes them. He’s so tall and he has such broad shoulders, and there’s just something about the way he holds himself that screams wealth and power and confidence.
I give a little sigh, then look back at Orson and Scarlett to discover them both watching me with mischievous smiles.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Scarlett says, but her eyes twinkle.
“I was just… um…”
“Admiring the view?” she asks.
Heat rushes into my face, and I know I’ve turned the color of a tomato.
Kingi comes back to the table, looks at me, and his eyebrows rise. “Everything okay?” he asks.
“Yes of course.” I clear my throat and get to my feet as the other two rise. “Thank you for the meal. It was amazing.”
“You’re very welcome.”
As we head toward the door, someone opens it to come in, and a blast of cool evening air wafts over us. “Ooh,” I say, shivering, “I knew I should have brought a coat.”
“Here.” Kingi slips his jacket off.
“Oh you don’t have to do that…”
He places it around my shoulders and turns the collar up. “Not a problem at all.”
I glance at Scarlett, who catches my eye, and I have to fight not to blush again. “Thank you,” I mumble, pulling the two sides close around me. Mmm, it smells of his cologne. It’s almost like having his arms around me.
We go out of the restaurant into the cool evening and walk past the queue, then stop in the middle of the paved courtyard. “I’ve called an Uber,” Orson says. “He’s coming that way.” He points the opposite direction to where Kingi parked.
“Okay, well thanks for a great evening,” Kingi says, and the two of them exchange a bearhug.
Scarlett and I also hug, and then Orson kisses my cheek. “It was a great evening,” he says, and the two of them smile and head off to their Uber.
I go to walk off, but Kingi doesn’t move, so I turn to face him. “Everything okay?” I ask, wondering whether he’s left something in the restaurant.
“Yeah.” He has a mischievous look on his face. “Don’t look over, but the guy under the oak tree? He’s a photographer for Korero.”
My jaw drops. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. He caught us going in. I thought it best not to mention it at the time.”
“Yeah, I’m glad you didn’t.”
“I was thinking…” He’s trying not to laugh. “I wonder whether we should put on a show for him.”
I blink. “A show?”
“Yeah.”
“You want me to sing and dance?”