Rory's Proposal Read Free Page A

anything was going to give me a coronary it would have been that. Anyway I’d just be replacing the calories wouldn’t I? We head to the counter.
    ‘Next,’ calls the assistant.
    ‘What would you like?’ asks Mr Audi.
    ‘I’ll have a bacon butty,’ I say feeling somehow liberated, ‘but without butter.’
    ‘You want Flora instead?’ asks the assistant.
    Oh, very funny.
    ‘No butter or Flora.’
    ‘You want a bacon butty without butter or margarine?’ the assistant says in amazement.
    Honestly, anyone would think I was asking for a bacon butty without the bacon.
    ‘I’ll have mayonnaise,’ I say.
    ‘You want mayonnaise on your bacon?’
    I’m paying aren’t I? Well, hopefully Mr Audi is but you know what I mean.
    ‘Yes, what’s wrong with that?’
    ‘It’s your stomach,’ he says flippantly, pulling on gloves like a surgeon. He snaps them over his wrists and scoops up the bacon rashers.
    ‘Make that two,’ says my companion, ‘one with butter and not mayonnaise. I’ll leave that combination to you,’ he smiles at me.
    ‘Bap, ciabatta, flat bread, pitta?’ asks the assistant.
    ‘Ciabatta,’ I say.
    ‘Large or small?’
    Christ, it’s worse than Subway, not that I’ve been to Subway recently of course. Luke wouldn’t be seen dead in there. He says all fast-food restaurants are a coronary on a plate. Oh well, I’m not likely to come in here again am I?
    ‘Large please.’
    Well, might as well make the most of it. A kettle bell session, a car accident, and an engagement have all made me ravenous.
    ‘Both?’
    Mr Audi nods.
    ‘With or without salad cream?’
    Obviously I don’t want salad cream if I’m having mayonnaise do I? Anyway, who has salad cream on bacon?
    ‘I’ve got mayonnaise,’ I point out.
    ‘No salad cream on the bacon,’ says Mr Audi.
    ‘I have to ask,’ snaps the assistant.
    ‘Just the bacon and mayonnaise is fine,’ I say.
    ‘So you don’t want salad?’
    ‘Well yes, I thought that was automatic,’ I say grabbing serviettes.
    ‘Not unless I can read your mind, and I wouldn’t be here if I could.’
    ‘But no lettuce in my salad and I don’t want the salad in the butty and a separate dressing please, I don’t like it on the salad.’
    ‘You want a salad without lettuce?’ he asks his eyes widening.
    ‘Yes, I don’t like lettuce.’
    Mr Audi smiles and says.
    ‘I’ll have it as it comes.’
    I give him a sideway glance. Yes, I bet he has it as it comes. He’s very good looking, even better looking than Luke. At a guess I’d say he is about thirty, and like me, no ring. I wonder if he’s having a hard time getting engaged. With his handsome face and obvious wealth I would think not. We squeeze our way into a corner to wait for our order. At that moment the door behind him swings open and he pushes himself towards me so the person can come out. I feel the heat of his body against me and his hand brushes my hip. The feelings that run through me are so powerful that for a second I can’t breathe. I’m jostled from behind and have to reach out with my hand to steady myself. It lands on his chest and I feel his heart beating through his shirt. Our eyes meet and lock and for a few seconds I completely forget where I am. I’ve never experienced feelings like these in my life. Our faces are so close and I find myself leaning towards him, or is he leaning towards me? I pull my eyes from him and squeeze past to sit on a chair.
    ‘Not the best place for a loo,’ I say shakily as the assistant calls our order. Mr Audi excuses himself and comes back carrying a tray.
    ‘Two bacon butties, two salads, one without lettuce and dressing on the side, plus two mugs of tea,’ he says, placing two plates on the table.
    I stare at the food and feel my mouth water. No one would believe I was on the colonic clean out diet would they?
    ‘Tuck in,’ he says with a smile. ‘You’ve been working out.’
    I won’t let on it was only a twenty-five minute session and