"So, what do you do, Kayleigh?" Jack Monroe asked politely, oblivious to the tension in the air. It was a simple question, yet Kayleigh felt as though he'd asked her to recite the Periodic Table in front of a live audience. Lucky for her, Abigail Kilton was a pro at live audiences.

"Kayleigh is the most talented fashion designer I have ever met," she beamed dropping her menu. "In fact, she is designing my wedding gown!"

Kayleigh kept her head down and pretended to scour the menu that may as well have been written in Japanese.

"Isn't your wedding this summer?" Jack turned to Marcus for confirmation, but he wasn't getting anything from him. His steely gaze was set on his drink, his jaw firm under his trimmed beard.

Abi nodded her head enthusiastically, making up for her husband's lack of response, and Jack blew a low whistle as he turned in his seat to address Kayleigh again. "You must be under a lot of pressure."

Kayleigh barely raised her eyes as she returned his smile with a shy nod.

"There's no reason for her to be nervous," Abigail went on like a proud mother. "She's a natural. She started with us as an intern two weeks ago and got promoted on her first day."

"That is impressive. I don't know much about the industry but I hear Kilton's House of Fashion has very high standards," Jack stated still not taking his eyes off Kayleigh.

"We do. He's right, Kay," the social butterfly agreed. "You need to give yourself more credit."

An expectant silence fell over their table and Kayleigh felt the obligation to say something. "Uhm... okay. I'll try."

The waiter arrived to take their order and Kayleigh panicked. Not only did she not have a clue as to what she was having, but she had no idea what the items on the menu were. So, she went with the one thing that stuck in her mind.

"I'll have the Satay Skewers?" She sounded as uncertain as ever but Jack Monroe shot her an assuring grin when she looked over at him hesitantly.

"Excellent choice!" he cheered.

But his praise was met with firm protest from across the table. "You're not having that," Marcus Burrows stated. "Satay is peanut sauce."

"So?" Abigail shrugged partly confused, partly irritated.

Marcus looked hesitantly at Kayleigh before answering. "Kay has a severe nut allergy."

Understanding dawned on Abi's face and Kayleigh thought it transformed momentarily into suspicion before her usual composure graced her face. 

Marcus took the menu from Kay's hand, purposely ignoring the waiter's subtle taps against his tablet as he waited for someone to order something. Meanwhile, Kayleigh tried counting from one to ten, but she seemed to have forgotten the numbers in between.

"She'll have the Chicken Udon. Don't add cashews to the sauce or garnish or anything. Just the ingredients on the menu, yeah?" Marcus stressed to the boy. Then, he added, "And we'll have another bottle of sake."

The waiter tapped in Marcus's instructions and almost turned to leave when Abigail cleared her throat. "And I'll have the tuna sashimi and a salmon skin roll," she requested.

The waiter swept his gaze over their table to confirm that nobody wanted anything else and left with a curt nod. They looked at one another, smiling politely, except Marcus and Abigail who were suddenly avoiding each other's eyes. Finally, Marcus decided to break the quiet. 

"How was your fitting with the girls this morning, honey?" he asked, clearing his throat.

Kayleigh almost kicked him from under the table. It would have been less painful than Abigail's short reply. "It was cancelled, darling. I told you already."

Marcus lifted a doubtful eyebrow as he turned to his fiancée. "You did?"

"Yes. You need to check your phone more often, sweetheart."

Marcus reached into his pocket and took out his phone. "Well, look at that."

Abigail cocked her head slightly and an unamused, "Hmm," escaped her lips.

"Don't be too harsh on him, Ms Kilton," Jack Monroe intervened. "I've been boring him to death since half eleven trying to convince him to have his clinic enlisted with us. But your fiancé is a man of principle and not so easy to convince."

Kayleigh glanced at Marcus and saw his muscles clench at his jaw. He looked determinedly out the window, far into the rare blue London sky.

"Nonsense," Abi smiled broadly as their waiter returned with their drinks. "I'm sure insurance brokers and dentists have riveting conversations. And of course, he'll enlist. It's plain foolish not to. Mark, M&M are the top insurers in the country and one of the best in Europe. This is a very good opportunity for you and your clients. It makes everything so clean and efficient, just like the service they get from you."

Jack Monroe laughed but Marcus didn't seem to appreciate the joke. Kayleigh caught him hiding his scowl behind his cup and shot him a warning look when their eyes met. Something in his face softened and she hoped he'd play nice after that.

"Where are you from, Kayleigh?" Mr Monroe asked, taking another stab at moving the conversation to a comfortable place. Little did he know that Kayleigh wasn't comfortable at all, but it was better than watching the cold war going on between Marcus and Abi. 

"Southwold," she answered as the man poured her a glass of water. He then poured for Abi and finally for himself.

"Southwold? Where is that?"

"It's a seaside town in East Suffolk, right on the North Sea. It's about three hours away, very small and very boring. But the air is fresh, the food is good and the people are friendly..." Kayleigh's voice faltered under Jack's intense gaze. The smile on his lips was warm enough, but it still made her uneasy to have someone listening so attentively.

She automatically turned to Marcus as memories of home flooded her mind. She saw her own emotions reflected in his eyes and suddenly, their conflict didn't seem to matter anymore.

"You miss it, don't you?" Jack asked placing a gentle hand on her wrist. His thumb grazed her skin lightly and she was forced to look into the handsome man's face.

"Just a little," she breathed as Marcus's gaze burned the side of her face.

Thankfully, their conversation took a more jovial route after their food arrived. Kayleigh devoured her Chicken Udon and did not swell up to the size of a balloon by the time she cleared her plate. Jack and Marcus ordered more drinks and it was almost three o'clock by the time they walked out of the restaurant.

Abi and Marcus were a little way ahead, discussing something a bit too intensely for Kayleigh to breathe easily when Jack tugged gently on her elbow. "I know this is very forward of me," he started, "but do you think I can see you again?"

Kayleigh's jaw dropped. She was expecting anything but that. "What?"

"I'd love to take you out sometime. No raw fish and no nuts, I promise," he grinned. "And if there is anything else I should know, I'll take notes."

"No. No need to take notes," she muttered nervously. "Mr Monroe, I..."

"Jack," he corrected.

"Jack."

Jack. Her stomach did a little somersault. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea."

His face fell and he seemed genuinely disappointed. "Why? Do you have a boyfriend? I'm sorry, I didn't even ask."

Kayleigh was careful to keep her eyes fixed on Jack's face especially since the bickering to their left had stopped. "No, I don't. But-"

"Then give me a chance. One date and if you don't like me, I'll buzz off. It'll be fun."

His eyes. His smile. He was tall and lean and so intimidating. Perhaps that was why Kayleigh found herself nodding her assent against her every instinct.

Jack Monroe's smile grew visibly. It reached his brown eyes and lit up his face. "Really?"

She didn't know if he was truly surprised or if he was just trying to make her laugh, but it worked. She laughed and nodded again like a little girl, and Jack gave her an amused look as he passed her his card and asked her to call him.

Kay turned around when he disappeared down the street and found Abigail and Marcus staring at her. Abi grinned excitedly and gave her a thumbs up but Marcus's face was unreadable.

"Way to go, Kayleigh! You just bagged one of London's hottest bachelors," the blond beauty cheered as she looped her arm through hers. "Do you want a lift back to the office?"

Truthfully, Kayleigh had no idea how to get back to KHF, but she had no doubt she'd rather figure it out than sit in an enclosed space with a very inquisitive Abigail.

"That's okay. I'll find my way," she answered gently.

"Are you sure?"

"Yep."

So, Abi kissed her cheek and then gave Marcus a quick and awkward peck on the lips before heading for the black SUV waiting for her at the end of the block.

Kayleigh and Marcus skirted around each other awkwardly for a moment before Marcus took the plunge. "You can ride with me to Oxford Circus if you want. My clinic is close by."

Kayleigh's frown deepened. It was hard to refuse his offer without being rude if they were heading in the same direction anyway, but she wanted to be around Marcus even less than she wanted to be around Abigail.

"Please talk to me," he pleaded after a while.

Kayleigh half expected his hands to force her to look at him, but to her surprise, he shoved his fists into his pockets. She allowed herself to look at him. She admired his beautiful face and inhaled his scent, strange and familiar at the same time.

"I hate that you're so angry at me," he murmured. 

Kayleigh thought about it, her fingers gnawing at each other. "I'm not angry," she replied after a while. "But we have to be more careful around each other, Marcus. You can't keep looking at me like..."

His gaze intensified as Kayleigh struggled for the right words. "Like that," she finished feebly.

She was very conscious of how her mouth had gone dry and how her palms were all sweaty. She desperately wanted to look away but she couldn't.

"All of it," Marcus said finally. His voice was low and broken and the vulnerability in it went straight to Kayleigh's soul, stirring up memories that were never truly put to rest. "I'm sorry for all of it. I will back off. I will pretend that I don't know you... again... if that makes things easier for you. But if you think that it will be, or that it ever was, easy for me, then you're a lot less clever than I thought you were."

Kayleigh kept her eyes fixed on him until he disappeared around the corner. She had never regretted receiving an apology more than she did that day.

👒👗👜

Now that was an interesting lunch...

Do you think Kayleigh should give the dreamy Jack Monroe a chance? And what do you think of Marcus's apology?

Let me know in the comments and don't forget to vote!