Overdue - A Rockstar Romance

Chapter 25 - Elliott

Oh, she was playing with fire. The hidden meaning in her words had my body reacting like a teenage boy with my first crush.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and fixed a smile on my face, "That would be telling." I gestured for the waiter hovering by the curtains to approach. He smiled, handing us both menus and pouring glasses of water from the jug he had bought.

His face showed no sign he had heard our conversation despite the fact he likely had. That was the main reason I liked it here. They knew the meaning of the word discreet. That and the food was incredible.

Phoebe was frowning at the menu, "Is everything ok?" I asked as the waiter excused himself with the promise to return and take our orders shortly.

She bit her lip and I resisted the urge to dive forward and kiss her. For one I wasn't an ass, but also, I desperately wanted this date to be a success and that meant pulling on all my romantic knowledge to ensure she had the most incredible time.

"Yes." She sounded uncertain.

I examined the crease of frown lines across her forehead and searched her face for some clue as to what was bothering her.

"What are you thinking of getting? Do you want a starter?" I asked finally.

There was that lip biting again, "Oh no, I think I'll just have a main."

"And dessert. The apple crumble here is incredible." I confided.

Her eyes lit up and then the shutters came down again, "Oh, no thank you."

The waiter appearing interrupted my confusion at her reaction. "Can I get you any starters?"

I glanced at Phoebe again, but she just shook her head slightly. "No, could we just order mains?"

"Certainly. Ladies first." He said pleasantly, smiling at Phoebe.

She gave a tentative smile in return and I felt the oddest surge of jealousy.

"Could I get the chicken burger, but without the avocado?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Of course. Would you like any sides with that?" he asked.

She shook her head, "No thank you."

"And for you sir?" he turned to me.

"Could I get the pizza of the day and a side of halloumi fries?" I asked, closing my menu and handing it back to him.

"Absolutely. Would either of you like any other drinks? Can I top up your wine?"

Phoebe blushed staring at her almost empty glass of wine as though wondering where it had gone. "We can handle that, thank you." I said quickly.

The waiter nodded, "Of course." And started to leave.

"Oh wait. Sorry," Phoebe called after him.

He turned and she gave him a dazzling smile, "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?"

"Apologies, miss. My name is Daniel and I'll be your server this evening." He replied with a quick smile.

"Thank you, Daniel." She said in a sing song tone.

I felt that jealousy flare again as he gave a quick smile and slipped out.

"My Nanna says you should always thank someone by name if they are serving or helping you." She said shyly when she caught my look.

Now we were getting somewhere, "She sounds like a wise woman. Are you close?" I asked and began sipping my water as I waited for her reply.

"She raised me, so we are as close as it gets." She laughed.

I could listen to that laugh for hours and never tire of it, "What about your parents? Or is that too personal?"

"They were young, stupid and not ready for the responsibility. I got lucky I had my Nanna."

She looked like she wanted to say more but then changed her mind, "How about you? Tell me about your parents.'

I relaxed in the seat, "My mum is a hairdresser and my dad works in accounts. I'm an only child so I think they were pretty disappointed I was more interested in music than university but they're actually supportive now."

"Well you are a superstar so they would be crazy not to support you. Clearly you were right to follow your dreams." She played with the prettily folded napkin as she spoke, and my hand itched to reach out and wrap my hand round her much smaller one.

"How about you? What are your dreams?" I tore my eyes from her hand and refocused on her eyes.

"I don't know. I haven't really worked it out yet." She confessed, "I just look after Nanna and work. Not quite as exciting as yours."

"You've got plenty of time to figure it out. I wouldn't worry." I said quickly.

"I guess." She seemed lost in thought and for a moment I just let her wander there. That thoughtful but lost look in her eyes.

"So, what do you like doing in your free time?"

Her eyes lit up and I could have sworn my heart skipped a beat. "Reading or writing." She grinned, "Literally all the time."

I smiled, "But you work with books all day, doesn't it get boring being round them all the time."

She looked so insulted it was almost comical. "Book are all different. I could never get tired of losing myself in them."

I changed tact, "Sorry! What type of books do you like reading?"

Her face flushed and I sat up a little straighter. "Oh, all sorts." She said in a squeaky voice attempting an airy wave of her hand.

"Never play poker love." I snorted.

She blushed harder, not meeting my eye.

"I don't work at the library anymore." She said in an attempt to distract me.

I let her. I was pretty sure from her reaction that I knew what books this shy girl enjoyed. They did say it was the quiet ones you needed to watch out for.

"Oh? When did that happen?" I raised an eyebrow.

"A couple of weeks ago." She said with a non-committal shrug.

"How long after we were there?" I frowned.

"A week." She looked embarrassed, though I wasn't sure why, "A lot has changed." She added though it seemed more to herself than me.

As we chatted, she slowly began to relax and by the time our meals arrived she was laughing. "So," she said between giggles, "you had to stand like that for an hour?"

"Well I couldn't move; they would have spotted me." I shrugged with an embarrassed grin.

She burst out laughing again, clutching her side, "Oh god stop." She wiped a tear, "Stop making me laugh, it hurts!"

"You look beautiful when you laugh." I blurted it out before I could stop myself and her eyes widened, and she instantly stopped.

I nearly growled in frustration, why did she keep freaking out and clamming up?

"Who made you think you're not beautiful?" I asked softly after Daniel had placed our meals and slipped out. "Was it that guy? The one who stood you up?"

Her eyes flashed and I saw that hint of fire that sometimes escaped her. "What makes you think someone made me feel like that?" she asked in an icy tone.

I gave her my best who-do-you-think-you're-kidding look, "It's pretty obvious from the way you react to things I say."

She jutted her chin out stubbornly and looked me directly in the eye, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I don't know why you think you're average but I'm going to get you to see yourself the way everyone else does if it's the last thing I do." I promised.