Before I Do(39)

“Audrey?”

Audrey blinked, pulling her gaze back to his face.

“Yeah, good. They look really good.” She swallowed. “Wait, turn around. Yes, um, no, I think you could go an inch tighter; they’re slightly baggy on the butt.”

He gave a single clap, appearing pleased with her rigorous feedback, then drew the curtain across to change into the next pair. She was sorry not to see him take off his shirt this time.



* * *





Twenty minutes later, they walked out of the shop with three new pairs of jeans and the T-shirt. They found a coffee shop around the corner called Bean Here Before.

“Have you been here before?” he asked.

“Nope. False advertising,” she said.

He ordered himself a black coffee and asked Audrey what she wanted.

“Let’s try a Very Berry Latte,” she said, looking up at the menu.

“You like those? It sounds revolting.”

“I don’t know, I’ve never had one before.” She shrugged, then observed his confused expression. “Let me guess, you’re the guy who orders the same thing every time.”

Josh laughed. “Yes, I always order black coffee, I know I like it.”

“So you’re just going to drink black coffee for the rest of your life? Think of all the other hot beverages you could be missing out on.”

They took their coffees over to a secluded window seat. Audrey looked down at her coffee, piled high with cream and pink sprinkles.

“You want to try it?”

Josh looked amused. “Are you working for the Very Berry Latte marketing board or something?”

“No, I can just see you’re curious now.”

He rolled his eyes and reached for her cup. He took a sip, then pretended to gag. “It’s no black coffee, but it’s actually not bad.”

“Well, now you know what it tastes like,” Audrey said, reaching for it back. “So, Josh, tell me what someone who works in reinsurance does. Do you insure things that have already been insured? Would it be like me working in re-photography, where I take photos of existing photographs? Or a chef who recooks food, like a microwave chef?”

“Not quite,” he said, suppressing a smile. “We insure the insurers, help spread the risk of huge projects. I specialize in sustainable energy, wind farms, tidal power, billion-dollar investments. We help make these projects possible, that’s the simplest way I can describe it.”

“That does sound interesting.”

“It is. Though I’m stuck on a tedious project right now. There’s an innovative new tidal project I’d love to be a part of, but I don’t have the hours.”

“Why don’t you ask if you can move? Give the boring project to someone else.”

Josh smiled. “It doesn’t really work like that.”

“If you don’t ask, you don’t get.” Audrey shrugged. “They might not know you’re so interested in this new one. Is the tree planting related to your work?”

Josh shook his head, gazing out the window at the street. “No, that’s just a side project I do on my own time.” He paused. “I read somewhere that if everyone on the planet planted a hundred and sixty trees, we’d be able to cancel out a decade of CO2 emissions. I was aiming to do just that, but I reached that number last year, so I set myself a new goal.”

“You’re making me feel bad I haven’t planted any; I can’t even keep a houseplant alive.”

“Well, I’ll plant one for you next time I go,” he said, running a hand through his hair.

“Can you call it Cuthbert?”

“You don’t usually get to name it,” he said, his eyes dancing with amusement. “Though I do sometimes write my initials on the support stake. I’ll put your name and Cuthbert’s on the next one I plant.” He paused, tapping a finger against his coffee cup. “Tell me more about you, Audrey. What do you get up to when you’re not charting the wonders of the solar system?”

She ruffled her hair, letting it fall in front of her face. “I don’t think I’ve found my calling in life yet. I’ve jumped around a lot. I’m currently working in a gallery and a bar, plus I do a bit of freelance photography work. I guess it’s like trying on jeans, I haven’t found my perfect fit yet.” She paused. “Hillary used to call me the Weather Girl because I’m so changeable.” Josh was listening to her with rapt attention. “Kelly must be pretty driven, if she’s doing a PhD at her age.”

“She is.” Josh nodded. “She’s a couple of years older than me, though.”

“Things are going well with you two, then?”

“She remembers my name most days, so that’s something.” Josh’s teasing eyes lingered on hers, and Audrey gently nudged his foot beneath the table.

“Jean shopping today, ring shopping tomorrow?” She said it in a light voice but then regretted it immediately. Asking about his girlfriend felt like picking a scab she knew she should leave well alone.

To his credit, Josh didn’t flinch or look horrified, as most men their age would have. He simply said, “Not quite yet.”

“But you want that? Marriage, kids, a semidetached with a patio on the commuter belt?”