Happy Never After

Chapter 21

Tom smiled at me, once again showing off his cute dimple, and I grinned back.

"So where are we going on this date?" I asked as Tom led me out of the lounge and into the hallway. He opened the door as he replied.

"That you will find out when we get there." He gestured for me to leave first so I did, then he shut the door behind me and linked his arm with mine while we walked down the steps. I blushed as he opened the car door for me then sat down behind the driver's wheel, leaning across and kissing me on the cheek before he started the engine.

It wasn't even five minutes before I had no clue where we were. I didn't recgonise this area in the slightest - we were turning off at just about every road possible, and after fifteen minutes or less there were green fields appearing either side of us, despite the fact we were still close to the centre of London. You could see the buildings in the near distance but right now, it was like we were driving through a lake of green in the middle of a concrete jungle. It was beautiful and I couldn't believe that I never knew it was just twenty minutes from where I lived.

My amazement didn't last long though, as just a few mintues later Tom pulled down a small lane with tall hedges either side, so you could see nothing but the road straight ahead and behind you, then turned left into a gravel car park. Although it wasn't really a car park - it was more of a stoney area with nine or ten cars lined up alonside each other, next to a large cottage-like building. He pulled up next to a car on the end of the row then came round to help me out of the car. His car was bigger than mine, so when you were stepping out of that in a dress and high heels onto gravel, a girl needed a bit of help. I wrapped my arm around his waist and rested my head on his shoulder as we walked over to the building, and when we stepped inside I realised it was actually a pub. We walked past the quiet bar and into an extension off the side, which was a restaurant with about fifteen tables. I looked up at Tom with a smile and he winked back at me. It was such a nice place. The tables were spaced out so you weren't on top of each other, but at the same time it had a really cosy atmosphere.

"So what would you like to eat?" Tom said as we sat down.

"I'm not sure...where are the menus?" I said. Almost on cue a waitress came over with some laminated sheets in her hand.

"Good evening! I'll be your waitress for this evening, my name is Stacey. Would you like the afternoon tea menu or the evening dinner menu?" She asked in a voice as smooth as honey.

"Afernoon tea menu please." Tom said. She handed us each a menu with a smile then left.

"This place looks amazing..." I exclaimed as I looked down the menu. Cream teas, about fifteen different cakes, toast, crumpets - you named it and it probably would have been on there.

"What would you like? Order anything you like." Tom said. I smiled, biting my lip as I looked into his wide, chocolate brown eyes. He was treating me like a princess - but I loved it.

"I think I'll have...a tea and a slice of carrot cake." I said after much debate.

"Fair enough. I think I'm gonna have a coffee and a slice of victoria sponge." He said. Again, as if she had an abnormal sense of hearing and knew exactly when to appear, Stacey appeared almost straight away.

"So what can I get you?" she asked in her bright voice.

"Can we have a tea, a coffee, a slice of carrot cake and a slice of victoria sponge please?" Tom requested. She smiled broadly in agreement and took our menus then bustled off. She came back less than five minutes later with our orders. The cakes were huge.

"Wow!" I remarked when she'd left.

"I know right!" Tom replied. I had some of my cake, which was delicious, while I waited for my tea to cool down, then sipped on it while Tom and I talked.