The Butler did it

PART 2 -Mm, chocolate...

“Well, thanks for the help,” you manage after a pause. You start to turn, but he puts a hand onto your arm and pulls you back around to face him gently. Your skin burns where he touches it, and you think he feels it too, because his eyes stray to the hand before he drops it quickly, as though embarrassed.
“Uh...” he starts.
“Yeah?”
He runs a hand through his hair and looks at the floor uncomfortably. “Would you like a drink or something?”
You consider. You do have to be home sometime in the not too-distant future...but hey, who’s going to miss you for an hour or two?
“Alright,” you grin, and the relief on his face is almost comical.
“What’s your name, anyway?” he asks as you leave the car park and follow his lead into the town.
You tell him and he muses over it for a few moments before repeating it in a silky voice that makes your mind melt.
“I like it.”
God, you could make it sound sexy even if my name was rat-face, you think somewhat randomly.
Gerry takes you to a small cafe you’ve never even noticed before, let alone been inside. You take in the atmosphere of the place, feeling immediately comfortable in the warm simplicity of your surroundings. The walls are decorated in deep terracotta, with clean white tables scattered about and a rich smell of fresh coffee permeating the air.
Gerry smiles at you and motions for you to sit at the corner table. You obey and watch as he goes and orders your drinks, smiling with an easy charm at the old woman behind the till. A few minutes later he returns with two huge steaming mugs, placing one in front of you and sitting opposite. You look inside the mug and smile in delight. Hot chocolate, with whipped cream, marshmallows and a flake. Your favourite, or at least up in the top three. You raise your eyes to thank Gerry and frown when you see his anxious expression. “Is it okay?” he asks quickly. “I didn’t know what you’d-
You grin reassuringly. “It’s great, thank you. I love hot chocolate.”
He relaxes and takes a sip of his, half closing his eyes at the evidently wonderful flavour. You follow his lead and sigh. It IS good.
You chat for a while, testing out different subjects and finding you have quite a bit in common (Including a strange affection for dipping the flake into the cream and licking it off. DEFINITELY not thinking bad Gerry thoughts.) Gerry re-orders some more chocolate for you both and you talk some more, growing relaxed in each other’s company. Soon he’s leaning on his elbows across the small table, laughing and chatting as though you’d been friends for years. His eyes keep drawing your attention as they flash with every emotion he feels, expressing humour, sadness and enthusiasm within a few seconds of each other.
Finally you glance at your watch and realise you’ve been talking for over four hours.
“Oh, bugger,” Gerry comments as you point this out. “I’m sorry, darlin’.” He stands and rummages in his pockets, coming up with a pile of change. He drops a generous tip beside his mug, then returns his attention to you. “Let’s go then.”
Outside, the air has turned cool, and you shiver slightly in the almost darkness on the way back to your car.
“Are you alright?” Gerard asks, suddenly sounding concerned.
“Fine, just a bit chilly.”
He wraps an arm around your waist immediately and you walk on like that, leaning against him for warmth as your heart almost bursts with excitement and your skin tingles all over. You breathe in the spicy scent of his cologne and suddenly start visualising not so clean thoughts, which you immediately try to suppress. His strong, warm presence beside you isn’t helping matters, either.
“Better?” he asks after a while, and you nod, unable to form words because you’re so deliriously happy and still trying not to think rude Gerry thoughts.
He chuckles as though he read your mind and turns the last corner into the car park.
“There it is.”
You stop beside the car and look up at him sadly, suddenly slammed into a wall of despair. This was it, it was over, and you’d never see him again. You’re surprised to find your emotions reflected exactly on his face, down to that adorable quirk of his lips.
“Well...I’d better go,” you say finally.
You don’t move and neither does Gerard. “Yeah.”
A small tremor passes through your body as you see what he’s about to do nextin his eyes a mere second before he does it.