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“It’s a nice change. I like it.”
Tom ran his fingers through her newly-shorn locks, playing with the curled-up ends. She smiled, her brightly coloured lips spreading across her face. “I’m glad.” She blushed a little.
“You look like Lauren Bacall.”
“Oh good, she was really pretty!”
“Darling, you’re far prettier.”
“I’ll never be as pretty as you, Tom.”
“Nonsense.”
“I’m being quite honest.”
“Ehehehe!”
Tom kissed her forehead. “With you looking this good, I am very tempted to take you out somewhere and show you off to everyone.”
She smiled at the idea.
“Well, why don’t we go get changed, and then we can go for coffee?”
“Excellent. It’s sorted.”
Tom kissed her again and they parted ways to change. Later, she was dressed in a paisley dress and Tom had combed his hair to the side. They looked smashing.
“There’s my knockout girl,” said Tom as she walked into the bathroom.
“You look so very handsome, my dear,” she murmured, straightening out his collar and smoothing over his sweater. They grabbed their wallets and set off down the street.
The café wasn’t too busy, but those who were there stared. It was “like Bogart and Bacall had taken a time machine,” according to the man serving the coffee.
She laughed at the print her lipstick made on her coffee glass, and giggled as she waved Tom’s fork away. He was attempting to feed her some of his lemon friand. Out of the corner of Tom’s eye, the coffee guy winked at him whilst fiddling with the stereo. And then beautiful 30’s jazz began to fill the air.
“It’s a little behind our times,” she noted, wondering if the guy had any 50’s jazz. Her thoughts were interrupted as Tom took her hand, the pad of his thumb smoothing over her red nails.
“Let’s dance, my darling.”
Before she could protest, Tom had pulled her into the middle of the room, and they swayed in and around the tables. The other customers weren’t sure whether to stare or ignore them. But they warmed up once the coffee guy and the waitress began dancing too.
“This is the best date you’ve ever taken me on,” she declared as they twirled around. Tom smiled. The tempo of the music slowed, and ‘Somebody to Watch Over Me’ began to play. Tom pressed her close to him as they slow danced, hardly moving anywhere but thoroughly enjoying themselves. Tom opened his eyes and his heart leapt to his throat as the afternoon light caught in her short curls, creating a golden halo for her dark hair. Tom leaned in and kissed her, not caring about her pretty red lipstick.
“I’ll have to ravish you later,” he said as she sighed into his neck. A little shiver went down Tom’s spine. The waitress snapped a photo. She offered to send it to him as he paid for their coffee. Tom agreed as soon as he saw it. They were nearly silhouetted, the sun outlining them in a bronze-gold. They were pressed to one another, dancing and content. It was stunning.
Tom held her hand and swung it a little as they walked back down the street. It was the happiest they’d been in a long time. As Tom smiled at her, as love and the promise of a little something more shone in his eyes, she knew that he was one of the best choices she’d ever made.