“Ooh, flipping it on its head. Okay.” I tapped my finger against my lips as I thought about it. “Okay, sleep, chips, and kissing.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Chips as in fries or chips as in crisps?”

“Crisps. And that’s not the part I thought you’d focus on.”

“I thought you’d say art or cats, to be honest.”

“No, I’m a recent cat convert. That little shit is growing on me.” I fought a smile and glanced at the menu. “And Immy is the artist, not me. I’m just working with her to help her out while I find a job I’m actually qualified for.”

“Which is what?”

“Journalism,” I replied. “It’s what I majored in, but it’s a rough thing to get into in a small town unless you get lucky at the local paper or start one of your own.”

“I’m sorry. That sucks. Have you done anything online?”

I blew out a long breath. “I had a blog once upon a time, but then everything moved to social media and I struggled to keep a readership. Otherwise, no. I didn’t know where to look, and like you, I’m really not a city person, so moving isn’t an option. It was easier to come home and do odd bits here and there. My granddad left us an inheritance when he died which was how I bought my house, and I think I’ve worked just about every service job over the last few years.”

“I might be able to help you,” Isaac said slowly, his gaze flitting over my face as if he were testing my reaction.

“How?”

“My sister works for a publishing house in London. She does all the press releases and marketing, so I bet she’ll have some tips on how to break into the industry from your side.”

“Really?” Excitement bubbled inside me. “I would love that. But I want to work for it, not just because I’m dating someone who’s in a similar industry.”

I froze the moment I said the D-word.

Isaac raised his eyebrows again, but this time it was more playful. “Dating, eh?”

“Shut up. You know what I mean.”

I was saved from his response by the waitress coming back with our drinks and taking our food order. She took the menus with her as she left. There was a moment of silence between us before someone on the table next to us knocked over her wine and half the restaurant went crazy.

Us?

No. We just sat right where we were and laughed into our hands. Just like that, the moment of tension was gone, and we were back to normal.

“Okay, if we’re doing the whole information thing, let’s talk about hobbies,” I said. “What do you do when you’re not being an animal hero and saving lives?”

He chuckled. “I spend most of my time administering vaccinations or telling people their lazy dogs need to go on diets, but sure, I’m a hero.”

“You saved my kitten.”