“I’m quite certain lawyery isn’t a word.”

“It’s my word.” I give him my cheesiest smile, and the corner of his lips tip up. He shakes his head and looks away.

I don’t know why it gives me so much joy to make this man smile.

We stop when we reach the next block and I turn to him. “I’m headed downtown so… I guess this is where we say our goodbyes.” I gesture in the general direction I’m heading in.

His forehead wrinkles. “I’ll see you home, Kenzie.”

“You didn’t see me here.” I raise an eyebrow.

“That’s only because I came straight from the office. Otherwise, I would have,” he says it with finality as though there’s no argument to be had.

And it’s not that I won’t enjoy his company or don’t appreciate him making sure I arrive home okay, but being trapped beside him in the dark where our knees occasionally grazed each other’s for two hours has made me feel like a strung bow, ready to snap.

“This isn’t a date, Andrew. You don’t need to be so chivalrous.” Maybe reaffirming that this isn’t a date will help ease some of the tension that’s been building inside me all evening.

His lips press into a thin line. “I don’t need the reminder. But like I said before, your brother would have my head if he knew I was with you and sent you on your way alone in the dark.”

“My brother doesn’t even know we know one another.”

He looks mildly uncomfortable. “I’m walking you home. No arguments. Now, should we head to the tube?”

I study him for a beat and see no sign of him backing down, so I turn and head toward the nearest subway station. “To the tube, I guess.”

Once again, he positions himself so that he’s walking on the side of the sidewalk closest to the road.

I look at him. “Why do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Always walk on that side?”

We separate for a moment when a man having an argument with someone on the phone makes it clear he’s not going to go around us, but through. Ah, New York.

When Andrew doesn’t answer for a second, I look back at him, and he shrugs. “It’s just proper etiquette. If a car veers off the road or something, I’ll take the brunt of the impact, thereby sparing you.”

“You know, for a real grump, you’re quite chivalrous.”

He rolls his eyes, but I swear the color in his cheeks deepens to a further pink.

We reach the subway station and make it to the platform just as my train is pulling up, so we rush on and take the first two seats we find seated side by side. Oh great, more knee brushing.