I snorted. “Well, I’ll try and ask questions that won’t warrant motherfucker as an answer. You ready?”

He nodded, and the bus turned onto Cleveland Street. This had to be quick.

“Dogs or cats?”

“Dogs. No, cats. Both. That’s not fair, and we’re only up to question one, oh my God!”

“Tomato sauce on eggs. Yes or no?”

He made a face. “What is wrong with you? Of course not.”

I snorted. “Comfy clothes or fancy suits?”

“Jeans and a sweater, all day, every day.”

“Paperback or ebook?”

He stared. “Don’t you dare make me choose.”

I laughed. “Sweet or savoury?”

“Both. Together. At the same time. You’ve had my mango fries.” He then shot our audience a frantic look. “That is not a euphemism.”

I laughed again. “Favourite season?”

“Autumn.”

“Dream job?”

“I have it. Just wish it paid more. Or maybe own a bookstore, but I suck at taxes and all things numerical so I’d probably go broke, which is why I’m probably better off sticking to my job.”

“Celebrity you’d love to meet?”

“Percy Shelley but I’ll need a priest, a Ouija board, and the blood of a chicken.”

I burst out laughing. “Harry Potter house?”

“Ravenclaw,” he answered without hesitation. Then his smile became a panicked frown. “That’s only nine questions.”

“Was it?”

He nodded seriously. “Yes.” The bus pulled in at my stop and I had to get up. I squeezed past him. He looked up at me with wide eyes. “Hennessy, you said ten questions. You can’t say ten and only ask nine, it’ll drive me crazy.”

“Will you have lunch with me tomorrow?

His smile was immediate and breathtaking. “Yes.”

“I’ll text you later,” I said, making my way to the door, and the people around us clapped and cheered.

I got off the bus laughing and Jordan was grinning from ear to ear. I’m pretty sure Mrs Petrovski hugged him from behind as the bus pulled away, and Charles gave me two thumbs up.

Chapter Nine

Jordan

The text from Hennessy came in kind of late. Not that I was checking my phone every two minutes or anything. I was watching TV with Angus—well, he was sprawled on the floor watching TV and checking his phone, and I was lying down on the couch, alternating between staring at the ceiling and checking my phone. I was starting to think Hennessy wouldn’t text at all, and then when my phone did buzz in my hand, I dropped it onto my face. Angus cracked up laughing at me and I couldn’t even be mad.

“Is it him? Your bus boy?” Angus asked.

“Yep.”

“Date tomorrow?”

My grin would have given it away if he had been able to look away from his phone long enough to see. “Yep. And you?”