Sugar and Spice

Chapter 5: Guns and Roses

"Wow."

Jennie smiled as she looked across the table and saw Lisa gazing around at the small, dimly-lit bar, her eyebrows raised and her eyes wide.

She decided that she loved surprising Lisa.

"Why are there so many books in here?"

"Bar Librairie." Jennie indicated the serving area, where a particularly large, leather-bound volume took pride of place alongside endless bottles of spirits and liqueurs. "It used to be a bookshop."

"Really?"

Jennie nodded. "Although it's always been a bar since I've been here. I think the bookshop went about twenty years ago. They're known for their cocktails now - they have two specialty lists, one for classic French cocktails and in-house recipes, and another one of cocktails in literature."

Lisa narrowed her eyes.

"They do beer as well, right?"

Jennie laughed, and nodded again. "Yes, of course. But at least have a look at the cocktails. They don't all come pink with a cherry on top."

Really, though, Jennie didn't care what Lisa got. She could order whatever she wanted. Beer, mineral water, or the brightest-coloured cocktail with cherries and umbrellas - it didn't matter.

Jennie just wanted to be with her.

But, as Lisa obediently took the cocktail menu that was propped up on the table, Jennie could tell that her attention was not entirely focused on the drinks. Granted, Lisa probably couldn't understand a word of what was written on the card anyway, but Jennie suspected - slightly smugly - that the other woman's inability to concentrate was more likely to do with the figure-hugging red dress that Jennie had changed into earlier from her work clothes. Lisa had jokingly complained at first, saying that if Jennie dressed up, it would make her look scruffy in jeans and her blouse, but she had stopped as soon as she saw the dress.

Although, Jennie thought, the chocolate éclairs that she had brought back up from the pâtisserie for dessert had probably helped as well. Lisa hadn't been able to grumble too much with a mouthful of light, frothy cream and delicate chocolate icing. And it looked as if the combination of dress and pastry was still having the desired effect.