"Merci," I say quietly as the waiter places the small pastry in front of me. Across the table from me, Rhodes stifles a small chuckle as he takes a sip of his coffee. "What, did I say it wrong?" I ask him quietly after the waiter leaves. I thought I had it right. I'm slowly becoming completely mortified. Rhodes's grin grows at my reaction as he shakes his head.
"No, you got it right. You're just adorable," he leans his elbows on the table and tilts his body forward slightly as he speaks.
"I'm adorable?" I raise my eyebrow and ask him questioningly. He nods his head firmly, his eyes sparkling as the grin remains on his lips. I can feel my blush growing. Maybe focusing on my pastry will help.
This trip has been an absolute dream, but now it's coming to an end. Our flight leaves in less than an hour to take us back to London. Rhodes informed me that we will arrive back in London around 10 p.m. I'll stay at his and then, in the morning, we will all drive to Manchester for his uncle's birthday.
"You okay? You're very quiet," Rhodes asks me. I nod my head. I've got to stop letting my thoughts carry me out of conversations. Sometimes, when people talk to me, it's like they're talking to a corpse. I don't take on any information because I'm too busy lost in my own head.
"I'm fine, just nervous about the flight," I reply. It's not exactly a lie. I am nervous about flying for the first time. But I think the nerves are also preemptive about meeting many of Rhodes's family members. I haven't decided what I'm going to tell them about myself — if I'm going to lie and try to impress or just be myself and deal with the consequences.
"You'll be alright. It's a quick flight, just over an hour. We've got good weather for it too, it's not so bad," he says matter-of-factly, taking a bite out of his croissant. I nod my head. He's flown hundreds of times, so he knows what he's talking about. Plus, having him there with me will probably help me feel a lot better.
"How're you feeling about your uncle's birthday?" I ask him as I take a bite of my Danish. Of course, it's incredible; I'm sure it's the first-class lounge standard. Rhodes shrugs his shoulders, seemingly disinterested.