Rosie peered into her closet. She had no idea where Charlie was taking her. She’d been told to put on her glad rags and Rosie had promised to wear a dress, of all things. She wondered what Charlie would look like in a dress. She’d only seen her in skinny jeans and Rosie couldn’t really picture her in anything else. She didn’t look like the dressing-up sort.

A knock on her open door startled her.

“Can’t decide what to wear?” Aunt Hilary asked. She and Paige were watching Casablanca tonight. Rosie would have joined them, except she had a hot date. She still had trouble wrapping her head around the fact. A Saturday evening not spent in front of the telly or at the Dog & Duck. Her life was on the up.

“It’s not as if I have that many fancy dresses to choose from.” Rosie turned away from the closet.

Aunt Hilary cleared her throat. “The cafe looks great.”

“Thanks. Charlie has been amazing.”

“So it would seem.” Her aunt leaned against the door frame. “What do you know about this Charlie, anyway?”

Rosie glanced at the clock next to her bed. Her aunt could have picked a better time to discuss Charlie. But they’d barely had a moment alone since Rosie had reversed her decision to sell Mark & Maude’s. Charlie had always been around, impressing Rosie with her enthusiasm for the cafe’s make-over, although her painting skills left a lot to be desired.

“I know she’s not Amy,” Rosie said. “For now, that’s enough for me.”

“It’s just that one minute you were sticking up the For Sale sign, and the next, you were taking it down again. This Charlie must have a lot of influence on you.” Aunt Hilary pushed her glasses up her nose.

Rosie sat down on the edge of the bed. “It’s hard to explain.” She could hardly tell her aunt about the two almost-kisses she and Charlie had shared, and the many moments in between. “But it’s not every day someone kind like Charlie comes along, lending a helping hand, and coming up with a bunch of great ideas for the cafe. She’s inspired me in ways I’ve failed to do myself for a long time. She’s jolted me back to life.” Rosie shrugged. “And I really like her.”

“That much is clear, but… I’d hate to see you hurt. After all you’ve been through.”

Rosie nodded. “But looking at it from a different angle, I think I deserve a night out with someone like Charlie after all I’ve been through.” She pulled up her shoulders. “And sure, I have no idea what will happen next. Charlie’s not from here and I know next to nothing about her, yet, the past few weeks, she’s made me feel more alive than I have in years.”

Aunt Hilary stepped into the room. “You should wear the dress I gave you for your birthday last year.”

Rosie didn’t think so. It looked a bit too much like a Laura Ashley curtain for her taste. “I was more leaning towards this one.” She headed towards the closet and took out the only other suitable dress she owned. A light blue number with a subtle blossom print stitched diagonally along the top.

“Ah, yes. Perhaps better for the occasion,” Aunt Hilary said. She touched her hand briefly against Rosie’s shoulder. “I’ll leave you to get ready.”

Rosie shot her aunt a warm smile. She meant well. She waited until Aunt Hilary had left the room, then held the dress along her body and looked at herself in the mirror. It should do nicely.

Charlie had asked Rosie to stand outside her front door at 8.00pm sharp. Rosie had been glancing out the window for the past half hour, but only went out two minutes before eight. The moment she set foot outside the front door, a shiny black limousine pulled into the street. Rosie only realised it was Charlie picking her up when the car stopped in front of her house, the driver got out, and held the door open for her. Inside, Charlie sat beaming her a wide smile.

Rosie got in and sat opposite Charlie, who had shunned the skinny jeans for the occasion and was dressed in a pair of navy-blue trousers with a crisp white shirt.

“I’m stumped for words,” Rosie said.

“Maybe this will help.” Along with the smile she still sported, Charlie offered her a glass of champagne.

Rosie took it and held Charlie’s gaze for a split second.

“Here’s to our date,” Charlie said and lifted her own glass towards Rosie’s.

“I feel like a fairy-tale princess.” Rosie was still trying to absorb the magic atmosphere Charlie had created.

“Everyone deserves to feel like a princess for an evening,” Charlie said, and drank from the champagne.

“You look absolutely stunning.” Rosie tilted her head. “In your glad rags, you actually do look a bit like Princess Olivia, but with short hair.”

Charlie chuckled and took another sip.

“I haven’t really been following the whole royal engagement hoopla,” Rosie said. “Even though there was definitely a time in my life when a lesbian princess would have interested me to the point of obsession, but I’m a bit too old for that now.” She drank some champagne. It was perfectly chilled and wonderfully dry. “But I did see the engagement photos of Olivia and what’s-her-name. I don’t remember. Something posh. And I didn’t buy it for a second. It all looked so terribly put-on, which is a shame. Such a missed opportunity for some positive lesbian PR.” Rosie glanced at Charlie. “But who knows, eh? And what do any of us know about what goes on in the royal family, anyway.”

Charlie shrugged and shot Rosie another smile. “Have I told you how utterly gorgeous you look? You really glammed it up.”

“I was asked to.” Rosie put one leg over the other. Charlie was really turning it up tonight. “Now, where are you whisking me away to?”

“You’ll see,” Charlie said.

Fifteen minutes later, Rosie found herself in the fanciest restaurant she’d ever been to. One person took their coats, another guided them to their table, and yet another impeccably dressed waiter presented them with the menu — which had no prices next to the dishes.

Rosie glanced around. “I’m very impressed, but I can’t help but wonder… where are all the other diners?”

“Elsewhere,” Charlie said. “It’s just you and me tonight.”

“B—but,” Rosie scanned Charlie’s face, “how is that even possible? In a place like this?”

“Don’t question it, Rosie. Tonight, you’re a princess.”

Rosie narrowed her eyes. “Who are you?” She burst into a smile. She could hardly believe another person would go to so much trouble for her. Rosie’d had to take care of herself for such a long time.

“Someone who likes you very, very much,” Charlie said, making Rosie feel even giddier. “About the menu,” she said. “No need to choose. We’re having all of these dishes.”

Rosie stared at the menu. She saw French oysters, a Thai seafood soup, Japanese sashimi, Argentinian beef and Moroccan couscous. “Very… diverse,” she said, and glanced up again, looking into Charlie’s sparkling green eyes.

“If you can’t travel the world, the world will come to you.”

Rosie’s jaw slackened. This evening was turning out to be more than a dream — she could never have imagined something like this. But the best thing about the night was the woman sitting across from her.

Charlie nodded at a waiter, who promptly went into the kitchen, only to return a few minutes later with a very familiar woman by his side.

“Gina?” Rosie couldn’t keep up with the surprises anymore.

“I asked Gina to cook for us tonight,” Charlie said. “She’s such an amazing chef.”

“At your service, boss,” Gina said and winked at them. “I need to get back to the kitchen. The amuse-bouches will be out shortly.” Gina hurried off, leaving Rosie stupefied.

“Amuse-bouches,” Rosie repeated. “Gina doesn’t cook amuse-bouches.”

“She does tonight.” Charlie leaned over the table, offering Rosie a new angle on her cleavage.

“Some white wine, Madam?” the waiter asked. Rosie needed some alcohol to help her process the goings-on of the night. It was only half past eight and she’d been pleasantly surprised more times than in her entire life combined.

Four tasting courses and a few glasses of wine later, Rosie had to admit that even though she’d always loved Gina’s food, she had, perhaps, been too preoccupied with keeping the cafe afloat to see Gina’s full potential.

“You’re right. Gina truly is amazing,” she said.

“She’s a keeper. And so is your cafe,” Charlie said.

“I should be treating you. All you’ve done is help me. And the good times just keep on coming.”

“All you have to do is be your glorious self, Rosie.” Charlie’s eyes softened. “That’s more than enough for me.”

Rosie wanted to snicker at Charlie’s cheesy remark, but she couldn’t. Because Charlie’s words spread a new kind of warmth through her body. She was falling for her big time and, even though Charlie had a life in London, in that moment, it didn’t matter. All that mattered were the two of them surrounded by soft lighting in a lovely restaurant, gorging on Gina’s scrumptious dishes from around the world, enjoying each other’s company.

Back in the car on the way home to Otter Bay, Charlie sat next to Rosie instead of opposite her. They sat so close, their thighs touched, and Rosie could feel Charlie’s body heat radiate onto her through the flimsy fabric of her dress.

It was just the two of them in the back of the limo. No one was going to walk in and interrupt them now. They’d had the most amazing evening and Rosie was more than a little tipsy. If ever there was a moment to kiss Charlie on the lips, it was approaching fast and hard.

Charlie reached into Rosie’s lap and took her hand in hers. “On a scale of one to ten, how princess-like are you feeling?”

“At this very moment, I’m a bit too drunk to consider myself a princess.” Rosie chuckled.

Charlie shook her head. “As if princesses never get drunk.” She gave Rosie’s fingers a gentle squeeze. Rosie’s tummy tingled in response.

The car came to a stop. Had they arrived already? Just like the rest of the evening, the ride had gone by in a flash. Rosie didn’t want it to end.

Charlie turned to her.

“I don’t know how to thank you for tonight,” Rosie said. “I can hardly repay the favour.”

“You don’t have to thank me. I had the best night, Rosie. A night I would never have had if I hadn’t met you.” She slanted her head. “And if you really feel like you have to thank me, do it by making Mark & Maude’s the success I know it can be.”

Rosie shifted towards Charlie. “You’re like a dream.”

“I’m very real,” Charlie said and leaned in.

Rosie slanted herself forward and, finally, felt Charlie’s lips on hers. She leaned into the soft touch of their lips, breathing in deeply.

Charlie brought a hand to Rosie’s jaw and drew her nearer. Rosie responded by folding her hands around the back of Charlie’s neck.

Their lips opened and Rosie’s tongue slipped inside Charlie’s mouth. She forgot she was in a car outside her house, and that Charlie would be leaving soon — a sore subject they had expertly danced around throughout the evening. She forgot about everything and focussed only on Charlie’s lips and her tongue twirling around hers. She surrendered herself to that delicious moment. And if it had to end after tonight, then at least they would always have had this.