“What do you think?” she demanded, turning to him impatiently. “All I see is blue!”
Evelyn should have recognized the sudden gleam that sprang into his blue eyes. She had seen it enough over the past few months. But she was tired, hungry and longing to see Miles. She’d been looking forward to this night for two months, and all she could think was that he had left, thinking she wasn’t coming. Ignoring the glitter in Fred’s eyes, she craned her neck, trying to see around the ocean of blue RAF coats.
Strong hands snaked around her waist suddenly and Evelyn’s feet left the floor all at once. Gasping, she felt herself hoisted up into the air, where she was planted on Fred and Greggs shoulders. Ducking quickly, she narrowly avoided smacking her head on the heavy oak beam running across the low ceiling.
“Has your vision improved, Assistant Section Officer Ainsworth?” Fred called up to her, a grin on his face and his voice unsteady.
Never one to let an opportunity slip by, Evelyn scanned the interior of the pub from her new advantage of height. Several shocked civilians were staring up at her as she perched on the shoulders of two tall, good-looking RAF officers. She smiled at them blandly, searching for Miles. She finally spotted him, leaning against the bar, laughing helplessly. Relief poured through her and she laughed, waving gaily and calling out a greeting. The shocked silence that had fallen over the establishment broke as every patron, as one, turned to look at Miles before laughter filled the pub. Fred and Greggs set her down, their shoulders shaking with mirth, and Evelyn swung around to face Fred.
“That was a dirty trick to play, Officer Durton!” she exclaimed. “I’m an officer, for God’s sake! And there are three ACWs that just saw that!”
Fred just leaned against the wall and roared with laughter.
“Did you see the looks on everyone’s faces?” he demanded, gasping for air. “Lord, I wish I’d had a camera!”
“Cor, is that ‘im?” one of the ACWs demanded as Miles appeared through the crowd. Evelyn turned to look and nodded.
“Yes, Mary. That’s him.” She collected her coat and scarf from a still-chuckling Fred and turned towards him. “Miles!”
He closed the last few feet to reach her, still laughing as he reached out to take the coat from her.
“Evelyn, I’ve never had anyone make up for being late in such a fantastic way!” he exclaimed. “That was absolutely priceless.”
Evelyn laughed, drinking in the sight of him. His green eyes were sparkling in the way that sometimes haunted her dreams, and his smile was warm, sending sparks straight through to her toes.
“You have Fred to thank for that,” she said, turning to motion to Fred. “Miles, meet Flying Officer Fred Durton and Flying Officer Daniel Greggs. They were kind enough to give me a lift. The others have disappeared already.”
“They caught sight of the bar, I’m afraid,” Fred said with a grin, grasping his hand. “Nice to meet you. Evelyn nearly had my head for stopping at that last pub. She was sure you’d leave without her.”
“As if I ever would,” Miles said with a laugh, shaking his hand.
“That’s what we told her,” Daniel said, holding out his hand. “Said you’d have to be an out and out looby to leave without her.”
“And I said you were and that’s why we had to hurry!” Evelyn said with a grin, turning to Miles and tucking her hand into his arm.
“Durton!” A voice exclaimed loudly behind them. “I don’t believe it! Never would have either, if Frosby here hadn’t caught sight of me!”
Evelyn turned to watch as a young man with curly blond hair came towards them. He carried a pint in one hand and a cigarette in the other, the picture of idle privilege. One of the officers from the backseat of Fred’s car followed behind him.
“Barny!” Fred exclaimed, his face lighting up. “Whatever are you doing here?”
“Same as you, I imagine.” Barnaby grasped Fred’s hand. “I didn’t know you knew Miles!”
“I don’t. We’ve just met.”
“Barnaby, this is Evelyn Ainsworth,” Miles introduced the smiling newcomer. “Evelyn, meet Barnaby Langton. Don’t believe a word he says. He’s a shocking flirt.”
“Oh, I say!” Barnaby shook her hand warmly, holding it a little longer than necessary. “Don’t listen to Miles. He’s still cheesed off over a little serving maid from school.”
“Barny!” Fred exclaimed in mock horror. “There’s a lady present!”
Evelyn laughed at them. “Oh, don’t mind me!”
Miles looked at her, his eyes dancing.
“That’s the problem, my dear,” he murmured. “They do mind you. Come on. Let’s go eat and leave them to their own devices.”
After they had said their goodbyes to the laughing pilots, he steered her towards the back of the crowded pub where another door led into the dining area.
“I was beginning to think you’d changed your mind about coming,” he said with a smile, glancing down at her. “I’m glad I was wrong.”
“I got back late from a training stint in Scotland,” she told him. “I’d missed the last bus, so Fred very kindly offered to drop me on his way to town.”
“That’s where Barny’s headed as well,” he said, guiding her to a quiet table in the far corner of the restaurant. “We were invited to go along, but I’d rather spend our few stolen hours alone. I hope you don’t mind?”
“Not at all,” Evelyn said with a smile as he pulled out her chair. “I love Freddie, but I’ve had just about as much of him as I can take for one day.”
Miles grinned and turned to hang their coats on a coat rack nearby, then returned to sit across from her.
“He seems a very jolly fellow. How did you meet?”
“He nearly ran me over.”
Miles stared at her. “Pardon?”
Evelyn laughed at the look on his face.
“I was crossing the road to get to the officer’s building and he came flying around the corner on a bicycle. He swerved just in time to miss me, but he crashed
