Once back in the car, he seemed to soften.
‘You did really well for a beginner, Ally. Fair play .?.?. In fact, let me make it up to you. I’ll cook dinner for you next week, how does that sound?’
She felt her spirits lift a little – the night had been redeemed and was no longer quite the miserable washout. He wanted to see her again.
‘Here we are,’ he announced, somewhat unnecessarily, as they pulled up outside her apartment.
They hesitated, but then both seemingly had the same idea at the same time and ducked in for a kiss, banging their heads together.
‘Oh ow, sorry, silly me, my fault,’ they chorused in unison.
‘OK, William, I’ll chat to you later. Goodnight,’ said Ally, scrambling out of the car.
* * *
It was Friday and at Hogget and Simpson the partners were assembling for the follow-on meeting with Francis’s company, CDC – in other words, in a few hours, he’d be cruising in there with his colleagues in his upgraded wardrobe.
Ally had got up early that morning, showered and blow-dried her hair carefully so that her side fringe swept across one eye.She’d treated herself to a pale lavender crossover top in silk jersey, as well as a charcoal pencil skirt and heels. The top wasn’t exactly revealing, but it clung to her curves in all the right ways. She appraised herself in the mirror with satisfaction. It’s never a mistake to look your best, she concluded. Frankly, it didn’t matter what happened with Francis; she was determined to look like desirable property for the sake of her own self-esteem. Unfortunately, her top seemed to work on everybody, including Vincent, who insisted on standing creepily close to her just as Francis’ group arrived, annoyingly blocking her view as they disappeared up the stairs.
By a quarter to five, the boardroom door burst open and the booming sound of confident men’s voices reverberated through the building. To her annoyance, Ally found her heart beating just a little faster. It wasn’t that she’d any notion of making a play to get Francis back, but what if he ignored her? Just paraded straight out the door without a second glance? The thought was crushing. The voices passed her office before she heard the front door open and then the voices grew fainter as they stepped outside and the heavy door swung shut behind them. Her heart sank.
‘You don’t fancy coming for a drink?’ said a familiar voice.
‘Francis!Oh .?.?. hi .?.?. I thought you’d just left. Surely you have a date on a Friday evening?’ she said archly. She wasn’t letting him off that easily.
‘Nope. Nothing at all.’ He sounded quite positive. He might have changed his style but he still had the same softness underneath. At the same time, some part of her did register fleeting unease .?.?.
Actually, it felt lovely to be properly asked out for a drink by someone, whether it was her ex or not.
‘You know what, Francis, that sounds perfect right now.’
A few minutes later, they were strolling down Baggot Streetto Merrion Row and into Doheny and Nesbitt, where they found a small table by the wall due to the early hour, although the pub was filling up fast with office workers. It certainly looked like the work-from-home trend was on the way out. Ally held the table, as usual, while Francis went up to the bar.
‘White OK?’ was all he’d needed to say, and she’d just smiled and nodded. It all felt so familiar. He arrived back with the two drinks and settled into the seat opposite. Ally realised she’d shut down her feelings, following their breakup, and never really allowed herself to acknowledge them. What she’d said to people was:it’s all for the best,it’d run its course,somebody had to make a move.?.?. Yet now, here he was, sitting opposite her, just the two of them. She was getting a glimpse of what it would be like to meet him for the first time on a date again. So .?.?. gentlemanly, successful, nice-looking – but not super-stunning, which could be unnerving. Nonetheless, there was still that softness .?.?. She felt mean for even thinking it, because he was unmistakably a Nice Guy and she definitely wouldn’t swipe left on Tinder. A dreadful thought was starting to take shape: why was she only realising this now?
‘Cheers, Ally, I reckon this is a bit overdue.’
She couldn’t help smiling. ‘It’s nice to see you too, Francis.’
‘Likewise.’
She wondered how they might look from the outside: a professional, thirty-something couple having a drink after work. What could be more normal, or desirable? It just showed, didn’t it, how deceptive appearances could be.
‘I see you’ve been making some changes. I must say, they suit you. You’re looking really well.’ This was code for ‘better than before’.
‘Likewise. Dad talks about you a lot. Congratulations on going Sale Agreed on the house .?.?. and the promotion. You deserve it all, Francis.’
He looked pleased.It actually matters to him that I’m impressed, she thought. They chatted a bit about Damo’s baby news and how good Julia was for him. Everything felt so comfortable, so familiar, as though the past year had never happened. But that was for the birds – she couldn’t just pretend nothing had changed. They sipped their drinks, and then Ally volunteered to buy the next round. This was her moment. She sat back down.
‘Sooo, Fran, what about this new lady in your life? Where is she this evening?’
Francis blushed. Oh .?.?. oh, what was this?
‘Ah, yes, you’ve got me there. It’s .?.?.’ He gave a little shrug as though to imply ‘no big deal’.
Love rat. No way was she going to be palmed off that easily.
‘Didn’t look like it from what I could see .?.?.’ she twinkled sweetly at him. ‘So, come on, Fran, who is she?’ She was also dying to add,and how old is she?but managed to gag herself just in time.
