‘You’re welcome.’
‘So, what do you think?’ I asked.
He took a deep breath. ‘First thing to say is that I don’t think you’re mad for believing in the reading. At some point in their lives, I’d say that most people have something they desperately want to believe can happen. I bet 99 per cent of people have dreams of packing in the day job to become a pop star, winning the lottery or simply meeting the man or woman of their dreams.’
I smiled. ‘Which one is it for you?’
‘All three. Give me a few beers and a karaoke machine and I think I’m Tom Jones. There’s nothing like a good rendition ofDelilah.’ He laughed. ‘And my attempt isnothinglike a good rendition.’
I laughed too.Ooh. I’d like to see that. Especially if it involves some Tom Jones hip gyrating.
‘I never buy lottery tickets,’ he continued, ‘so that kind of scuppers the first two.’
‘Which just leaves meeting The One?’
‘I’m in the same boat as you there. Always hoping but it hasn’t happened yet.’ He took a swig of his pint. ‘Actually, that’s a lie. I was engaged once. I thought Lisa was The One for me but it turns out I wasn’t The One for her.’
‘Oh. That sounds like a story. What happened?’
‘The classic cliché. She ran off with my best mate. Could have been worse. At least she did it the day before the wedding instead of leaving me at the altar a best man and a bride short of a wedding party.’
‘Oh, Nick, I’m so sorry. Was this recent?’
He shook his head and gave a weak smile. ‘Years ago. I was twenty-one. She was only nineteen. I’d say we were too young but it seemed to work for her and Alex. Last I knew, they’re still together and have two kids.’
‘That must have hurt.’
He nodded. ‘Like hell. Not only did I lose my fiancée but I lost my best mate too and, over the years, that’s been harder to deal with. Alex and I had been inseparable since nursery and, even though we were only ten at the time, he was so supportive when my dad died. I haven’t thought about Lisa for years but I still really miss Alex. He was like a brother to me.’
‘I’m sorry,’ I said again.
‘Don’t be.’ He smiled. This time his eyes smiled too. ‘Water under the bridge. The main lasting impact is that it’s made me cautious about male friends. For the first few years, I wouldn’t introduce any male friends to girlfriends in case it happened again. My closest friend now is female – Skye – and I like not having that threat.’
I tried to imagine how I’d feel if Elise or Clare had run off with Andy or with Jason in the early days when it had been good. The betrayal didn’t bear thinking about. ‘Poor you.’
‘Thank you, but we’re meant to be talking about you. You wanted my verdict?’
I nodded, feeling silly for making such a fuss after what he’d been through with his dad then Alex and Lisa.
‘Here goes,’ he said. ‘From what you’ve said, it sounds like most of what your clairvoyant predicted has already happened plus that stuff about your uncle is pretty compelling. I’m therefore with you when you say why wouldn’t she be right about Steven.’
‘Exactly. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell Clare.’
Nick screwed his nose up.
‘There’s a “but” isn’t there?’
He nodded and pulled an apologetic expression. ‘But I’m also with your friend Clare in that your clairvoyant could be wrong. She could be wrong about the timescales of you meeting The One or she could be wrong about the name. I’d hate you to close yourself off to other possibilities and spend years expecting Steven to walk into your life, feeling disappointed every time you meet someone you’re attracted to who has the wrong name.’
‘So what do you think I should do?’
‘It’s entirely up to you but, if you really want my opinion, I think you should do what your friend Clare suggests and register for online dating. It sounds like a great way to find several Stevens, but you’re completely in control as to whether you meet them or not. That must be better than hoping Steven will walk through your door wanting a bunch of flowers for his mum.’
‘What if she’s wrong about the name? How would I know?’
‘Give it a timescale. How does three months sound? If you don’t find Steven in that time, widen your search and go on a few dates with Neil, Mike or Dave or whoever you like the sound of.’
‘You talk a lot of sense. Three months of searching for Steven it is. Or maybe four.’
