‘Well, go and get something to eat, then. I might just flop here.’
‘Oh, no. I need to prove to you this magic cure. Plus, I can’t go home now. I told Elaine that we were going out along the coast all day. If she sees me at home, she’ll think we’ve broken up.’
I gave him an incredulous look. ‘Broken up? We’re not even going out!’
‘She doesn’t know that.’
‘I don’t think I’m that much of a deterrent to her, to be honest, Charlie.’
‘Nonsense.’
‘You have no idea.’
‘I know more than you think. But I understand your point. It wouldn’t matter to her if I was going out with the hottest model of the moment. However, she knows it would matter to me. Therefore, all the time she thinks I’m with someone, she’s less likely to actually try and do something about it.’
‘What was this morning, then? I was standing right there and it didn’t seem to bother her.’
Charlie shook his head. ‘This morning was tame.’
‘Bloody hell, Charlie. Maybe you should just go for it and let her get you out of her system.’
‘I’d rather not, if it’s all the same to you.’
‘Because you’re looking for something more?’
‘I suppose so.’
I raised an eyebrow.
He took a deep breath before letting it out on a sigh. ‘Are you ever going to go and change?’
‘Yes, yes, all right. But this conversation isn’t over.’
‘Of that, I have not the slightest doubt,’ he mumbled before a cushion caught him square on the ear.
12
I’d showered at Charlie’s so ten minutes later, I was ready to go. Having changed my clothes and redone my make-up properly, I still felt pretty rotten, but at least I felt a little bit more like me.
‘Better?’ Charlie asked, looking up from his phone as I came back into the living room.
‘Much.’
‘Good. Ready, then?’
‘Yes. I’m actually starting to feel a little hungry now.’
‘Then I know just the place. Don’t forget your hat.’ Charlie threw my big straw sunhat at me like a frisbee.
‘Thanks.’ I grabbed my bag, slung it over my shoulder and followed Charlie back to the car.
An hour later we were sitting at a cliff-top café, looking out over the Channel, both full to the brim with English breakfast and two large mugs of tea each. Annoyingly, Charlie had been right. I did feel better for eating. Although I was keeping that snippet of information to myself.
‘Are you going to admit it?’
‘What’s that?’ I said, turning from the view.
‘You do feel better, don’t you?’
