“It’s not that,” I say. “I just like to take things slowly.”
“That’s…sweet. A little old-fashioned but sweet.” She smiles. “Look, you’re cute, but I’m not looking for anything other than a meal and somefun. Are you sure you’re not up for that?”
“No. Sorry.”
“Then I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to go out together. We’re not on the same page.”
I smile politely, say goodbye, and leave her to eat lunch. I retreat to the kitchen and send Janine back out to the front without giving her the chance to ask me how my chat with Stacey went.
I’m undecided whether I should feel humiliated or relieved. At least we both know we’re not right for each other, which is a definite plus point. It would have been more awkward if I’d said yes and things had gone pear-shaped on Valentine’s Day.
When I started getting interested in women, Itriedto make myself go through the motions because it seemed to be what everyone wanted. Meet someone in a nightclub, make out, fondle, go home, have sex. It’s not for me. But the women who hit on medowant that more often than not. Or they automatically assume I’m religious. I’ve even been asked if I’m training to be a priest!
I shake my head and laugh. It is kind of funny. I realise I’m not massively cut up about being asked out and then having the invite rescinded. We don’t want the same thing out of a date, and as my mum would say, there’s plenty more fish in the sea. There’s also more to life than dating. I’m doing pretty damn well for myself. I own my own business, and I’ve been making a healthy profit for the last two years. I live in a great flat and have an awesome flatmate. I’m healthy, in okay shape, and aside from wishing I was half a foot taller so I could reach the top shelf in a supermarket, life’s great.
“Well?” Janine asks when she comes in to get the next order. “Did you say yes?”
“She changed her mind.”
“What? Why?”
I shrug. “We realised we aren’t a good match.”
“But she was so pretty! And you looked cute together.”
I roll my eyes. I’ve got used to being called cute, but sometimes it still grates. I’m thirty. I’m not sure I’m meant to be cute anymore. On the other hand, with my baby face, I will never be ruggedly handsome like Addy.
She hands me an order slip.
“Is Adrian here?” I ask as I read the order. He puts up with me calling him Addy, but to everyone else, he’s Adrian, and I respect that.
“Yes.” She picks up the order I’ve just finished preparing, but instead of turning around and going to serve it, she stares at me.
“What?”
“You knew Adrian was here based on his order?”
“He always asks for the same thing—a cheese and tomato toastie. No cucumber, extra radish. I bet he asked for peppermint tea.”
“You’re so cute.”
“What? Why?”
“You just are, that’s all.” She smiles at me and then leaves the kitchen with an extra spring in her step.
I’m left metaphorically scratching my head. I can’t do it because I’m preparing food. What on earth was that about? I shrug and get Addy’s order ready, then take it out to him. He’s wearing his work clothes—heavy-duty combat trousers, boots with steel toecaps, and a fluorescent vest over a thick woollen jumper. He has to wear a hard hat when he’s working up high, which has left his brown hair mussed up. He’s starting to go grey at the temples. Although the hair on his head doesn’t have any warm tones in it, his beard and moustache are streaked with auburn.
“You didn’t say you’d be popping in today,” I say as I put his food in front of him.
“I finished a job early, so figured I’d come to say hi before I have to be at the next job. Plus, where else am I going to get a mountain of radish with my lunch?”
I laugh. “I don’t know how you can eat that stuff.”
He picks up a thin slice of radish with his thick fingers and pops it into his mouth. “It’s delicious. You’re busy today.”
“Lunch rush. It’ll get quieter in about an hour. Then we’ll get the afternoon tea rush around three.”
“Make sure you take a break.”
