‘Now, when you’re done drinking that, you should probably get something to eat. Anything you fancy?’
She could feel his eyes on her face, but she didn’t dare meet them. Her humiliation was already too much to bear without his pity layered on top.
‘Don’t worry, you don’t have to stay any longer.’ Shestraightened up, snapping her armour of invincibility back into place. ‘I feel fine now.’
‘I’m just asking if you want to get some food.’
‘Look, you don’t have to do this.’ She sighed. Why couldn’t he just take his hero moment and go?
‘Do what?’
‘Babysit me because you feel bad.’
‘Jesus Christ!’ He laughed.
‘What?’
‘Are you always this hard to make friends with?’
‘No,’ she bit back, hearing the true answer ring out loudly in her head.
‘OK then, so how about some food?’
Olivia was about to find another way to dismiss the idea when her stomach lurched violently. Her cereal bar breakfast seemed like a distant dream. She was ravenous, and it didn’t seem like Jacob was one to give up very easily. Was it worth the fight?
‘Fine, but …’ She grasped for some point to make, a show that she wasn’t totally surrendering to his whims. ‘I don’t want to go too far from here.’
‘As you wish.’ He gave a little salute. ‘Luckily, I know just the place, and it’s only round the corner.’
‘Is it clean?’
‘Excuse me?’
‘The place we’re going, is it clean?’
The fact she sounded like an overly anxious mother didn’t bother her; after all, how much lower could his perception of her get at this point?
‘I would hope so – why?’
‘Because, you know … all the awful stories you hear about India. I don’t want to get sick.’
‘I don’t think anyone does.’ He replied more seriously than she’d heard him before. ‘But don’t worry, this place is super clean. I’ve only ever seen one cockroach in there.’
‘Jacob!’ Olivia swiped him hard across the arm.
‘I’m kidding.’ He cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. ‘It’s good, trust me.’
‘How can I trust you? I don’t even know you.’
‘And yet … I’ve already saved your life today.’ He gave a cheeky shrug, his charcoal eyes sparkling. ‘Come on!’ He turned and began to stride off into the densely packed crowd. ‘The sooner we get going, the sooner we can eat. And the sooner we eat, the sooner you can find an excuse to ditch me! That is what you’re planning on doing, right?’
‘No!’ Olivia baulked. ‘Of course I’m not.’
Jacob grinned; a smile so wide it seemed to take up the whole of his face.
‘I think you’re many things, Olivia, but a good liar is not one of them. Now hurry, stuffed paratha await us!’
Olivia
