‘There sort of is and there sort of isn’t, you know?’
‘Not really, seeing asyousaid we were going to get dessert, therefore implyingyouknew where to take us.’
Jacob crossed the road, looking back at Olivia over his shoulder. ‘Does it make you uncomfortable not having a plan?’
‘No.’
‘Really?’
‘Not uncomfortable, I think it’s just a completely inefficient use of everyone’s time.’
‘That’s fair enough.’ Jacob stopped still and looked around. Olivia watched as the scrawny cat, their only hope of direction, scarpered off down an alleyway.
‘So, no more time shall we waste!’ he declared suddenly. ‘Follow me, I know where to go.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Completely.’
‘Wouldn’t it be easier to look it up on your phone?’ she asked, reaching into her pocket for her own.
‘I don’t have one.’
Olivia stopped still. ‘Oh, come on.’
‘What? I don’t have a phone.’
‘You’re joking?’ She remained frozen on the spot. ‘You have to be joking, right?’
‘Nope.’ His face was deadly serious.
‘But … that’sinsane.’
‘Is it?’ Jacob placed a hand on Olivia’s arm, pulling her from the spot she’d been rooted to.
‘Yes! Of course it is.’ Realization dawned on her. No wonder he hadn’t wanted to exchange numbers about tonight’s dinner; he couldn’t! How reckless could one person be? ‘How long have you not had a phone for?’
Jacob shrugged. ‘I don’t know, maybe six months or so.’
‘Six months!’
‘More or less.’
His nonchalance bewildered her.
‘Did someone steal it?’
‘No.’
‘Did you lose it?’
‘Nope. I gave it to a family I was staying with. It was a present for their kid; he needed it more than I did.’
The fact that the story was very sweet and generous did not detract from the absurdity of it.
‘And it never crossed your mind to buy another one?’
‘Not really. I found I was relying on it way too much, and soon it started to defeat the whole point of me travelling. I wasn’t being present because I could so easily lose myself in what was happening on my screen.’ He steered them down a little side alley. ‘I know it’s mind-blowing, but things can be organized without a mobile phone.’
