She blushed, a light pinkness colouring her cheeks. “Maybe leave that part out. But you can say we’ve been out a few times but it’s nothing serious.”
For some reason her words felt hollow.
“If you’re meeting them, they’d assume it is.”
“So friends then? Then they can speculate.”
I gave a slight nod. “Maybe that would work. You don’t have to come.”
She shook her head. “Honestly, I’m fine with it. And if it stops the attempts at setting you up, then I’m happy to help out. I think blind dates are almost like an arranged marriage. You end up being too polite to say no.”
“You been on one then?”
“Yep. One set up by Callum with a vet friend of his. It was a disaster.”
I followed her directions as we reached a junction. “I’m interested to know why a date with you would be a disaster.”
“Oh, I’m not sure it was a disaster for him. He was – how can I put it? – inexperienced with women and spent the evening staring at my tits like he was starving for breast milk,” she said. “Honestly, Eli, it was horrendous. I felt like I was a meal.”
“What did you say to Callum afterwards?” I said, not sure if I felt more strongly about laughing at her situation or wanting to kill her date.
“Turn left here and pull over at the house with the gates,” she said, gesturing at the same time. “I didn’t say much. I think Callum was hoping he was setting me up with a nice boy who wouldn’t mess me about. Not that I’ve been messed about any, really. If I’d mentioned about how Gregory was clearly picturing…”
“And stop there else I’ll have Callum give me his address and go round and have words.” I knew I was gripping the steering wheel a little too tightly as I pulled over, parallel parking into a space that required my concentration on that rather than Ava being some letch’s next visual banquet.
She undid her seatbelt. “He didn’t sully my virtue,” she said. “I shook his hand when we left the restaurant and told him that it wasn’t going to work.”
“What did he do?”
“He looked as if he was about to burst in to tears and asked why.”
Part of me felt sorry for the bloke. “What did you tell him?”
“That he came across as being too desperate and that was a major turn off for me. And I said that the next time he went on a date he needed to take more of an interest in what his date was saying than how her tits looked. I could’ve given him more tips but I didn’t want to make him cry in public,” she said, shutting the door and heading round to the pavement. “Anyway. Cheesecake.”
We got the cheesecake. All seven of them which made me wonder exactly how many were going to be at Max and Victoria’s for Sunday dinner. There was a houseful, which, considering the size of the house, was impressive. The seven Callaghan siblings were there, plus Victoria, Vanessa and Killian. Then there was Amelie who owned the café near the offices; Sophie and Simone, who were friends of Vanessa’s; a friend of Victoria’s and then a half dozen other people who I recognised from nights out. Ava’s parents were there too and I wondered how the house would be in a few years when Eliza and other as-yet unnamed grandkids would be running round.
“Good game today, boss,” Payton said, coming over with a plate piled high with food. “I forgot you had skills other than in the courtroom.”
I grinned at her. She was less tired and more relaxed than she’d been for a bit. Owen stood nearby, watching what was going with an interested expression. “You only see the suit,” I said.
“It’s nice to see more. I’m glad you’re not moping over Andrea.”
Payton dug a fork into a roast potato – there was no formal sit down meal, just a large help-yourself buffet. And plenty of beers and wine.
“I think we both knew it was coming to an end,” I said, trying to be diplomatic.
Payts nodded. “She was a chore for you,” she said. “When she was visiting you were always worried about what to do, where to take her, how to make her happy. When she wasn’t down for a weekend, you seemed lighter. You shouldn’t be with someone who stresses you out.”
“Says the relationship guru,” Ava said. “Since when did you start your own agony aunt column?”
Payton shook her head. “Grow up, little sister.”
I watched as Ava looked at Payton, her expression at first annoyed and then hurt and I saw how Payton noticed it too.
“Actually, don’t,” Payton said, her voice quieter, less harsh. “Stay as you are.”
Ava’s eyes brightened. “More advice?”
