‘A latte, please.’ The coffees on the table are steaming. I don’t think they’ve been here long.
‘I’m Adam.’ He offers a big, rough hand to me and gives me a wide grin. His eyes are brown, not green, I notice, and he’s more tanned than Charlie, with freckles sprinkled over his nose and cheeks.
‘Bridget,’ I say in return. ‘It’s really good to meet you. Have you guys ordered?’
‘Only just,’ Charlie replies.
‘I’ll go for the pancakes,’ I say out loud, not bothering to look at the menu.
‘How do you like Cornwall?’ Adam asks me as Charlie flags down the waitress. I’m quite touched to hear him ordering on my behalf.
‘It’s great. But I haven’t seen much of it yet,’ I admit. ‘I had a flat tyre on my campervan last week.’
‘Oh, I heard all about your campervan,’ Adam replies knowingly.
‘What have you heard?’ I ask innocently.
‘About how you need my tent.’
‘It’s notyourtent,’ Charlie interjects.
‘Whatever.’ Adam brushes him off. ‘It’s just as well you don’t have a boyfriend. Be a bit of a squeeze, from the sounds of it.’
My eyes widen.
‘I didn’t say she didn’t have a boyfriend,’ Charlie says. ‘He lives in Australia.’
‘How do you know that?’ I turn to him, taken aback.
He shrugs. ‘Your blog.’
That’s right...He told me he’d read a couple of entries when I first came here. But why were they talking about whether or not I have a boyfriend?
Charlie must notice the unspoken question on my lips, because he explains.
‘Adam was giving me grief about making you come to Cornwall for the summer.’
‘I just wondered if there’s a bloke you had to leave behind,’ Adam clarifies.
‘No.’ I shake my head. ‘Three hundred miles don’t really make a difference when you’re already talking ten thousand.’
‘Still, you must have friends in London, right?’ Adam persists.
‘I should hope so,’ I reply indignantly.
‘Aren’t you lonely?’ he asks.
‘You’re a nosy little bugger, aren’t you?’ I tease.
Charlie laughs. ‘You tell him, Bridget.’
Adam grins, but pink spots form on his cheeks. I didn’t peg him as the type to embarrass easily.
‘I do miss my friends,’ I admit, trying to appease him. ‘Eight weeks is a long time to be away.’
Charlie picks up his teaspoon and stirs his coffee, staring down at the spinning liquid.
‘Told you,’ Adam goads his brother.
