‘Since Saturday when he insisted that I park my car on the drive and then helped me carry all the cleaning supplies in. He cooked me dinner last night too.’
‘What?’
I laugh and bring her up to date.
‘He sounds positively dreamy,’ she remarks. ‘Definitely bring him.’
‘I’ll ask him,’ I reassure her, smiling as I end the call.
I go downstairs and knock on the apartment door. My butterflies were half asleep when I mentioned Tom’s name to Amy. They woke up fully on my way down the stairs. And when the apartment door opens and Tom’s maple-brown eyes flare with surprise and pleasure at the sight of me, they fly into a kaleidoscopic frenzy.
He’s had a shave. I liked his stubble, but he looks out of this world clean-shaven.
‘Hi!’ I say.
‘Hey!’
‘Are you still in the mood for a burger?’ I ask brightly, giving him a hopeful smile.
‘Tell me about your friends,’ Tom says as we climb the hill half an hour later.
‘Well, there’s Rach and Amy, who are my closest, oldest friends. We went to school together in Truro and they’ve been with me through thick and thin.’
‘I like them already.’
I grin at him and continue. ‘Dan is Amy’s fiancé – they’ve been together since we graduated from uni. He’s great. And Ellie is Rach’s girlfriend. They work together at Surfers Against Sewage HQ and met a couple of years ago.’
‘Cool,’ he says. ‘So who am I stepping in for?’
‘Tarek.’
He glances at me, and I can see the question in his eyes.
‘He’s just a friend. Dan’s best mate. We all went to school together. His girlfriend hates quizzes.’
I don’t think I imagine the glimmer of relief on his face at my answer.
There are high winds again today, but thankfully the rain has held off for our walk up here.
He’s wearing the same jeans he had on yesterday along with a navy brushed-cotton shirt that’s hanging open over a white T-shirt. His sleeves are rolled up to just below his elbows.
I’m also wearing light-blue jeans and a white T-shirt, but my jeans are more of a slouchy fit, sitting lower on my hips, and my T-shirt is a loose-fitting crop top, so we’re hardly twinning it. A faded-black boxy cropped jacket completes my look.
I’ll admit, I put an unusual amount of effort into my outfit tonight. I’m hoping I look casual but sexy. I even spent time curling my dark hair into glossy, loose spirals.
We’re shown to a table for six, the first to arrive. Candles are already burning on every tabletop and the atmosphere is buzzy, with lots of people tucking away food before the quiz starts.
‘Thanks for coming with me,’ I say.
‘Thanks for asking.’
‘I’m glad you said yes.’
He moves the candle a little closer to him, his attention fixed on the flame.
‘I’m not very used to my own company, to be honest,’ he admits.
‘Have you been lonely?’
