Anyone seeing me skipping down Oxford Street might have questioned how much coffee I’d been drinking. Anticipation and excitement had added an extra bounce to my step.
As I spotted Daniel outside the front of John Lewis, my stomach twisted with nerves. I speeded up and he looked up, catching my eye as I got closer. For a moment we looked at each other without saying a word. My mouth went dry as one corner of his mouth quirked.
‘Hi,’ he said softly. My heart lurched as I smiled shyly back.
‘Hi.’
Giving his head an amused shake he stepped forward and slid a hand across my cheek, into my hair and pulled my head towards him for a kiss.
‘That’s better,’ he said afterwards, putting his arm around me and steering me inside. ‘How was today?’
‘Busy,’ I said. ‘I didn’t get a chance to speak to Emily as she wasn’t around much. How did she take it?’ I asked, our hands linked, as we sailed upwards on the escalator.
He winced. ‘My ego feels as if it’s been ripped out, chewed up and spat out again. Be gentle with me.’
‘That bad?’
‘Hell hath no. The worst boyfriend on the planet.’ He sounded reasonably cheerful about this as he pointed to himself. ‘Rubbish relationship material.’
She hadn’t pulled any punches then.
‘I’m a boring old git with an unhealthy obsession with ball.. . sports.’
‘Have I made a terrible mistake?’ I teased.
‘I never go to decent restaurants.’
‘What, never?’ I asked, in mock outrage as we stepped off the escalator.
He drooped his head in dejection. ‘Nope.’
We wound our way through the electrical department to find the fridges.
‘You don’t need to worry then,’ I said cheerfully, sailing past the televisions, tugging at his hand as he stopped briefly. ‘It’s your kitchen I’m interested in — we can eat in.’
‘It gets worse . . .’
Playing along, I sighed heavily and stopped. I turned to face him. ‘What, there’s more?’
‘I’m crap in bed.’ His eyes twinkled, his lips twitching.
‘That’s it then. Sorry . . .’
‘Oy,’ he tickled my ribs. ‘You’re supposed to be on my side.’
I lowered my voice, there were other people around. ‘Perhaps you just need practice?’
‘Are you volunteering?’
That took the wind out of my sails.
‘Well, surely you must have some good points,’ I said bracingly, as I turned and pulled him along towards the household appliances.
He sucked in his breath. ‘No,’ he said firmly. ‘Not one.’
‘Sure? No redeeming features at all.’ I thought for a moment. ‘I might have to reconsider.’
His arm snaked round me and pulled me closer, his warm breath teasing my neck. ‘I’ve been through the verbal wringer. I need first aid and sticking plasters, woman. What are you going to do about it?’
