‘Yeah,’ I reply, remembering how that day felt. ‘That was a weird one.’
‘And that’s the day you literally told me you were time-looping when we landed at Perth airport.’
‘I was in such a tizz. I thought I’d styled it out by making up some stuff about “time-grouping” being something all the cool kids said?’
‘That was less believable than you thought.’
I bite my lip.
‘It’s annoying that you know me so well.’
Callum laughs. ‘So I was going to try and talk to you about it on Monday Four but you’d swapped seats, and Monday Five was a whole different kettle of fish. You brought a new energy to the airport that day, what with the expensive champagne and the love-heart trousers and … distracting behaviour.’
‘Distracting?’
‘I was trying to figure out a way out of the loop and there you stood, so beautiful as usual and this time actually wanting to spend time with me and, Christ, that made me so happy. And while I very much wanted to say something to you, I was seriously distracted by all the kissing.’
‘It was worth it,’ I grin.
‘Agreed. I’d do it a thousand times over.’
‘Don’t say that! We might have to.’
‘Maybe,’ he says. ‘But I do have hope that we will have a future together, outside of all this.’
‘You do?’
He nods. ‘I’ve been thinking about my dream future a lot.’
‘Will you tell me about it?’
Callum lets his gaze settle on me and I feel like my face is turned towards the sun.
‘Sure,’ he says simply, as possibly breakfast arrives. I realize that I have not slept, again, and that I couldn’t sleep if I tried.
‘Here’s the thing, it’s early days and I’m probably being presumptuous,’ he says cautiously.
‘About what?’
‘Getting to spend my future with you.’ His gaze pins me to the spot and it takes all my strength not to gabble a hurried ‘yes let’s do it’. But the truth is I want to hear all of this. So for once, I don’t butt in.
‘Obviously there’s a lot to consider,’ I tease. ‘I’m open to suggestions.’
‘Okay,’ he says. ‘How about I pitch it to you?’
‘Good idea. Should I be making notes?’
‘Sounds sensible. Would you like me to fetch your bag?’
‘You are very useful for reaching anything at height,’ I concede. ‘Should I pop that on my list?’
‘Don’t worry, I cover that in point two, clause b.’ He grins.
‘I really hope there are points,’ I say, laughing now.
Callum gives me this look, full of anticipation, and hope, and a hint of nerves too. He pushes his glasses further up his nose before he speaks and it’s so adorable that I almost squeak in delight.
‘All right, here goes,’ says Callum. ‘My dream future looks like this. We’re back in London after a successful business trip to Australia and I finally get to take my beautiful girlfriend out on a date in our home city. She has grumbled extensively about the date because I’m keeping it a surprise and Nina does not like surprises.’
