He flicks his wet hair out of his face, and in doing so, he lets his robe slip. It reveals his tanned, muscular shoulder, and my heart goes berserk.
‘What about Alfie?’
‘He’s at his gran’s tonight, so I’m not needed. How about it?’
‘Yes, okay.’
I should never have agreed to this. My body is a traitor. I see one flash of some tanned and well-defined shoulder, and I agree to all sorts.
Oliver’s suggestion is making my heart go wild. I am blaming that slip of a robe for everything. On the way to work, I pop in my earbuds and search for a suitable song to soothe my flustered state. To my frustration, I can’t find any songs written about two flatmates, who share a bed because of a plumbing leak, and decide to have a completely innocent picnic together.
* * *
My day at the bookshop is quiet. Miranda has decided to take the day off. She rang me as I walked to work. I was expecting her to sound like she’d hit rock bottom, but she sounded almost gleeful. ‘I have some things I need to sort out,’ she gushed. ‘It’s exciting. Have a great day, Nelly.’
The ending of a fifteen-year relationship and heartbreak is not meant to sound like this. My curse has always shown me suffering and upset. Maybe the extent of Frank’s betrayal has not hit her fully yet.
I’ve tried to touch as many people as possible, and my list has reached over three pages. Oliver is still the only person my curse doesn’t work on.
Eva pops in at lunchtime, and I talk to her about the picnic.
‘What are you thinking of wearing?’ she asks, leaning over the counter and fiddling with a glittery pen.
‘He said we don’t have to dress smart.’
She scrunches up her face. ‘Please don’t tell me you’re wearing grey jeans and a black T-shirt. You need to do something with your hair, too. I’m thinking loose curls.’ She smiles and surveys my clothes. ‘A pretty dress would be ideal for a picnic. Maybe topped off with some white sandals.’
‘It’s just a picnic, Eva.’
She raises her eyebrows and grins. ‘Isit just a picnic, Nelly?’
My heart performs a series of flips, which I quickly suppress. Once again, she has not warned me about him. ‘You’ve changed your tune. When you came to my flat you kept telling me to stay away from him.’
After a flick of her blonde hair, she smiles. ‘I did warn you but then I thought about this situation. It’s time you started experiencing what the rest of us endure. We don’t get free dating spoilers. We just put our faith in someone and cling to a scrap of hope that they’re not an arsehole.’
I let out a groan.
She smiles. ‘Whatever happens between you and Oliver will be an experience and I think you need it. For too long, you’ve feared getting your heart broken. You need to face your fears.’
‘I’m not getting into anything with Oliver,’ I say, while secretly praying I do get into something with him while he’s wearing that fitted white shirt with the undone buttons.
‘Enjoy your picnic. I’ll be on WhatsApp waiting for an update,’ she says with a wink.
Late in the afternoon, I’m picking up the box of glittery pens that a small child knocked onto the floor when the man who bought the book on dogs approaches the desk. I look up to see him carrying a small puppy. I recall that his ex-wife had taken his much-loved Labrador to Scotland and he bought the book as a comforter. He recognises me and smiles. ‘I thought I would come and introduce you. I saw this puppy in the rehoming centre, and I couldn’t resist.’
The puppy is a small golden Labrador, and it licks my hand.
‘I can’t replace Sandy,’ he says, ‘but this little one is going to help fill in the gaps.’
‘Do they have a name?’
He beams. ‘She’s called Hope.’
‘That’s lovely.’
‘I’ve also made a new friend with one of the ladies at the rehoming centre.’
As he turns to leave, I make sure my hand brushes his bare arm. I see him as an elderly man sitting by a bed with an elderly lady in it. He’s holding her hand and saying, ‘I’m so glad Hope brought us together all those years ago.’
