Page 15 of Love Letters on Hazel Lane

If only he’d said that to start with… well, she wouldn’t be here.

‘We’d best get a move on,’ he said, still making no eye contact. ‘Don’t want to miss our slot.’

Slot? He meant table surely?

He was still looking down but at her feet rather than his own. ‘Er… I think you might need different shoes.’

‘Different shoes?’

‘Yeah, when we get there, it’s a bit of a walk. And those shoes… well, they aren’t suitable for where we’re going.’

‘Where are we going?’ Jo’s hopes of fluffy scones and clotted cream and sandwiches with the crusts cut off were fading fast.

‘It’s a surprise,’ he said. ‘I’m hoping you haven’t done it already. I’m so excited about this – you’re going to love it.’

‘You sound very sure,’ she said, ‘considering you’ve never met me before.’

‘You said in your profile that you liked adventures. And this… well, it’s definitely an adventure. A world-famous, record-breaking local attraction.’ He paused and looked at her. ‘Well, perhaps not world-famous. Or record-breaking. But people come from miles around to see it. So are you up for a mystery tour?’

‘A mystery tour?’

‘Yes, the car’s over there.’ He gestured towards the car park.

Jo frowned. No way was she climbing into a car with a man she didn’t know. He could be anyone.

He sensed her hesitation. ‘Sorry, sorry, I should have thought. Obviously, you don’t want to get into a car with a stranger. And quite right. Stupid of me.’

‘It’s just… well, you could be anyone. An axe murderer.’

He laughed. ‘Do I look like an axe murderer?’

She looked at the orange anorak. ‘You don’t. But axe murderers don’t look like axe murderers. If they did, they wouldn’t get away with the murdering.’ She was rambling now. Why was she rambling? Not nerves, surely. She didn’t even fancy him.

‘Listen. Google the health centre – Hebbleswick and Essendale Group Practice – and click on the link to “medical staff”.’

She looked at him for a moment, puzzled, but then did as he suggested. The first picture that came up was Dr Ludek Ulanicki. Ludek? Kate had mentioned the name Ludek. Her friend’s husband, wasn’t he? Must be the same guy. And underneath, there was a picture of the man standing in front of her. Dr Rasmus Rasmusson. So he was one of the local GPs. Astonishing. He looked even less like a GP than he did an axe murderer.

‘You’re a doctor?’ She tried to keep the surprise from her voice.

He nodded. ‘Yep. Look, if you still don’t feel safe, we can leave it. Go and get a coffee or something instead.’

A coffee would be nice, thought Jo. And perhaps there’d be cake. But it would also be like every other internet date she’d ever been on, sitting in a café or a pub, with a latte or a Pinot Grigio, making inane small talk. No man had ever offered to take her on a mystery tour before. And surely if he was a doctor, it would be perfectly safe. They did background checks, didn’t they, before they employed someone in a role like that?

‘I’d like the mystery tour please,’ she said.

‘You sure?’

He looked up and his eyes met hers for the first time. And they were kind eyes. And he looked so hopeful, like a Labrador pleading for a morsel of food. Excited even. Sure, he wasn’t her type, but he’d taken the trouble to arrange something that he thought she’d enjoy. And he mightn’t be boyfriend material, but perhaps he’d turn out to be friend material. And she didn’t know anyone in the area yet, except for Kate. And Jo had texted her three times now, suggesting a drink, but got the same reply each time:

Sorry, off on another date.

Kate seemed to go on a date every night of the week.

‘I feel perfectly safe,’ Jo said. ‘Come on, let’s go.’

‘Great.’ He seemed relieved. ‘Let’s pop by your place so you can change your shoes.’

Another no-no with a man she’d only just met; he’d know where she lived. But still, he was a doctor. Although she’d best not mention any of this to Gemma; she had promised not to take any risks. ‘Yeah, that’d be great, thanks. It isn’t far.’