‘Okay, let’s phone the restaurant first and then check.’
‘One table, a cancellation,’ I mouth a minute later as I’m on the phone to them. ‘Serendipity.’
‘Perfect. It lookedsonice.’
I smile again because she’s doing the smile that I can’t not return, and then say, ‘Let’s look at the video just in case we need a reprise.’
Well. Objectively (I think), we arecutetogether. We make a very convincing couple in the video. That makes me feel a little… odd, but then I think most people if they stuck their heads close to each other and self-videoed would probably look schmaltzy-happy in each other’s company. They just would.
Unfortunately, however, unnoticed by us (not sure how), there’s a man doing really remarkably rude gestures just to the right of my head. And then he manages somehow to get his hand between our heads.
‘Erm. I’m not sure I can edit those out,’ I say.
‘I’d be impressed if you could. And even if you could it would probably be quicker to just record it again.’
‘Sure you don’t mind?’
‘Totally sure. And if I’m honest, out of vanity, even though I will never see any of your family again, I’d bemorethan happy to get my hair a little more under control.’
‘What? Your hair looked lovely, as always.’ I mean it. I like her hair a lot. It’s big hair, and it’sgreatbig hair. ‘But we do kind of need to do it again if you’re up for it.’
‘Definitely. But shall we do it after we’ve eaten so we don’t lose the table?’
‘Oh, yes, very good point. Let’s go.’
We almost speed-walk to the restaurant; Nadia really wants to eat very specifically at that restaurant and I really want to eat atanyacceptable restaurant because I’m starving, and now she has the boot on she can get around at a pretty good pace.
‘It’s a warm evening for hobbling that fast.’ Nadia fans herself as we wait for our table having almost catapulted ourselves through the door.
* * *
They seat us at a round table for two in a corner at the back of the restaurant, one on each side of the corner so that we’re both somewhat facing out into the rest of the room and we’re immediately given tap water and glasses, together with the menu.
‘This looks as good as I expected,’ Nadia says. ‘If I’m honest I couldn’t believe that you would walk past here on your way into the pub that time. And choose pie and mushy peas over lovely Italian.’
‘Okay. I’m very grateful to you for the video work you’ve already done and are going to do, not to mention the pants and the blisters, obviously, but I cannot let that pass. I’m sure this restaurant is amazing, but it isnotgoing to beat pie and peas.’
Nadia just stares at me. ‘Nonsense,’ she says eventually. ‘You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to point out how much you owe me for those frilly pants in particular and ask if you’ll let me order for you.’
‘Well…’ I just want steak and salad.
She gives me the evil eye.
‘Okay,’ I say hastily.
A few minutes later, she’s ordering for me… in fluent Italian. With a very genuine-sounding Italian accent.
‘My mum’s Italian,’ she explains when I state the obvious and say wow she speaks amazingly fluently. ‘And I used to spend a lot of my summer holidays staying with relatives in Rome.’
‘Well I did not know that,’ I say.
Nadia smiles and I wonder whatelsethere is to find out about her that you wouldn’t expect. Although actually I’m not surprised that she’s half Italian and speaks the language or that she’s been onX Factor. More…interested.
‘Funny how you can find out all these things about someoneafteryou start fake-dating them,’ I say.
‘I like it,’ Nadia says. ‘Finding things out about people as you go along. It always happens with new friends.’
‘True.’ I’m not really sure actually why I’m so struck by getting to know Nadia better. It isn’therI’m getting to know better, it’sfactsabout her.Sheis the person I met on the Waterloo clock evening and the more I know her, the more she just seemsher.
