Hi Skye, are you free for coffee at some pointtoday? Have a dilemma and could do with your advice
I leaned against the counter and re-read the short message. Skye?
?? To Nick
Hi Nick, Sarah here. You’ve just sent me that text – not Skye. You OK? Anything I can help with? xx
I had a bouquet to make but I couldn’t bring myself to work. Instead I just stared at the screen. Dilemma? What sort of dilemma? Could it have anything to do with me? I willed him to reply. Quickly.
?? From Nick
Sorry about that. I’m fine. Hope you’re OK and didn’t have a sore head this morning! Have a good week
No kisses? Not even a smiley face? No confirmation to meet up tonight? No acknowledgement of the text I sent him? No mention of the text he sent me? What was he playing at? I shoved my phone back in my pocket and stormed towards the flower buckets to get what I needed for the bouquet.
‘Hey! What have the flowers done to upset you?’
I spun round to face Mum. ‘What?’
‘The flowers you’re grabbing. You’ve already snapped one.’
I looked at the crushed stalks in my hand. I’d actually snapped three.
‘Are you okay, sweetheart?’
‘Yes. Sorry, Mum. Just a bit annoyed.’
‘Anything I’ve done?’
I shook my head. ‘Of course not. Ignore me. Bad morning.’
‘Do you want to talk about it?’
‘Thanks, but I’m fine. And I’d better get on with this bouquet orI’ll have an angry customer on my hands to make a bad day even worse.’
Mum reached out and took my empty hand in hers. ‘Remember that I’m here if you need me.’
‘Thanks, Mum, but I really am fine.’ It was tempting but I didn’t feel like opening up at that moment. The anger had subsided and I felt silly. Nick’s text last night must have been the drink talking. Clearly I’d imagined the chemistry and he wasn’t interested. I should have ignored his text and not sent that ridiculous reply. I shouldn’t have deviated from the search for Steven… look where it had got me.
I finished the bouquet and tied a piece of raffia round the bottom. So what if Nick wasn’t interested? I had a load of Stevens on my list so I didn’t care. In fact, I’d contact them all as soon as I got home. That’s what Clare would do. She’d say bollocks to Nick and set up her next date.
I lay the bouquet on the counter. Maybe I’d see if he appeared at quarter to six, though, before I rushed into anything…
I waited over an hour after closing time, just in case. I must have gone through every emotion in that hour from excitement (maybe he’ll turn up?) to devastation (he’s not going to come) to apathy (I don’t care anyway; I’m a successful woman in my own right and don’t need a man in my life) to anger (why the hell would he lead me on like that?)
The anger became the strongest emotion and eventually spurred me home and into decisive action. As soon as I closed the door at Seashell Cottage, I stormed into the kitchen and grabbed my list off the fridge, scattering the magnets to the floor.
I threw myself onto the sofa with my laptop and logged into the dating site. ‘Goodbye Nick Derbyshire. Stand me up, will you? Well, I don’t need you.’
An hour later, I closed my laptop, feeling exhausted but a lot calmer. I reflected on my updated list:
Ste Parker (original list) – Casual ‘hello’ message sent, apologising for the delay in getting in touch due to setting up new business
Steve Masterson & Steve Berry (original list) – Both profiles had been removed
Stephen Fitzpatrick (original list) – Messaged him. Immediate response back to say he’d got back with his ex-girlfriend at his work’s Christmas party last week but wished me every success in finding someone
Steve Collins – Had added me to his favourites (very flattering). Messaged to thank him for this and say ‘hi’
