I gave a sigh. ‘Apart from my mum despairing of me ever finding a man, yeah, they’re fine.’
‘I’m sure she’s just worried that you might be lonely, or something.’
‘That’s exactly it, actually.’
Seb gave a sympathetic smile. ‘Are you?’
‘What?’
‘Lonely.’
I rolled my bottom lip out and back. Probably not the most attractive trait I had but one I sometimes forgot to curtail when I was pondering over things. Seb didn’t seem to notice.
‘No.’
‘That’s good then.’
‘That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be happy to meet Mr Right, if such a mythical creature even exists, but, like I told my mum, I’m OK as I am.’
Seb nodded and smiled.
‘Are you?’ I asked.
‘Lonely?’
‘Yes.’
‘Sometimes.’
Somewhere deep in my heart, I felt something shift and crack.
‘Oh,’ I said, which wasn’t exactly the eloquent and meaningful reply I’d liked to have responded with.
Seb shook his head, smiling. ‘Hey. Don’t look at me like that.’
‘Like what?’
‘All sad and big-eyed and compassionate.’
‘I’m not!’
‘You are.’
‘Well, it’s not intentional. That’s just my face. But I do hate to think of you lonely.’
‘Everyone gets like it sometimes. It’s no big deal for me. There are just moments. You asked and I answered, but I’m sort of wishing I’d fibbed now because I’m not sure I can take that pitying look from you much longer.’ He laughed.
‘I am not pitying!’ I said, waving my free hand.
‘You don’t even know you’re doing it!’
‘Oh well, excuse me for having a compassionate soul.’
He rolled his eyes at me. ‘Tell me properly about your dance class.’
I stuck my tongue out at him and rearranged Humphrey on my lap so that his paw was no longer pressing into my stomach.
‘It was OK. Kind of awkward to start with, like I said.’
