‘Zach, prepare yourself. This morning I am going to make you the best coffee of your life. It’s a big statement, I know, given that you are Italian and used to work in a coffee shop. But I’ve been watching YouTube tutorials for the past twenty minutes so I think that means I’m now a trained barista in my own right?’
Amused, she leads me over to her kitchen table, motioning for me to sit down while she weighs out the ground beans.
‘I’m already impressed,’ I say as she tamps them down.
‘Nat brought all this coffee kit with her when she moved in,’ she explains. ‘Pretty sure she nicked it from an event she’d organised. Wait, no. Natalie is very professional and never steals things from clients,’ she spins round, pulling a face.
I pretend to look shocked. ‘Should I check around your house for any of my artwork?’
Alice grins. ‘Nah, I’m into bold colours and more than one, preferably. Lots of them, splashed onto a canvas.’
‘Pollock?’
‘There’s no need to be rude.’
‘No, I meant Jackson Pollock. The artist. I thought you did art for A level?’
‘I did! Renaissance art was my thing, though. And photography. Do I need to hunt out my polo neck again while you give me a modern art lesson?’
‘Always teasing,’ I sigh. ‘How about you pipe down and bring that coffee over, woman.’
‘And that, m’lord, was the last thing renowned artist Zach Moretti said before he disappeared and was never seen again.’ She’s waving the coffee tamper at me and I hold my hands up in surrender.
‘Okay, okay, I take it back,’ I laugh as Alice hands me the coffee. ‘Please don’t ever pipe down. I mean it. I love to hear you talk. It’s like plugging into my own personal uplifting podcast.’
I take a sip. ‘Well?’ She asks.
Hmm. ‘It’s good,’ I offer.
‘The best coffee of your life?’ She prompts, hand playfully on her hip.
‘Um … Yes?’
She laughs. ‘You are very bad at lying, which I suppose is a good quality. Listen, I’d love to laze around with you but I’ve got a meeting with a potential new client this afternoon. Mondays are normally pretty quiet in the shop, and Eve’s opening up this morning, but I’d still like to get in and do some prep work before the meeting. It’s for a wedding and I always like to be prepared. You’re welcome to stay, if you’d like?’
What I’d really like is to be spending the morning in bed with Alice, but her drive and passion for her career is one of the many reasons I’m drawn to her.
‘You go and smash it,’ I say. ‘I could do with some time in the studio, too. And, since I’m in charge of our next date, are you free tonight?’
‘Nat’s not back until later and I have no plans …’
‘An old friend of mine has opened a new bar and it’s their launch party.’
‘What’s this? You’re inviting me to a bar? You know there’s a chance we might see … other human beings there?’
‘I’ll have less of your cheek, thank you very much.’
She beams. ‘A bar sounds great, especially as our last date was very wholesome. Two dates in two days, Zach! But there’s one big problem …’
‘There is?’ I ask, worried now.
‘Very big,’ she says.
I’m flummoxed.
‘Our alphabet dates?’ She says, eyes wide. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten! And I thought you were the romantic one in this situation.’
‘Right,’ I laugh, relieved. ‘If you’ll let me finish. H for Happy Hour. Sound good?’
