Page 103 of Never Too Late to Date

Christian looked down at the bag on her knee.

‘Is one of those for me?’

‘Not exactly. Haven’t you had breakfast?’

‘Couldn’t eat. Too nervous. And now I’m here stupidly early. But luckily I recognised you and your cute car.’

‘Yes, wasn’t that lucky.’

Interesting that he’d admitted he was nervous too. It was reassuring to know that under that cool exterior, Christian was feeling the pressure as much as her.

‘So, can I have the other pastry, pretty please?’

Suzie shoved the bag in his direction.

‘And maybe some of your coffee?’

‘You don’t need a blood donation while you’re at it?’

‘Not at the moment, but I’ll keep it in mind, thanks.’

Suzie passed him the coffee and watched him take a long slurp. She wouldn’t be keen to share drinks with many people, but when you’d already mixed your DNA and created another human, maybe it was churlish to refuse.

‘Presumably you’re early too?’

‘Mmmm. Can we just be quiet for a few minutes? Please.’

‘OK, keep your hair on.’

The sun had climbed higher in the sky while she’d been sitting there, and Suzie lowered her sunglasses, which she’d been using to hold her hair back, onto her nose.

Peace reigned for a few precious moments as they sat side by side eating the pastries and passing the coffee cup between them.

‘Do you remember that time we played a series of gigs in Barcelona and took a ferry to Menorca on our one night off, straight after coming off stage? We got there in the early hours and sat in the hire car watching the sun come up over the port, drinking strong coffee and eating churros dipped in chocolate for breakfast, a little like this.’

He had to spoil it, didn’t he? Of course, she bloody well remembered. She was fairly sure that trip was when she’d got pregnant with Giannis. She’d left her packet of pills behind by mistake, and they’d definitely got carried away on more than one occasion.

‘No, not sure I do.’

‘You must do.’

‘No, sorry.’

He narrowed his eyes.

‘Don’t you remember the little hotel on the water? We lay around drinking cheap rosé and eating the biggest king prawns smothered in garlic mayonnaise that I’ve ever seen. And we got caught up in a fiesta, and ended up singing together for the punters in the square, me accompanying you on guitar? You have to remember that.’

She couldn’t indulge him in his memories, shared memories if she was being honest, especially not this morning.

‘Nope, nothing. Maybe my memory’s going.’

He snorted a few crumbs out onto his faded jeans.

‘As if. You have the memory of a tiny elephant.’

‘A very tiny elephant.’

‘A little weeny elephant.’