Page 48 of Never Too Late to Date

She’d blurted out the first thing that came into her head. Anything to stop him thinking she was suggesting a date.

‘Well, it’s a fantastic job. I can’t recommend it highly enough.’

He was bloody well enjoying this.

‘Is she practising in Britain?’

‘No, New Zealand. I don’t know when I’m going to see her again. Her boyfriend’s from there, and they might just stay forever.’

To her horror, a sob escaped her mouth, and tears had started to form in her eyes. Where had that come from? She’d processed Tasha’s move in her mind. She was happy for her and fully resigned to her choice. After so long controlling her own narrative as a method of self-preservation, it was scary when the truth attempted to break free.

A hand patted hers.

‘Being apart from your family can be tough. One of my brothers lives and works in the Middle East. He’s been there for years. And my other brother is only on the mainland, but my parents miss him every day.’

He was giving her a conversational lifeline.

‘And are you the eldest?’

‘Yes, how did you know?’

‘Just a wild guess.’

Listing ‘your authoritarian manner, your conviction that you’re always right and your superiority complex’ wouldn’t have been useful.

‘What about you?’

‘Younger of two girls. My sister’s back in Liverpool, and my parents have been gone a long time, God bless them.’

‘Sorry to hear that. Mine are still very much alive, although frail, and the reason I came back to the island after many years in Athens. When the practice came up for sale, and the old vet retired, I was the dutiful son who returned to his roots to keep an eye on them.’

‘But you’re not unhappy here?’

‘No, I love my work, but I sometimes feel as if I didn’t have a choice. My middle brother’s never going to do it, and my younger brother has some “issues” which make him totally unsuitable.’

Vicky was tempted to ask more, but Alex had gone very quiet. She’d never heard him talk about anything personal before.

They both stared out to sea for a long while, all talking dispensed with. A feeling of peace stole over her for a few precious moments.

When she looked up again, Alex was on his feet, frenziedly stuffing things into his rucksack.

‘We’d better be getting back.’

‘Thank you again for my impromptu breakfast.’

‘You’re very welcome.’

His very occasional million-dollar smile came out for a moment.

The rest of the morning passed without incident, and she only caught a couple of glimpses of a set-faced Alex in the distance. It was almost like their earlier intimacy had been a dream.

Just as she was preparing for the lunchtime break, a woman rushed towards the office carrying a small dog in her arms. There was blood on her T-shirt, and her face was streaked with tears.

‘Someone help me, please!’

Vicky ran as fast as she could towards the woman, while shouting in the direction of the treatment room.

‘Alex! Where are you? Alex?’