Page 88 of Never Too Late to Date

There was the tiniest trace of sadness in his voice, which she found it hard to square with the man she’d watched on stage in Athens.

‘You must have loads of mates. And people desperate to go out with you.’

‘You’d be surprised. There are certainly plenty of people desperate to go out with me if I’m paying, my ex-wife included, but it’s not quite the same thing.’

Suzie stared out at the sea rather than directly at him.

‘Oh no, we’re not getting into “my wife doesn’t understand me” territory, are we?’

Christian gave what she could only describe as a chuckle.

‘My second wife understood me very well. But sadly, she was mainly in it for what she could get. She was way younger than me, and we had absolutely nothing in common. That one was totally on me. I was lonely, and she was beautiful – bad combination. Only lasted eighteen months, one very expensive mistake.’

The admission that he’d turned to this woman because he was lonely made Suzie pause in her reading of the menu. Lonely was one thing she’d not expected him to admit to.

‘And your first wife? Also a model, I think?’

‘Correct. Call me shallow, but I have to find someone attractive before I even make the first move.’

Suzie knew if she looked up, he’d be staring at her.

‘That is pretty shallow. It’s really not the same for women. Personality goes a long way. Most women don’t have to find someone attractive from the off.’

The waitress approached their table, and Christian put his hand on the menu.

‘Will you let me order their speciality, please? They only do it for two, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to try.’

He was like an eager ten-year-old spotting the latest craze online.

‘Fine, as long as it’s not fish eyeballs or something outlandish.’

‘I promise you’ll love it.’

‘How can you promise that if you’ve never tried it?’

‘Trust me.’

Where had she heard that before? And look where it had got her.

‘Is white wine OK for you? Maybe we should get a carafe? I’ll just have the one glass myself, being a responsible captain, and a big bottle of water.’

‘Sure.’

Responsible Christian had certainly not been out to play much in the early years. Mind you, neither had Responsible Suzie.

The waitress brought their drinks straight over with a basket of bread. Once she’d left, his eyes were on her again.

‘Do you ever feel lonely, Suze?’

As a conversation starter, it was unusual to say the least. Her first instinct was to deny it, but her mouth wasn’t behaving.

‘Yes, sometimes. Although I’m surrounded by people all day long, and I’ve got the boys nearby, they have their own lives now. I know they love me, most of the time, but they don’t need me. At other times it’s not exactly loneliness, it’s more like restlessness, wondering if this is it, or whether I should give up the bar and do something completely different.’

She’d barely voiced these thoughts out loud to herself, let alone to anyone else.

‘Something different isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. I have friends scattered across the world, but when you’ve spent a big chunk of your life on the road, the thought of flying thousands of miles to have dinner with someone and sleep in a strange bed isn’t quite so appealing.’

‘Ah, the problems of the world-weary traveller. My moments of doubt are more about being stuck in one place for the rest of my life.’