Page 34 of Unapologetic Love Story

‘How old is your sister?’

‘Twenty-five.’

‘I have a younger sister, too.’

‘Oh, really?’

‘Solana.’

Raina could feel him giving her a quizzical expression.

‘Sunshine?’ he pressed.

‘Yep. She’s the sun, I’m the rain.’

She flashed him a smile, trying to cover up any cracks in her mask with a healthy paving of self-deprecation. He regarded her steadily, not falling for it.

Solana was almost ten years younger than Raina, but try telling her that. She was the most assertive and authoritative person Raina knew, giving Pepper Cousins a run for her money.

‘She’s studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford,’ Raina went on, unable to hide her pride. ‘She’s much smarter than me, obviously.’

‘I doubt that.’

The remark threw Raina. She snapped her head forward, staring at the road before them. A concrete river waiting for heavy-breathing fish pushing themselves beyond all kinds of limits.

‘So, tell me.’ Tom finished the last of his coffee and popped a mint into his mouth. ‘Why so early?’

‘You haven’t worked it out?’

‘Gotta say, I’m a West London man; the marathon isn’t our thing over there.’

‘Yes,’ Raina acknowledged. ‘Would hate to upset all of those multi-millionaires with a race that inspires community and togetherness.’

‘Behave,’ Tom said, laughing. ‘You live in Barnes.’

She was surprised that he remembered.

He’s writing a hit piece on you, kid. That’s the only reason he knows.

Across the road, an elderly couple were walking arm-in-arm. When the woman noticed Tom and Raina standing on the other side of the street, her face lit up and she waved.

‘Raina!’

Tom was bemused, but Raina smiled a radiant smile and waved back. ‘Morning, Mrs Chigaru.’

‘You look well.’

‘You, too, Auntie.’

‘This your fella?’

Raina and Tom both grimaced with the mild embarrassment only mischievous older people were able to provoke.

‘No,’ Raina said firmly. ‘He’s my stalker.’

‘Very good.’

Tom watched the couple retreat and then turned to Raina. ‘Shouldn’t joke about stalking.’