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‘Why?’
‘So you can get a good view of the beach.’
‘Oh, okay, but what about you?’
Brody smiled again. ‘Well I get to see you …’
As he spoke Helen became more aware of her heart pumping. His eyes wandered over her face. She needed to concentrate. Her blood sugar was probably low. Helen ordered avo toast. Then hot chocolate. Then carrot cake as daylight sunk lower in the window, and she became less self-conscious about her menu choices.
She surreptitiously checked the time on her phone: Henry would be here in twenty, it was all happening too quickly. Helen felt like Nanny G then on her night with Vernon, clinging on to the minutes as they raced by. There was definitely a spark: a distinct, unusual, fizzing, exciting feeling that made her feel light-headed. Partway self-conscious, like she wanted more, but the intensity almost felt too bright.
‘So, I have a confession to make,’ Brody smirked. ‘In fact I’m kind of hoping it hasn’t been too obvious so far …’
‘Errr no! What is it?’ Helen’s stomach did a rollercoaster flip. She braced herself for him to tell her that he was actually in some open, polyamorous triad that he’d like her to join. Or something equally disappointing.
‘You know … I’ve never ever been on a date from a dating app before.’ Brody paused and waited for Helen’s reaction.
‘No way!’
‘Way. I had a couple of long-term relationships, and when I broke up with my last girlfriend eighteen months ago …’
No recent exes – tick! Eighteen months is the perfect amount of time to get over someone –just like Jonathan … Wait, was she actually starting to believe that she was over Jonathan?
‘The business was growing a lot and I just refocused on that. I’m also on a personal crusade to not use any form of social media, we have to do a bit for the company, but for me, I’m all about real life. So, I’ve been working, doing some personal growth stuff, trying to be more present, that kind of thing …’
‘I remember you telling me you like to focus …’
‘I do! It must be a man thing: I’m more of a mono-tasker than a multi-tasker … Anyway, I saw an old friend yesterday who asked me if I was seeing anyone and I realised that I hadn’t even thought about meeting someone for a long time. Long story short, she really arm-twisted me into going on the app, even chose my lead photo. Then after five minutes you pop up: it was really weird. Good, but weird …’
‘Just like me. Except it was my nan doing the arm-twisting!’
‘Now you’re really selling her to me!’
Helen’s heart rose like a balloon in her chest. Brody must have noticed the slight pink flush that had come onto her cheeks.
‘So, you decided that this was your time to get back into the whole dating thing?’
‘Actually …’ Brody looked down into his plate and scratched the back of his head. ‘I wouldn’t say dating. I think something’s changed lately; I’ve been thinking that it’s been too long just focusing on my business, I’d like to meet someone. Someone I can share things with, you know?’
Brody had picked up his fork, and pushed the crumbs around on his plate.
‘Like your profile said, your last first date …’
Brody shrugged coyly, his eye just catching Helen’s and she felt his knee touch hers beneath the table. She drew her breath in quickly, as the atmosphere sparkled between them.
‘Well, I wouldn’t have thought you’d have too much trouble finding that.’ Helen smiled, folding her hands in her lap to stop them pushing across the table towards him. She was being surprisingly composed. Acting like what Brody had just said had absolutely no relevance to her whatsoever.
‘How about you?’ Brody leaned back in his chair, green eyes looking at her, his knee still touching hers with a heat and energy she hadn’t felt in a long time. ‘Are you looking just to date?’
‘No, I’m looking for my last first date too. Definitely.’ Elle would probably have told her not to say that, but it felt good to be candid. Why couldn’t all dates be like this? None of the guessing what a guy was looking for? No decrypting his messages for hidden clues? Just a real man, who knew what he wanted. This is exactly what it should be like. The more she looked at Brody, the more her heart sang, and the image of Jonathan and Katy became pixelated, washed from her mind.
‘Okay, bit of a presumptuous question coming up then, and please feel free to shoot me down: are you getting a lift home soon?’ Brody asked, stirring the last of his almond milk latte.
‘I think my brother’s going to pick me up sometime later …’ Sorry Henry you may end up sitting in the car park for a little while …
‘Look, I know you’ve probably got plans but I’m really enjoying spending time with you. Is there any chance I can steal you for an extra hour or two? Maybe we could go for a walk? I can drop you back later too if you need?’
Helen hesitated for a microsecond.
