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‘Seriously though, I think they’ll be impressed. I still can’t believe that this will be their forty-fifth wedding anniversary! It only feels ike yesterday when we were celebrating their fortieth. I must be getting old.’
She grimaced. ‘It’s certainly rare.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Staying together that long, it’s rare.’
‘Forty-five years?’
‘Yes, for every married couple, another will get divorced.’ She wiped her mouth with her napkin.
‘No. I don’t believe that.’ Frowning, he put down his coffee mug.
‘It’s true. Well, almost. Forty-two percent of marriages end in divorce in the UK.’
‘Wow, forty-two percent. Seriously?’
‘Yes, and over half of those are before they’ve reached their tenth anniversary.’ Picking up her coffee mug, she took a sip. ‘Love is just a by-product of lust. Often over before they’ve unpacked the wedding gifts.’
Jack shifted in his chair and frowned. ‘No, I don’t believe that. Love is real. I can vouch for that.’
‘Can you? You’re madly in love then, I guess. Have you ever wondered why that’s the saying—madly in love?’
‘Well, no, I’m not, but that’s beside the point. I’m a wedding photographer and the couples I work with are definitely in love.’ Linking his fingers, he stretched his arms above his head before wrapping his hands around his coffee mug.
‘You’re a wedding photographer?’ She grimaced. She hadn’t seen that coming.
‘Is there something wrong with that?’ He frowned.
‘No, not at all. It’s just...’
‘You don’t believe in marriage?’
‘What gave you that impression?’ She twisted her nan’s ring around her finger.
‘I don’t know. The way divorce statistics roll off your tongue or the way you rolled your eyes when I told you what I do for a living.’ Raising his eyebrows, he shook his head.
Sighing, she laid her hands, palm down, on the table in front of her. ‘I’m a solicitor, I specialise in family law. I see every day what marriage does to people.’
Jack nodded slowly. ‘A divorce lawyer?’
‘A family law solicitor.’
‘Right. It makes sense now.’
She frowned. She made sense or her job made sense. What was he talking about? ‘In what way?’
‘Why you don’t believe in love. Let me guess, you’ve been divorced yourself or you’ve had a nasty breakup?’
‘What? No!’ She rolled her napkin up. Who did he think he was guessing at her past?
‘Divorced parents then?’ Grinning, he pointed at her.
Sighing, she pushed her chair back, threw her napkin down, and marched out of the coffee shop. How dare he assume he knew her? How dare he assume she felt the way she did about love because of her parents? How dare he try to guess why she felt the way she did? What did it have to do with him? She hadn’t tried to dissect his views about love or second guess why he felt the way he did. She had merely stated statistics.
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CLICKING THE CAR DOORopen, she slipped inside and started the engine. Could this day actually get any worse? First, she gets passed over for promotion and then, after doing him a massive favour, more than one, Jack tried to find a reason for her opinions. She didn’t have to validate her views of the world. Not to him. Not to anyone.
