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Thea sighed. ‘Look, I’m sorry he wasn’t very talkative at the table. When he gets in from Hong Kong, we always spend the time together, just the two of us. I think I should have at least pre-warned him about my bright idea of holding an impromptu dinner party so that he could meet my best friends.’Perhaps I should have asked him first, she thought. Although she couldn’t imagine he’d have said no to meeting her friends. She guessed it was the surprise element that hadn’t gone down well. Perhaps that was why they got along so well; they were both creatures of habit. She didn’t like surprises either.
‘It’s not that, Thea. I get that he probably finds it a bit awkward trying to find something to talk about, some common ground with us older folks.’
Thea hadn’t thought about that either. She remembered that he’d asked her something about whether she had any younger friends. It made her wonder if he would have got on far better in the company of Gracie’s daughter and her husband, if they’d been able to make it.
‘Did he talk much about his job, his life?’
‘No. He spent the time asking about mine. I did find it rather odd.’
‘That he was interested in your job as an archivist?’He’s never appeared interested when I’ve talked about it, she thought.
‘No. Well, yes – maybe. It’s a bit like saying you’re an accountant. In my experience, people’s eyes glaze over the moment the wordarchivistis out of your mouth.’
Thea grinned at him. She knew what he meant. Miles had actually yawned in her face when she’d first told him what she did. Thinking back on it now, although she’d laughed, she’d thought it really rude of him to do that. He’d done it intentionally to stop her talking. They’d kissed instead, which had defused the situation, but Thea felt that she could have taken it as quite an insult. If you like someone, if you love them, don’t you sit down and listen to them when they want to share details of their lives?
Thea asked, ‘What else did you find odd, other than the fact that he appeared interested in your job?’
‘I don’t know. I’m probably speaking out of turn, and do tell me off if I’ve overstepped the mark, but ... well he just doesn’t come across as someone who ...’
‘Someone who ...?’ Thea prompted.
Edward shook his head. ‘You know what? It’s a daft thought. I don’t know what I’m talking about. In fact, I think it was that rather nice bottle of wine that I’m pretty sure I drank all to myself.’
Thea shook her head. ‘Actually, I’m pretty sure you didn’t.’ She had seen the way Miles had been drinking one glass after another. It wasn’t like him.
‘Well, I do feel a little lightheaded in any case, so it’s just as well I ordered a taxi to take me home rather than going on the Tube,’ Edward said. He opened the door. Thea could see the black cab sitting at the kerb, its light off, showing it had a fare.
He bent down and gave her a kiss.
Thea said, ‘Before you go, will you share that daft thought with me? About Miles?’
He shook his head. ‘No, really – it’s so silly. It’s nothing. I don’t even know why the thought entered my head.’
‘But what was it?’
He stood there and sighed. ‘Oh, all right. I just thought that he doesn’t come across as some high-flying executive who jets off to Hong Kong.’
Thea stared at him.
‘There. I told you it was a daft thought.’ He shrugged. ‘I mean, who am I to know? It’s not like I’ve met any. I work in the basement of a museum, locked away in the archives, so it’s not like I get to meet those types of high-flyers.’ He frowned. ‘Look, don’t listen to me. It’s the wine talking, and the overprotective father-figure who believes nobody is going to be good enough for my best friend’s daughter.’
Thea laughed. She knew that was true. Ever since she’d had her first boyfriend in sixth form, Edward had been very critical of anyone she’d had a relationship with. Perhaps that had come through as Miles was talking to Edward; the scrutiny, the questioning that she hadn’t been privy to when she was in the kitchen.
As Thea walked back to her apartment, Gracie appeared at the door. ‘Well, I’m off now too.’
Thea nodded. ‘Okay.’ She glanced through the open doorway to her apartment, and lowered her voice. ‘What did you think of Miles?’ After what Edward had said, even though he’d persuaded her that he was talking a load of old tosh, she was interested to find out about Gracie’s opinion.
Grace said, ‘I don’t like him.’
Thea frowned. This hadn’t been how she expected the evening to go at all.
‘Oh, Thea! I’m joking.’
‘You are?’ She looked at Gracie, grinning.
‘Of course. Conversation was a bit awkward, but I bet that we weren’t what he was expecting when you told him you wanted to introduce him to your friends.’
Thea smiled. ‘That’s true. I couldn’t help thinking that the evening might have gone a little better if your daughter and her husband could have made it. Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.’
