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‘I’m hungry. Do you want some lunch?’
A pause. ‘What’s going on, Lucas?’
‘Nothing.’ Everything. ‘It’s Sam’s birthday today.’
‘I remember. A week before yours. You want to talk about something?’
She remembered his birthday. The thought made Lucas smile. ‘No, I don’t want to talk about anything. I want to have lunch with you.’
Another pause. ‘What about Ava?’
‘She’s in Cornwall with my parents. I stayed behind.’ An idea occurred to him and Lucas found himself grinning into his phone. ‘I could murder a plate of oysters.’
He heard her laugh quietly. ‘Okay, then. Oysters it is.’
* * *
He was parked outside her flat, leaning against the car. Lucas knew she’d be watching for him, and Thea knew in return that he didn’t have a trip to a restaurant in mind. His worn-out jeans and beach shoes confirmed it.
He eyed the towel poking out of the top of her canvas bag. ‘So much for trying to surprise you.’
‘You surprised me when you called. And you can’t go to the beach without paddling.’
She handed her bag to him. That was all it took to slip back into the easy etiquette of a couple. He stowed it in the back of the car and opened the passenger door for her.
‘Music or wind?’ Lucas grinned as she got into his car.
‘You know I want music. But as you’ve got a convertible now…’
He shrugged. ‘I can’t think why. I don’t think I’ve ever driven around with the top down.’
‘What?’ She gave him a reproving look. ‘Okay, let’s have music on the motorway, and when we see the sea, we’ll put the top down.’
‘Sounds like a plan.’ He slid a CD into the player and fiddled with the volume.
‘What’s this?’ She didn’t recognise the song.
‘One of Ava’s. We play one track each and this one’s hers. Skip on to the next one if you like.’
‘No, let’s have Ava’s as well.’ She settled into her seat. ‘So where exactly are we going?’
Lucas gave her a melting smile. ‘Take a guess…’
* * *
An hour on the motorway and then branching off into Kent was the first clue. They made Whitstable in just over two hours, and it wasn’t long enough for Thea. She could have driven all afternoon with him, favourite tracks on the CD player just begging to be sung along with and the road stretching out in front of them.
‘Aha.’ She straightened in her seat. ‘Look, look I see the sea. Over there.’
‘Where?’
‘You missed it. It was there, definitely.’
‘Okay.’ He slowed down, pulling into a lay-by and turning the car around.
‘What? Don’t you believe me?’
‘Just checking.’ He leaned across to see out of the passenger window. Quite unnecessary really, but it seemed essential right now. ‘That’s not the sea. It’s mist.’
