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‘How long has it been then? Spill the beans, already.’
I laughed. ‘Spill the beans?’ Facing him, I took a few more sips of my water as I watched him smile at me. Had his hair been this good back then?
‘You spill it first. How long has it been since you dated?’
‘Hmmm.’ He took his time, thinking about it. ‘Six years, I’d say. Before I got married.’
‘Okay, well. At least you were married. A living, breathing human being right next to you. You’re already ahead of me with just that. I was in a long-distance relationship for five years so even though I was considered to be in a relationship, I actually wasn’t because we were barely speaking. And it’s been a year since I broke up with Craig. But even before the breakup I hadn’t seen him face-to-face for two years.’
‘Okay, you win. Long-distance, huh?’
‘Yeah, because I love dating so much, I decided that trying all the versions I can while I have the chance is a good idea.’ I shook my head, then resting my elbow on the bar top, leaned my head against my hand. ‘The worst idea I ever had. Ten months into our relationship, it turned into long-distance when he moved to London for a work opportunity and we maybe saw each other three or four times in all those years.’
‘Why did you break up? The distance?’
I shrugged. ‘The distance and he cheated. Probably more than once.’
‘I see.’
The second William finished his scotch, I straightened up and got the attention of the bartender and asked for my bill. It was time to go home before I made a fool of myself by talking more than I already had.
I glanced at William apologetically. ‘I really should get back to Pepp. If you’re done, I’m gonna call an Uber, is that okay? If not, I can go by myself.’
He shook his head. ‘I’m done. We can go.’
We both paid for our drinks. I arranged the Uber and then I led the way all through the restaurant as William followed me silently.
8 William
Outside, I stood next to Charlie as we waited for the Uber on the sidewalk. Either the different location had melted the subtle tension between us, or it was the drinks she had had, but I felt like we were in a better place.
A group of five exited the restaurant laughing loudly, looking and sounding drunk. After a quick peek over her shoulder, Charlie took a step towards me as the guys ended their short walk when they reached our side.
‘Let’s move a little,’ I suggested quietly, when one of them got too close and Charlie looked uncomfortable with their proximity as their voices started to get the attention of people walking by.
She nodded, and instinctively I put my hand on the small of her back, surprising both her and myself. Frowning, I dropped my hand.
She was doing better with meeting my eyes, but I guessed that we weren’t quite friends yet. Touching each other randomly was not wise. She pushed both her hands in her coat pockets and kept her eyes averted as I took a step back to put some healthy distance between us.
‘Our ride should be here in a few minutes.’
Because I’d been so intrigued with our conversation back at the bar, I couldn’t keep myself from asking, ‘You were gonna tell me about this dream guy.’
She gave me a sideways look, then looked at the loud idiots who were making a ruckus.
I watched as she made a decision and then released a breath.
‘I’m going to be honest with you, so you better appreciate that and no laughing.’
Trying my hardest not to smile, I cleared my throat and nodded. ‘I wouldn’t dream of it.’
She sighed and shook her head at me. ‘You’re gonna laugh, but anyway. I want a lot of things obviously, as all women want. But, first of all, I want him to have stars in his eyes when he looks at me,’ she admitted quietly just for me as I stared at her profile. She tipped up her chin, gazing at the sky. ‘I want the “you’re mine and I’m yours line”. I want the cheese.’
I was still staring at her profile when she gave me a quick look – I’m assuming to check if I was laughing at her – then turned back to watch the street for the Uber.
‘You want him to give you his cheese?’ I asked to make her relax.
‘I… what? No.’ She gave me a surprised look and laughed. She had a beautiful laugh. Soft. Not too loud. Not too quiet to the point that it was weird. It was just the right amount of sound to grab your attention and hold it. And I’d always thought she had a beautiful smile. She was still smiling when she met my gaze.
