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‘Hey, are you okay?’
Opening her eyes, she watched as Rob closed the pub door and came to stand in front of her. ‘Yes, I’m fine, thanks.’
‘You don’t look fine.’ Cupping her elbows in his hands, he met her gaze.
She sighed. ‘It was Adele. She was offering me her spare room and a job, believe it or not.’
‘Oh. I didn’t realise things had got that bad?’
Carmen looked down at her shoes. ‘I guess neither had I. I mean, I knew my yoga business wasn’t raking in the money, obviously, but I hadn’t really thought that it was a complete failure. Yet.’
‘I’m sure it’s not.’
Looking back up, she shrugged. ‘I think it actually might be. Now that Adele has pointed it out. Not intentionally, of course. She’s only been supportive. Still is in her own way, but she’s right. I’m thirty-five, living in a houseshare and as of last week I don’t even have a second job to keep me afloat. In truth, next month’s rent is probably the last I’ll be able to afford.’
Rob shifted position. ‘I’m sure it’ll work out.’
‘Umm. I should have built the business up whilst still working in human resources. How rash was I?’ She rolled her eyes. Adele had the support of her husband, Stephen. She only had herself to fall back on. It was obvious she’d fail.
‘Not rash. Brave.’
Carmen shook her head. ‘Bravery isn’t going to pay the bills.’
‘No, but don’t give up. The yoga instructing is something you’re passionate about. You’ll make it work.’
‘I’m not so sure.’ Even Adele didn’t believe in her.
‘You will. I know you will. The Carmen I knew four years ago wouldn’t give up on a dream.’
She scrunched her nose up. ‘The Carmen you knew four years ago hadn’t given up a perfectly good job in order to follow a stupid dream.’
‘No, but if you’d chosen that path, you wouldn’t have given up.’
Looking down again, she mumbled, ‘I don’t know.’
Rob tucked his finger beneath her chin, gently lifting her face to catch her eye. ‘I believe in you.’
She shrugged and smiled. ‘I’m sorry. This is supposed to be a fun night out and I’m ruining it by wallowing in my failures.’
‘Please don’t apologise. I came to the pub quiz to spend time with you and I am.’ He smiled.
‘Yes, well, I think you’ll have better fun inside.’ Pushing herself away from the table, she began walking back towards the door.
‘Carmen, wait.’
Pausing, she turned around. ‘What?’
‘I really am sorry for the way I finished with you all those years ago.’
She frowned. ‘I thought we’d agreed to leave it in the past and start over?’
Stepping forward, Rob took her hands in his. ‘I’d much rather pick off where we left off?’
‘What do you mean?’ She looked down at their hands as she automatically entwined her fingers with his. A muscle memory, maybe? Or her true feelings coming to the surface? She shook her head. He couldn’t mean...
‘Just that. I know it’s a big ask and I completely understand if you’d rather not, but I’ve thought about you so often and now you’re here...’
She frowned. ‘You really want to give things another try? With me?’
