Meagan noticed the dull glow of her phone from inside her handbag. Without a break in conversation she reached in and tilted the screen towards her. It was Todd. Oh for the simplicity of a quick fumble with him right now. If she’d seen him tonight, she’d already be back home in her slanket watching Scandal reruns. Meagan smiled tightly at Bruno, trying to focus on the positives. He was tall which, to Meagan, was the hottest thing in the world. She’d once dated a guy who she towered over when in her heels. She felt like Godzilla looking down on the tiny people of New York City. Never again. When Meagan and Bruno had air-kissed upon first meeting, she’d also noticed his deliciously expensive cologne. This was another deal-breaker. A long, long time ago, Meagan had dated a man whose aftershave smelt like fly spray. At the end of dinner, she’d half-expected to see dead bluebottles at their feet. Bruno, however, smelt good, looked good, had good hair, good shoes and she could tell, under that fitted shirt, had a great body. However, the one thing that was not good at all was his nasal fluid management.

‘So tell me more about your work,’ he said.

She looked into his eyes. That piercing crystal blue was insanely sensual. Should she give him another chance? she thought, as he rubbed his arm gently against hers. There was no denying, he had game which he probably needed to counteract the…

‘Hmmf.’

Okay, I’m done, concluded Meagan, sliding out of her seat.

‘Oh no,’ she said barely committing to a convincing performance, ‘I’ve just remembered.’

She shrugged on her coat as Bruno stood.

‘What is it?’ he said. ‘Are you okay?’

‘Yeah, well, no. Jemima. The woman who introduced us.’

Out of the corner of her eye Meagan could see Bruno’s face etched with worry. She groaned inside. Humans made everything take so much longer.

‘She’s on dialysis and I need to change her thing.’

‘Goodness,’ Bruno said putting his hand on her shoulder. ‘I thought you were going to say, you’d arranged to meet her.’

That would have been a less harrowing excuse, thought Meagan.

‘Is there anything I can do? Hmmf.’

The guilt instantly evaporated. She tied the belt around her thick coat, texting as she headed for the door.

‘No, babe. It’s all good!’

Chapter 21

Jemima

Jemima walked to the middle of Liverpool Street station’s busy concourse, her stress levels peaking. This, she realised, was a far cry from the day before on her absolutely-not-a-date-but-keep-it-secret-from-the-girls-anyway evening with Chance. Yes, she’d been anxious but she’d also felt, was it, butterflies? She looked up at the information board. It was a few minutes after seven. She was almost half an hour early but she wasn’t being keen, just cautious. She wanted to see him approaching before he saw her. Liverpool Street had a myriad of exits and Jemima was prepared to use any one of them if she needed to. Just then she felt a tap on her right shoulder. She turned but over her left came a quiet, ‘Great minds and all that.’