Chapters (52)
- COVER PAGE
- DEDICATION
- PART ONE
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- PART TWO
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Hugo slid the spinach and feta börek from his paper bag and took a bite. He made a ‘mmm’ sound and grinned.
‘Okay, you’re right. This is great.’
‘I know. Ben told me about this place years ago,’ Evie said, gesturing to the little nook. ‘The line outside is so much shorter than all the other stalls, probably because the signage is old and it does look a little dodgy. But the food is by far the best in the whole market.’ Evie took a bite of her pastry, brushing stray crumbs from her mouth.
Hugo looked her up and down, smiling.
‘What?’
‘You’re just so cute when you get passionate about börek.’
Evie laughed. ‘It’s a cause close to my heart.’
‘Naturally.’
They strolled past slow-moving boats on the narrow path along the canal, soaking up the uncharacteristically sunny morning. At times, they found themselves pressed up against each other, crammed between the busy flood of commuters rushing to work. Hugo linked his fingers casually with hers, and Evie felt as if she could take on the world with one hand, if only he kept holding the other.
As they neared the Tube station, Evie could no longer deny what time it was. She lingered at the entrance. ‘I better get going,’ she said eventually, even though she desperately didn’t want to. ‘I have to get home to get changed for work.’
‘Sure,’ Hugo said. ‘Evie, as always, I’ve had a lovely time.’
‘Me too.’ Evie smiled. A group of three boys squeezed between them, momentarily unlocking her hand from Hugo’s.
She looked at Hugo’s dazzling green eyes and stubbled jaw. ‘I want to kiss you. But I fear we’ll be in everyone’s way,’ she said conspiratorially.
Hugo laughed. ‘Come on, Evie Berry. Where’s that brazen Aussie that I know is in you? Let’s make these bored commuter’s day!’
And he leaned in to kiss her, before dipping her dramatically to block the path completely. People nudged and pushed their way past them, but Evie didn’t care. As she kissed Hugo by the canal, she knew she was in the completely wrong time, in the utterly perfect moment.
ELEVEN
Eleven
As soon as Evie arrived at work, Josie pounced. ‘Details. Please.’
Evie laughed as she tied on her apron, then filled Josie in on her most recent date with Hugo, omitting the more intimate details which felt too precious to blurt out between sessions of Get Him to the Greek. As she did, she realised how much she’d missed trading war stories from the dating field with Josie.