‘Oh, I didn’t order another one,’ Elle said apologetically.

The waitress nodded towards the bar, where three men sat looking over at her. ‘It’s from them. You’ve got yourself some admirers.’

Admirers? What the hell? Elle glanced awkwardly from the wine glass to the men, and then to her horror saw one of them walking across the crowded bar towards her. He was dressed a little more casually than some of the other office workers—he’d ditched his jacket on the back of his chair and his sleeves were rolled up—but he clearly had headed to the pub after work. ‘I hope you don’t mind, but we thought you deserved a drink after that effort. We’ve never seen a girl eat a burger like that before,’ he said.

Elle felt her face begin to redden. Oh. Dear. God. She’d had an audience the entire time she’d been stuffing her face. This was beyond embarrassing.

‘I was really hungry,’ Elle said trying for a blasé tone, but instead it came out sounding more like an apology.

‘It was impressive. Not many contenders manage to finish the Ultimate Challenge.’

‘The what?’ Elle asked nervously.

‘Here you go, congratulations.’ The waitress returned, holding out a T-shirt, and then called out to the entire bar, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, a big hand for the latest Ultimate Burger Challenge winner.’

The what?

Well done, darling, Gran cheered.

Elle found herself accepting the T-shirt the woman held out—white, with the cafe’s name stamped across the front alongside a cute cartoon burger high-fiving a bowl of chips—as the neighbouring tables applauded. ‘Thanks,’ she managed weakly.

Oh, darling, how fun! Gran enthused.

Kill. Me. Now.

‘Are you ready for the bill, or would you like dessert?’

At the mention of dessert, Elle felt an uncomfortable wave of nausea threaten, and she quickly shook her head, letting out a slow breath and waiting for it to pass before she stood up.

‘Come and join us at the bar,’ the man who’d bought her a drink offered, turning his gaze back towards his mates. Elle managed a feeble smile and a tiny wave at the men who saluted her with their glasses of beer and looked to be settled in for a long night.

‘Thanks, but I’ve got an early start in the morning and need to get home. Thank you for the drink though.’ Good manners and a healthy dose of awkwardness made her reach for the glass on her table and toss it down in pretty much one large gulp, before instantly regretting her decision—the wine only added to how full she felt. She turned away from her fan club and headed for the front counter.

‘You only pay for your drink tonight,’ her waitress told her at the cash register with a cheery smile. ‘Now, hold your T-shirt up and smile,’ she added and held up her phone. Elle had barely lifted the T-shirt when a blinding flash went off, sending a curtain of white dots cascading across her vision. ‘Check our Facebook page later this evening. Enjoy the rest of your night.’