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Contents ( 35)
  1. The First Date
  2. ZARA STONELEY
  3. Chapter 1
  4. Chapter 2
  5. Chapter 3
  6. Chapter 4
  7. Chapter 5
  8. Chapter 6
  9. Chapter 7
  10. Chapter 8
  11. Chapter 9
  12. Chapter 10
  13. Chapter 11
  14. Chapter 12
  15. Chapter 13
  16. Chapter 14
  17. Chapter 15
  18. Chapter 16
  19. Chapter 17
  20. Chapter 18
  21. Chapter 19
  22. Chapter 20
  23. Chapter 21
  24. Chapter 22
  25. Chapter 23
  26. Chapter 24
  27. Chapter 25
  28. Chapter 26
  29. Chapter 27
  30. Chapter 28
  31. Chapter 29
  32. Acknowledgements
  33. About the Author
  34. Also by Zara Stoneley
  35. About the Publisher

My list is actually longer than this, these are just the highlights.

So he’s knocked point 7 right out of the ballpark.

What is wrong with me? Why is it so flaming difficult for me to find a guy?

I mean, everything is in roughly the right places and in reasonable working order. I do not turn into a blood-sucking vampire after nightfall and don’t think I have any totally gross habits. Several minor, slightly annoying ones according to my ex, Robbie. But who hasn’t?

I’m just your average girl. Enjoy my job, but sometimes hate my boss. Have an on-off relationship with the gym (more off than on if I’m honest). Have bad hair days more than good. Worry about whether my best life is escaping me, and really, really want to work out how to buy a house. Can’t take a decent selfie where both eyes look the same and I don’t look constipated or leery. And am quite often too exhausted in the evening to do anything but curl up with a good movie or book and something to nibble on. And before your mind takes you somewhere rude, I’m talking nuts of the ready salted (not hairy) type, or a nice bag of popcorn.

That is normal, right?

And I’m not being overambitious and setting the bar too high.

I’m not looking for a mate for life (though that would be nice), just a date. And movie star looks are optional.

For heaven’s sake, I just want a date with a normal guy. One with a nice smile, regular job, sense of humour and decent table manners. One who I don’t mind keeping my eyes open to snog, and who I wouldn’t mind introducing to my mates. He doesn’t even have to be parent-friendly. Or like small children. Or have a five-year plan.

Okay, I admit, some of that stuff was on my original list, but I’m lowering my standards. Needs must.

I check my watch again. It would also be nice if he could tell the time. Because it is so bloody obvious to everybody here: I have been stood up.

I resist the urge to bang my head on the bar, and instead launch Tinder for what has to be at least the eighty-seventh time in the last thirty minutes, just in case I’ve missed some kind of last-minute ‘sorry but I’ve had an emergency’ type of message. Like I said, I’m not after the perfect guy; I can quite happily accept that something more important than a date with a girl he hasn’t even met yet could have happened.

I might even forgive him totally forgetting he had a meet-up if his mum/dog/hamster/car has had some kind of gruesome catastrophe befall them.

Okay maybe not the last one, or last two, I’m not a complete pushover.

I stare at his photo. We’ve swapped so many messages and he seemed nice, sweet, caring, interesting. Not the type of man to stand somebody up.

Was he?