‘OK, well, this is where I … ’ he said as they stood next to each other in Regent’s Park. ‘I really should get to the office.’ He nodded his head to the right.

‘And I’m getting the bus up there,’ Minnie said, nodding to the left. ‘See you, I guess.’

She couldn’t conceal the hurt in her voice. She felt as though she’d just had the most perfect date of her life, and then had a door slammed in her face.

She dared to look up at him again, trying to see what that look had been a few moments ago, where the hesitation had come from. As soon as their eyes met again, he closed his.

‘Don’t look at me like that, Minnie.’

‘Like what?’

‘Like you want me to kiss you,’ he said, unable to look at her.

‘Why not?’ Minnie felt her voice catch in her throat.

‘I thought we could just hang out. I didn’t plan … ’ Quinn squeezed his forehead between finger and thumb. Finally, he looked at her, then dropped his gaze again. ‘I’m kind of seeing someone. I don’t want to be a dick here.’

Minnie felt the words like a punch in the stomach. ‘Oh right,’ she said quietly. ‘Amanda?’

‘No.’ Quinn shook his head. ‘Someone else. It’s not like, a relationship but … ’

‘I see. Busy man.’

Quinn took a step towards her. He blinked slowly. ‘I wouldn’t be good for you, Minnie, not like that, trust me.’

Quinn’s phone started to ring. He took it out of his pocket, looking at the display, momentarily distracted. Minnie set her jaw firm, trying to stop herself from crumbling where she stood. She watched him torn between saying more and taking the call – no doubt from her, whoever she was.

‘You can take it, I need to go anyway. And for the record, I wasn’t looking at you like I wanted to be kissed. I was just looking at you, Quinn.’

Minnie marched past him and kept walking. Hot tears instantly sprang from her eyes. She started to run. He called after her but she didn’t turn around, determined he should not see he had made her cry. What was wrong with her? She’d been so stupid to get caught up in today, feeling as though she was on some kind of magical first date when clearly he thought it was nothing of the sort. How could she read people so badly?

As she blinked away the blur of tears, there was only one person she wanted to speak to right now, one person she needed to see. She pulled out her phone.

It rang twice.

‘Leila?’

‘Yes.’ It was a civil yes, a polite yes – the new tone of their friendship.

‘Can I come over?’

Leila heard the tears and her tone instantly changed.

‘Where are you, Min? I’ll come and get you.’

17 May 2020