Page 40 of The Fallback

‘No, that would be lovely,’ Rosie said, feeling taken aback by this initiative. This was outstanding attention to detail, given that most suggestions from an online date were to go over to theirs ‘to watch Netflix’ if you were lucky.

‘Right,’ he said. ‘I’ll go and find someone to tell us where our table is. Do you want to wait here?’ he asked.

Rosie nodded, looking up at him. She watched him move off back through the crowd, he was smartly dressed but not overly formal and she had noticed that she looked up at him. He wasn’t too tall but was just tall enough that she could probably get away with heels, if she ever felt like wearing them. Or if they ever even saw each other again after tonight. She tugged at her skirt again anxiously, while she waited for him to come back.

* * *

‘So, you said you split up with a girlfriend recently?’ Rosie asked.

Small talk about London and work had covered the awkward moments of ordering their food and waiting for it to arrive. Rosie had begun to allow herself to relax and ask more probing questions. It was too early in the evening to ask him for his intentions, but this was getting pretty close. Although it wasn’t as if he had been hiding the split from his ex, he was the one who had brought her up.

Graham smiled at her a little awkwardly; he had a slightly lopsided smile which, rather than detracting from his looks, added to his charm.

‘Not that recently,’ he admitted. ‘It’s about two years since we split up, but it’s taken me this long to accept that I’m not going to meet someone the way we met people in our twenties.’

Rosie put her head on one side and asked, ‘And how did you go about meeting people in your twenties?’

Graham rewarded her cheekiness with a full grin this time. ‘In a bar, with low lighting, too much alcohol and youthful confidence.’ Rosie laughed. He was funny as well as good-looking.

‘But what about you? Why are you still single?’

Rosie widened her eyes in shock at him. ‘You know you’re not supposed to ask that question?’

‘Why not?’ he asked, genuinely interested.

‘Because there are two ways to interpret it and neither is good.’

He looked at her waiting for her to explain.

‘Think about it,’ she said, leaning across the table to take a sip of her water. ‘Either you’re being corny and asking why someone is single because they’resoooamazing. Or you’re asking what the hell is wrong with them and could they please point it out so that they can save you the time, make your excuses and leave.’

Graham tipped his head back and laughed, just as the waitress brought over their main courses. The conversation could move on, which was a good thing, because now was not the time to confess that her feelings for her best friend were the real issue keeping her still single.

Graham suggested they stay for another drink after dinner, and Rosie, surprising herself with how much she was enjoying his company, agreed. He found them two seats at the bar, near where Rosie had first been sitting. The crowd at the bar had thinned out a little but it was still busy enough that the stools were pushed close to each other. Rosie contemplated the situation.

‘Is everything OK?’ Graham asked in concern.

‘Yes, yes it’s fine.’ She paused before she decided to just admit what she was worrying about. ‘It’s just I’m wearing the wrong skirt.’

Graham looked down at her skirt with confusion. ‘I think it’s a really nice skirt,’ he said in a faltering tone, obviously wondering what the correct response was meant to be.

She laughed loudly; all the wine she had drunk was playing havoc with her volume control. ‘I meant, it’s hard to get up onto one of these’ she patted the bar stool, ‘in an elegant way, or without…’ she leaned in to whisper to him ‘…showing everyone my knickers.’

She was definitely drunk. She wouldnevertalk about knickers to a strange man on a first date.

Graham went a little red but quickly recovered. ‘OK, how about I help you up and stand right here so no one else can see your…ahem…knickers?’ Softly he put his hand on her elbow and, as elegantly as she could manage, Rosie climbed up on to the stool.

‘There,’ he said, ‘no damage done.’ He sat down on his bar stool. Their knees were now touching. Rosie waited for some sensation to register in her body. But there was nothing, maybe the alcohol was mucking up all her senses? Surreptitiously she pinched her arm to see what happened and held back a yelp. Yup, she had definitely felt that, but the touch of Graham’s knee on hers, his arm on hers earlier, had precisely zero effect on her. She side-eyed him. He was good-looking, he was funny, he was charming. So what was wrong with her?

‘What are you drinking?’ he asked as he caught the barman’s eye.

‘A gin and tonic, please,’ she said. Then asked, ‘How did you do that?’ as soon as the barman had turned away to make their drinks.

‘Do what?’ Graham asked.

‘Get the barman’s attention immediately. It never works for me; I’m always stood waiting for ages or until someone comes and helps me out.’

Graham pretended to tip an imaginary cap at her. ‘I am at your service, feel free to call me anytime you need help getting a drink.’

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