Page 48 of The Fallback

She held her screen up to him. ‘Hate swiping.’

Mitch frowned. ‘And that is?’

‘It’s where I find the least hateful person to swipe right on.’

Mitch laughed. ‘You’re so dark, Rosie.’ He sat down on the chair next to her and without asking reached out and took her phone from her. ‘Let me look.’

‘How come you’re not at work?’ she asked as she stretched out in her seat.

‘Could ask you the same question,’ he replied, busily scrolling through her phone.

Rosie leaned into him, ‘What about that one?’ she asked, pointing at the screen.

Mitch gave her some serious side eye.

‘What?’ she protested.

‘He’s called Derek.’

‘So? He can’t help it. Presumably it’s what his parents called him. We can’t all have slightlykookyyet rather charming names like yours.’

‘You think my name’skooky?’

Rosie dropped her sunglasses and looked over them at him. ‘Mitch, we have had this conversation a million times.’

Mitch grinned at her, ‘I know, but I like it when you say nice things about me.’

Rosie snorted. ‘I think it says a lot about you when you think being called “kooky” constitutes flattery… Ooh what about him?’

Mitch peered at the phone screen. ‘Hard no.’

‘Why not?’ protested Rosie.

‘He’s in IT.’

‘And?’

‘Boring.’

Rosie looked up at the sky, ‘Mitch, come on, please tell me we can find one decent guy on there for me to go on a date with?’

Mitch continued scrolling.

‘Him!’ shouted Rosie, pointing at the phone.

There was a long pause while Mitch looked carefully at the profile picture. Rosie held her breath; it was like waiting for the final judgement, except with less hellfire and more damnation. ‘Not him,’ he finally declared and put Rosie’s phone face down on the table.

Rosie sighed. ‘What was wrong with that one?’ She stared sadly down at her phone.

‘Looks like he spends too much time in the gym and he definitely waxes his eyebrows.’

‘You look likeyouwax your eyebrows!’ Rosie said half playfully, half in frustration. She reached over and began pretending to pluck Mitch’s eyebrows.

‘Ow!’ he protested, grabbing hold of her hand and then holding it firmly between his.

Rosie looked down, she hated it when Mitch held her hand like this. It sent all the wrong kinds of signals to her brain, not to mention other parts of her body. She quickly pulled it free and pretended to drink from her now empty cup of coffee.

‘But seriously, Mitch, I’m trying to be less scientific about dating, going with the flow more? Do you really not thinkanyof those guys are worth messaging.’

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