Page 84 of The One That I Want

‘I said okay.’

‘Why are you asking that anyway?’

‘Babes, you haven’t dated – properly, I mean – sinceforever. And now, in the space of a month, you’ve gone out with a who’s-who of odd bods, have accidentally started dating your coffee-shop friend, and now you’re going out with a man you’ve been obsessing about forweeks. Do you see why I’m concerned?’

‘No, I don’t,’ I say, digging in my heels even though Idosee. I’ve been worrying about the same thing.

‘How about this: what if you’ve built Harrison up in your mindsomuch that he’s a disappointment? Or worse, he’s everything you’ve dreamt of and then you have to choose between him and Ewan?’

I haven’t told Tiggy about Poppy’s caveat to tonight’s date. Out of respect to both men and the agency, I get this one evening with Harrison, then I have to choose. A knot twists in my stomach and I inhale deeply to breathe through it.

‘Besides, I like Ewan for you,’ she adds.

‘What?’ I ask, my thoughts swinging back to the conversation. ‘You haven’t even met him.’

She shrugs. ‘Doesn’t matter. I see how you are when you talk about him.’

‘This isn’t helping,’ I say. ‘Now you’re just making me nervous –morenervous.’

‘I don’t mean to—’ She sighs again. ‘Okay, if you want to go on this date, I fully support that decision and I’ll be here for you afterwards.’

‘What, so you’re going to sit in my flat all evening?’

‘Greta! I meanmetaphorically. God, you really are in a tizz.’

‘I guess I am – sorry. Just… Am I doing the right thing?’

She laughs wryly. ‘Look, I love you – you know I do – but that’s exactly why I brought it up. I want you to consider this from every angle.’

‘Mum says you only ever regret the things youdidn’tdo,’ I say quietly.

‘Then that’s your answer. Go on the date. We’ll have brunch tomorrow – no, make that lunch because I plan on staying outverylate,’ she says with a waggle of her brows. ‘And we’ll debrief, okay?’

I nod, relief flooding my veins.

‘And wear that. If he doesn’t fancy you in that outfit, he’s either not attracted to women or doesn’t have a pulse.’

‘Thanks, Tiggy.’

‘Hey, I got you.’ She glances at the clock. ‘Bugger, I’ve got to go.’

‘Hot date?’ I ask.

‘Twohot dates,’ she replies.

‘At the same time?’ I ask, confused. She replies by waggling her eyebrows again.

‘Oh, of course,’ I say, realising she’s off to have a threesome.

She stands, chuckling, and smacks a loud kiss onto my head.

‘Not the hair,’ I say, smoothing my deliberately messy up-do. Her cackling laughter follows her out of the flat.

Harrison is taller and even more handsome than I expected him to be. The Uber drops me off across the road from Le Mercury in Islington and he’s already waiting outside. When I get out of thecar, I take a moment to compose myself, while Harrison looks along the road in both directions, presumably for me.

It suddenly occurs to me that he may not know what I look like. I did provide a photo along with my client questionnaire, but I’ve never thought to ask how things work from a potential match’s point of view. Was he given my biography, like I was given his?

‘How much does he already know about me?’ I mutter to myself. ‘And what if he prefers tall, slender blondes?’

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