Page 72 of The Pop-Up Cake Shop

I stared at him, unable to think of a reply.

He shrugged. ‘If you hang out with a group of man-haters, like your friend Mo, you should at least practise what you preach. Because right now you’re sounding just as bad as the men you rail against – using me and then saying cheerio, it was nice knowing you.’

‘Well, that’s... just rubbish!’ I blurted out. ‘And by the way, Mo isnotmy friend!’

*****

We parted angry with each other.

As I drove the van away, not bothering to wave at Caleb, I was shaking with frustration, and after a few miles I realised I’dbetter slow down or I’d have points on my licence as well as a bruised heart and ego!

It was bad enough that I’d slept with Caleb not knowing what was going on with Loretta – and I was now going to have to walk into the café a total mess, wearing yesterday’s clothes.

Ellie would have phoned Maddy to tell her what had happened with the van and why I was going to be late for my shift. I just hoped Maddy wouldn’t make any ‘hilarious’ comments about my lack of make-up and generally dishevelled appearance after staying the night at Caleb’s house...

Of course, when I walked into the café, the very first person I saw was Maddy, grinning at me from behind the counter, a tea towel over her shoulder.

I gave her a quick smile and hurried into the kitchen, hoping to at least pinch some colour into my cheeks and smooth my hair down.

‘Hey, you dirty stop-out!’ she joked, popping her head round the door. ‘How’s things?’

I turned with a smile. ‘Fine.’

‘What’s wrong? You look really pale.’

‘Do I? Well, I didn’t have my make-up with me.’

She looked at me with a curious expression and I could almost hear the cogs in her brain ticking. ‘Ellie says that Caleb guy is rather attractive,’ she murmured with a smile. ‘I have to say, I do like a man in a hard hat.’

‘Yes, well, it was nothing like that,’ I said airily, turning back to the mirror. ‘Look, do you mind if I just nip home and get changed? I won’t be long. I just hate wearing yesterday’s clothes.’

And I just really need a bit of time alone to process everything that’s happened.

‘Of course. We’re not busy at the moment.’ She looked concerned now, having clearly realised that something was wrong. ‘You go off and get yourself sorted.’

‘Thanks, Maddy.’

She went back into the café and I could hear her saying hello to a customer.

Then she popped her head back round the door of the kitchen. ‘Er... I’m afraid you can’t go yet.’ She frowned uneasily. ‘There’s someone here to see you.’

‘What? Who?’ I asked in despair. I just wanted togoand be on my own.

She grimaced. ‘Come through and see for yourself.’

Suppressing a sigh, I walked out of the kitchen into the café. And my mouth dropped open in surprise when I saw the person standing awkwardly by the door.

‘Richard?’

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

‘I never wanted to hurt you, Katja. Never,’ he said, handing me an orange juice from the bar, where I’d gone with him later ‘to talk’.

For some reason, there was no music playing in the Swan Hotel bar that evening, which meant I had an awful feeling the couple sitting on the next table were listening to every word of our conversation as Richard pleaded with me.

He said a lot of things about how great our relationship had been and how he realised he’d started to take me for granted – and how he’d known deep down that Emily was too young for him and anyway, he didn’t want to stand in the way of her dreams of being a dancer on Broadway because one day, she would start resenting him for it.

The upshot was he thought he’d made a big mistake and he was desperately hoping I’d agree to give ‘us’ another try.

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