Page 85 of The Worst Guy Ever
“Can’t wait. I’ll pick you up at 8.”
This is so ridiculous.Iam so ridiculous. I’ve changed my outfit three times, my lipstick twice, and faffed with my hair more than an overpriced hairdresser. I never make this much of an effort on dates, and I certainly never give a thought to what a guy will think of how I look. That’s Rob The Manipulator Morgan doing stupid things to my brain again.
I finally settle on a floaty navy dress covered in little white flowers, chunky boots, and bare legs. I may have to work today, but I’ll be damned if I see Rob and don’t at least get fingered in his car.
At 7:59am I throw on a cardigan, slip out of the house, and make my way down to the corner where he usually picks me up. Megan might have her suspicions but I won’t do anything to fuel them. Thankfully, on weekends she takes the opportunity to sleep as late as her students so there were no witnesses to my pathetic, giddy fawning.
It’s cool on this side of the building first thing, only warming up when the sun coasts its way round later in the day.
At 8:06 there’s still no sign of him, and I walk up and down the path to keep warm. I swallow my pride and check for a message, even though my phone has been in my hand this entire time.
By 8:10 he still hasn’t texted, but it will be a cold day in hell before I text him and ask where he is. I hate myself for checking my phone constantly like a besotted teenager.
I pick at the skin at the edge of my thumb and when I realise I’m doing it I throw my hand away from my body as if it could land beyond my arm’s reach.
This is how mum used to get when one of her boyfriends would disappear for a few days. She’d pace around the house as if she was itching all over. She’d start cleaning, pulling things from cupboards, trying to declutter and organise but always making things more chaotic in the process. As if the reason they had left was too many shoes in the hallway and not because they were rotten to the core.
By 8:17, Rob is dead to me.
A couple of minutes late is one thing, but to leave me hanging on the street corner like some secret whore for nearly twenty minutes is unforgivable.
Fuck this guy.I don’t care how late he is, if he ever bothers his arse to turn up, he won’t find me here. I storm back inside, grab my laptop and my car keys and shout sorry through Megan’s door for making so much noise. My stupid heart still hopes to see his car pull up before I slam the door on mine and drive away.
Kara answers the door in her pyjamas, half of her hair falling out of her bun.
“Hey, you OK?”
“Do you have pastries?”
“What happened?”
“I got stood up for a date and I’m raging about it. Can I work here for a bit?”
“Of course. What a dick. Who would stand you up?”
“A gigantic twat, that’s who.” I follow Kara through to her kitchen and hop up onto a barstool. She rummages in the cupboard and plonks a pain au chocolat down in front of me.
“Maybe he slept in?” she offers.
“It was his idea! If he can’t set an alarm then he can go to hell. Honestly Kara, I should be thankful he showed his true colours.”
“So hang on, this was a breakfast date?” she laughs, softly. “Wow, your libido never rests.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I huff, and thankfully I don’t have to because my best friend’s husband walks in, looking disgustingly hot in only his boxer shorts. Luke rubs his eye with one hand while the other scratches the soft hair below his belly button. It reminds me of how good Rob looks first thing, all warm and sleepy and dishevelled, and I force myself to look away.
“I thought that was you,” he says. “It’s early. Everything OK?”
“Shit, I thought you’d be working, sorry.”
“Decided to have a proper day off with my wife,” he says, nuzzling her neck as he wraps his arms around her from behind. God, people in love disgust me. I swallow my vitriol along with another bite.
“Hattie was just telling me some bastard stood her up for breakfast so she’s come here to mope and work.”
“I didn’t realise you were both off work, though. I’ll let you get back to your day of shagging and staring into each other’s eyes.”
Luke’s phone buzzes on the counter and after glancing at the screen he answers quickly.
“Granny, you OK?” Kara looks worried, her hand at her heart as she listens in.
