Page 17 of Crying in the Rain

“Oh God!” Ade started laughing. “Are you OK with me taking your number off your CV?”

“Yeah, totally.”

“I’ll text you later if that’s all right?”

“Perfect.” Kris handed back the cigarette packet. Ade immediately took one out and lit it. “Mind if I hang around whileyou have that? I’ve got to re-record a set of ads I did last year, but I’m not due there until ten.”

“Sure!” Ade replied tightly before coughing out a spluttery blue cloud. “I don’t really smoke,” he said.

Kris raised an eyebrow.

“Honestly, I don’t. I gave up ages ago, but I bought these yesterday, so I figured I might as well finish the packet. Oh, who am I kidding?”

“Hey, no judgement here.” Kris had never smoked, but Shaunna had when she was younger. Jack was a smoker too, and while Kris couldn’t say he enjoyed kisses that tasted of cigarettes, it wasn’t a turn-off. “So…about this drink. Would you like to meet me later? About seven o’clock?”

“Seven o’clock…” Ade tapped ash from his cigarette, took another drag, tapped the ash again.

“Or whatever time suits you,” Kris added.

“Seven should be fine, I think.”

“You can say no,” Kris assured him, praying he wouldn’t.

“It’s not that I don’t want to…”

“Rain check?”

Ade considered for a moment. “No. It should be OK, but can I call you later if it’s not?”

Kris couldn’t help grinning at that.

“What’s funny?” Ade asked.

“I’ve never been stood up in advance before.”

“Ah.” Ade’s chuckle was bittersweet. “That’s what I’m trying to avoid, as I won’t know if I can make it until I get home from work.”

“OK,” Kris accepted. “Is there anywhere in particular you like? Anywhere you don’t?”

“Maybe somewhere near you, in case I don’t make it?”

“It’s a forty-minute train journey.”

“I have a car.”

Ade stubbed out his cigarette and fished a packet of mints from his pocket, offering them to Kris. He took one for the sake ofpoliteness, and thank goodness he had, because the next minute he and Ade were hugging and kissing cheeks.

“See you later,” Ade murmured close to Kris’s ear.

“I hope so,” Kris replied.

“Text me the details.” Ade released him and went back inside. Kris stared after him a moment longer and set off for the rival station a few streets away.

*

“Did you see him?”

Kris hadn’t even made it as far as closing the front door.

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