Page 30 of Five Things I Love About You

A laugh escapes my throat. ‘I did not expect you to say that.’

‘Ah, come on, you can’t beat that scene where Meg Ryan is so pissed off because she thinks Tom Hanks is having an affair that she nearly gets run over about twenty times.’

I shake my head and laugh again. ‘Okay, point taken. But what aboutGroundhog Day? Nowthat’sa film.’

‘I’ll give you that one,’ he says. ‘Bill Murray is brilliant in it.’

We walk and talk for a while longer, and before I know it we’ve arrived back at the café. I’m surprised to feel disappointed that we’re here already.

‘Well, thanks for keeping me and Gladys company today, we’ve enjoyed it, haven’t we, girl?’ Matt says, reaching down to rub Gladys’s head with his knuckles. She lifts her face to him and almost smiles.

‘Thank you for showing me the sights.’

‘You’re welcome. Although I’m sorry it didn’t get you any closer to finding your man.’

‘It’s all right. It was a long shot anyway.’

I’m about to say goodbye when Matt looks over to where the tables are starting to fill up in the café courtyard. ‘Would you like to grab some lunch? My treat. Then we can sit out here for a while and people-watch and see if you can spot him?’

‘Oh, you don’t have to do that,’ I say. ‘Haven’t you got anything better to do on your day off than spend it with me?’

He shakes his head. ‘I’ve enjoyed spending it with you so far. But it’s honestly fine if you need to get off, it was just an idea.’

‘I’d love to,’ I find myself saying, before I even realise I’m going to. The truth is, I know it’s highly unlikely I’m just going to bump into Jay on a random dog walk in a city of almost half a million people, especially on a weekday. But without a better plan, it’s all I have right now. Plus I’d actually quite like some company for a bit longer too. It beats going back to my flat and spending the rest of the day alone.

* * *

‘I’m glad you’ve found a friend, but do I get the impression that you might like him a little bit more than you’re letting on?’ Kirstie’s face fills the screen, her eyes wide as she grins at me.

‘Oh shut up.’ I laugh. ‘He’s just a really nice man who offered to show me round.’

‘Hmm, likely story.’ She grins. ‘And you’re absolutely sure he’s not Jay, are you?’

‘Positive,’ I say. ‘For one thing he’s called Matt.’ I grin. ‘Besides, I just feel like I’d know him. You know, that there would be some spark of recognition from the day I almost knocked him flying.’

‘Fair enough. You could still snog Matt though, just while you’re waiting.’

‘I’m not doing that!’ I say, but she’s already disappeared, and in her place is Sophie, rolling her eyes.

‘Ignore her, you know what she’s like,’ she says. Sophie’s hair is wild today, bouncing around her head like Medusa, and I can hear laughter in the background.

‘Who else is there?’ I say, jealousy and loneliness slamming into me like a rock. It’s dark outside now and I don’t know the area well enough to go wandering around by myself so I’m stuck inside alone for the rest of the evening. Sophie throws a glance over her shoulder.

‘No one, just me, Kirstie and Pieter,’ she says. ‘He’s got the TV on.’

I nod sadly and Sophie must notice. ‘Hey, what’s wrong, darling?’ she says, picking up her phone and moving away from the others so she can talk more discreetly.

‘Nothing, it’s just been a long day,’ I say, rubbing my eyes.

‘Are you sure that’s all?’

I feel tears stinging the backs of my eyes and I blink them back furiously. ‘Honestly, I’m fine,’ I say. ‘I just miss you all.’

‘We miss you too,’ she says.

That’s it, I can’t hold it back any longer, and a tear escapes down my cheek. ‘I’m sorry,’ I sniff, wiping it away with the back of my hand. ‘I just keep wondering what the hell I’m doing here.’

‘You’re trying to make something happen, that’s what,’ she says, her voice stern. ‘You’re taking matters into your own hands. Not letting life just pass you by.’

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