Page 27 of Five Things I Love About You

I smile back and take a deep breath in.

‘Well, thanks. And I really am sorry. I don’t normally gabble on to strangers like this.’

Matt shrugs again. ‘We’re not strangers any more though, are we?’ Gladys has curled up on my feet again and is snoring loudly. ‘So, what’s your plan?’

‘My plan?’

‘To find this guy?’

‘Oh. I… I’m not really sure. So far the only idea I have is to look for people walking dogs.’ It sounds so lame when I say it out loud, and I cringe.

Matt doesn’t seem to think it’s such a terrible idea though. ‘Makes sense.’

I whip my head round to look at him. ‘You think?’

‘Sure, why not? Where have you looked so far?’

‘I walked through a park with a lake earlier, on the way from my flat.’

‘Ah, that’ll be the Town Moor.’ He shakes his head. ‘I don’t reckon that’s your best bet.’

‘Why not?’

‘It’s quite a big, sprawling park. It’ll be like looking for a needle in a haystack.’

‘This whole search already is.’

‘Aye, true. But you could improve your chances.’ He pulls his phone from his pocket, and after a couple of moments, passes it to me. ‘See here?’

I peer at the screen but in the glare of the sun it’s quite hard to make anything out. ‘Not really.’

‘This here.’ He points to where a thin blue line cuts through just to the east of the city centre. ‘It’s hard to make out on the map but this is Jesmond Dene. It’s quite small but it’s a really lovely place to walk dogs. That’s where I usually take Gladys. Her legs get tired easily these days, poor old thing, and it’s close to home.’ He looks at Gladys affectionately and I find myself wishing someone would look at me like that. It’s been a while. ‘Anyway, if you wanted, I could show you round one day this week?’

‘Oh, I…’

‘I promise I’m not a weirdo. I’ve just got a couple of days off work and I thought it might be nice to help out a newbie.’ He smiles his 100-watt smile again. ‘But don’t feel pressured, I won’t be offended.’

‘No, that would be really kind,’ I say. And, I realise, it really would. Life has been lonely recently, even before the move, and it would be nice to have a friend to help me get started in my new life.

‘Oh, great. Well, I’m free tomorrow if you are?’

‘It’s the Easter holidays so yes.’

‘Perfect. Well, shall we meet at, say, 10a.m. at Millfield café in Jesmond Dene? It’s right in the middle, you can’t miss it.’ He stands and I realise he’s about to leave. Gladys lifts her head off my feet.

‘Great, thank you. See you tomorrow at ten.’

He tugs Gladys’s lead, who drags herself reluctantly to her feet. Then he scoops her up, gives me a wave, and saunters off along the quayside. I watch him until he disappears into the crowd and hope I don’t regret agreeing to meet him.

11

It’s overcast when I leave the flat the next morning, but I feel a lightness in my step that I hadn’t expected. I don’t know whether it’s because I’m excited about having somewhere more concrete to look for Jay, or whether I’m simply looking forward to seeing Matt again. Either way, it feels good to have somewhere to be, and someone to be with.

‘Be careful, meeting up with randos in the park,’ Kirstie had warned me last night when I’d filled her and Sophie in on my day.

‘It’s fine, we’re meeting in the middle of a park with his ancient dog, I don’t think I’m in any immediate danger.’

‘Well, you can never be too careful.’

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