Page 66 of The Dicktionary Club

Zola headed back to Cowcaddens that evening with an unsettled feeling lingering over her. She understood that Ella had to finish the Alexander campaign and how important it was to the firm, but at the same time, she couldn’t help but feel guilty for another cancelled date with Alvaro. As she tried to shake off the feeling, she found her fingers hovering over his unopened messages on Tinder. He was due to be meeting ‘Bella’ in half an hour and Zola still hadn’t cancelled. But she felt worse at the thought of Alvaro getting dressed up and heading to Ashton Lane only to be stood up. Zola knew she would likely never cross paths with him and even reasoned that people ghosted dates on a regular basis, right? But, at the same time, she felt sick about letting him down.

Zola spotted Curtis lying on the sofa as she crossed the road from the subway station to her flat. She felt a large sigh come out of her when she saw him lying there, with a headset on, looking like an oversized child, gaming his life away. Zola knew he’d want to spend another evening glued to the TV, while she’d be tidying up the mess he’d created in the flat throughout the day. She put out her hand to open the door, then paused. She couldn’t.

Instead, Zola took a deep breath of bravery. She quickly sprinted away from the door, glancing over her shoulder tocheck that Curtis hadn’t seen her, but of course he was too fixated on the screen. Before she knew it, she’d hopped in a taxi and asked the driver to take her to Ashton Lane.

From the back seat of the taxi, Zola took out her phone and messaged Curtis.

I’m going out with the girls tonight. Don’t wait up x

Then, she opened Alvaro’s last message.

Hi, Bella. I am here? I will wait for you. X

Nausea struck Zola in an instant, and she lowered the cab window.What am I doing?she wondered. But still, a spark of excitement ignited in her. She wanted to meet Alvaro, apologise in person that Bella couldn’t make it, and do the right thing by him. He was one of the good guys, after all. Surely he deserved an explanation and not to be left ghosted in a town he hardly knew?

Curtis:Sweet. Have fun x

Zola read his message and instantly closed it, feeling another pang of guilt.I’m not doing anything wrong, she told herself.This is the right thing to do.

The taxi pulled up at Byres Road, and Zola clicked on the ApplePay option to pay the cab driver. She stepped out onto the street and skimmed over her clothes. She was still wearing the mini skater skirt and V-neck jumper she had worn to work all day, along with a pair of Doc Martens. She pulled down her jumper, pushed back her shoulders, then headed down to Ashton Lane.

Zola walked along the cobbles and under the picturesque twinkling fairy lights of Ashton Lane, glancing around the small groups of people enjoying the Scottish sunshine, until she clocked Alvaro. He was also scanning the crowds, waitinghopefully for blonde Bella to join him for casual drinks. Alvaro was wearing a pair of jeans, brown trainers and a cute cord blazer. Zola approached him from behind, gently tapping on his shoulder.

‘Alvaro?’ she said.

The handsome Spaniard turned and smiled welcomingly at Zola, trying to figure out who she was. ‘Yes?’

Zola immediately blushed; she had imagined his voice so many times and it sounded even sweeter in person. He was gorgeous too, exactly as his photos suggested. With sun-kissed skin, dark brown hair and large eyes that looked just like Bambi’s.

‘My name is Zola. I’m friends with Bella,’ she began.

A look of confusion instantly washed over his face. His head tilted as she continued.

‘I work at the same marketing company as Bella, and she’s unable to make it tonight. I’m really sorry!’

Zola watched his welcoming smile fade. ‘Oh, I see. No Bella?’

Zola nodded. ‘No, Bella, I’m sorry.’

‘And she sent you? No message or anything?’ he asked, bringing out his phone to check up on Tinder.

‘She erm .?.?. she asked me to come and cancel in person. She was caught up, and she honestly felt too awful to cancel you again.’ Zola paused. ‘Look, I know she’s let you down several times, and she didn’t want you to think—’

‘That it was me?’ he interrupted.

Zola smiled widely at his innocently sensitive nature. ‘Well, yeah. Exactly.’

‘Ahh, I see.’ Alvaro eventually shrugged. ‘Well, thank you for coming to tell me .?.?.’

‘Zola,’ she clarified her name once more.

‘Zola,’ Alvaro repeated.

They gazed at one another for a few seconds until Zola wasforced to look away.

‘Well, look, I better head then, Alvaro. It was really nice to meet you,’ she said, turning and taking a few steps.

‘Wait.Erm.?.?. Zola!’ Alvaro called softly. ‘You don’t fancy having a drink, do you? I mean, you could always tell Bella how great it was afterwards and make her eyes turn green?’

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