Page 70 of Strictly Friends
‘She’s a lovely lady, and she takes both her yoga and her meditation very seriously. Now, I’d love another coffee. What about you?’
Ruby watched Leo make his way to the counter, feeling a glow of contentment in her belly that had nothing to do with the hot drink.I think you’ve picked a good one here, Rubes.Finding Leo was making her evening of torture with Barry totally worth it.
Fi had taken Ruby’s flat rejection of another date with her neighbour’s brother with surprising good grace. ‘Well, you gave it a go, so fair enough. I’ve agreed to babysit Madeline’s cat while she’s on holiday in Tenerife, so I’m off the hook for the rose bush.’
Fi’s reaction to Ruby’s confession about Leo had been much less nonchalant. ‘You got asked out on a dateduringa date? Bloody hell, woman, you reallyaremoving on!’
Watching Leo returning to the table with their coffees, Ruby felt happier and more confident than she had in months. Phoning the sexy stranger from the restaurant had proved to be a good – no, agreat– move, and she was enjoying every minute of their non-blind date.
‘Just so you know, I was watching while you were at the counter to see if you handed out your business card to another woman,’ Ruby said with a teasing smile.
Leo laughed and held up his hands. ‘Okay, you’ve got me there.’ He leaned in closer. ‘But I promise the only woman in this room I’m interested in is sitting right in front of me.’
Their eyes met and she shivered at the smouldering intensity she saw there.
‘I’m really glad you called me, Ruby,’ he said. ‘Can we do dinner next time?’
‘As long as it’s not in beige hell, I’d love to.’ She smiled. ‘But I’m a mum, so I’ve got to negotiate my time off.’
His brows shot up. ‘You’ve got a child? You didn’t mention that.’
Ruby’s smile froze. ‘Yes, a son. Is that a problem?’
Leo lifted his cup to take a sip, his expression suddenly pensive. ‘Well...’
When his voice trailed off, Ruby’s heart sank.Of course he was too good to be true. Leo studied her for a moment, and she lifted her chin defiantly. She and Jake came as a package, now and always.
‘It’s only a problem if he’s a Chelsea supporter,’ Leo said finally, his eyes flashing with mischief. ‘That, I’m afraid, would be a deal breaker.’
Torn between laughter and relief, Ruby slowly released the breath she had been holding. Leo reached across the table and touched her hand, his expression unusually serious.
‘Of course, it’s not a problem. I love kids. Look, you’ve got my number, so please call me when you’re free to meet up. I really want to see you again.’
The time flew by, and Ruby laughed more than she had in months.
When, reluctantly, she stood up to leave, Leo kissed her gently on the cheek and she closed her eyes briefly, breathing in his spicy cologne. Resisting the urge to skip, she walked out of the coffee shop on a high. Life was finally looking up! Leo was an absolute dream, and, giddy with excitement, she could have hugged the next passer-by.
That desire evaporated moments later as her eyes locked on to the petite figure advancing towards her, and Ruby found herself face to face with Shirlee.
50
‘Oh, it’syou!’
It wasn’t the friendliest greeting Ruby had ever heard, but then Shirlee’s frosty expression could hardly be described as chummy. Ruby’s euphoria disappeared faster than water down a drain. The gods must really want to punish her because London was a big city, and yet she’d managed to cross paths with the one woman she had hoped never to see.
‘Hello, Shirlee. How are you?’ Ruby nodded politely, keen to keep things civil. After all, it wasn’t Shirlee’s fault that her boyfriend had broken Ruby’s heart.
For a second, Shirlee looked ready to carry on walking, but then she gave a non-committal shrug. ‘I’ve been keeping busy.’
With nothing else forthcoming, Ruby cast around for a topic of conversation that didn’t include Griffin.
‘Jake was raving about your carrot cake not so long ago. He’ll have you signed up forThe Great British Bake Offbefore you know it.’ Ruby chuckled, attempting to inject a bit of humour into the awkward run-in, but the woman didn’t so much as crack a smile.
Ruby gave up, and was about to make her excuses and move on when Shirlee said abruptly, ‘Aren’t you going to ask after Griffin?’
Ruby’s smile vanished and her hackles rose. ‘Actually, no, I’m not. As you know, we’re not in touch any more.’
Shirlee’s eyes narrowed. ‘How come?’
