Page 114 of New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Cafe
As Hayley and Mason said their hopefully temporary goodbyes to Daisy, Tori fired off a text to Izzy.Looks like we’ve found a potential home for Daisy. Within seconds Tori’s phone buzzed with a reply.You absolute superstar xxTori bent down and gave Daisy a tickle under the chin. ‘Did you hear that, little madam? It looks like you might be leaving us soon as well.’
The queue at the fish and chip van was particularly long and Tori was aware of her stomach growling loudly as she waited in line to place her order. Pulling her phone from her bag, she spotted an unread message from Ryan.Can we meet tomorrow?Before she had a chance to think about replying, she heard a familiar voice behind her.
‘Tori, hi,’ said Leo, and she felt flooded with warmth at the sight of him – his smile, his kind eyes and adorably messy hair…
‘Oh, hi,’ she replied in a squeaky, unfamiliar voice. This was the first time she’d seen Leo since their date last week and her mind drifted back to the parting kiss they’d shared…
‘Looks like we both had the same idea then?’
‘Sorry?’
‘Fish and chip supper?’ he said, nodding towards the van.
‘Oh, yeah, right.’
‘So… how are you?’ he asked gently, shifting his feet and not quite meeting her eye.
‘Oh, erm, good, I guess,’ she shrugged.God this was awkward. ‘You?’
‘Yeah, fine, you?’ he replied, taking a deep breath.
‘We already did me…’ Tori smiled, desperately hoping to break the tension. ‘Oh, I saw Lara at school today, by the way,’ she said, eager to fill the silence.
‘Did you?’
‘Yeah, I was doing a talk about the café and took Daisy and Angel with me – the kids loved them,’ she said, smiling.
‘I’m sure they were a big hit,’ he said, still not quite meeting her eye.
‘Actually, Daisy might have found a forever home with one of the boys in Lara’s class – his mum’s just been in.’
‘Oh, that’s great news,’ he said, pushing up his sleeves. ‘I’m really pleased for you; it’s brilliant that the adoption side of the café is taking off.’
‘Thanks, Leo.’
‘Next!’ cried a voice from the serving hatch of the van. ‘What’ll it be?’
‘Two large cod and chips, please,’ said Tori.
‘Is that everything?’ the woman asked.
‘Yes, thanks.’ Tori pulled her purse out of her bag to pay and then stood awkwardly waiting for her order.
‘Next!’ the woman cried, and Leo stepped forward.
‘Bye then,’ said Tori, waving weakly at him, as the server passed across her order.
‘Tori, listen, I—’
‘Next?’ the woman repeated with increasing volume.
‘That’s you, I think,’ said Tori.
‘Oh, yeah… Well, it was good to see you, Tori. Look after yourself,’ Leo said, turning back towards the fish and chip van as Tori walked away.
Why? Why hadn’t he said something to her just now?thought Leo as he walked home, a warm bundle of fish and chips stashed safely under his arm. The prospect of his fish and chip supper suddenly seemed a whole lot less appealing. That had been the perfect opportunity for him to find out what was going on with Ryan. He tried to put Tori out of his mind, but he couldn’t, and he realized he didn’t want to. He wanted to build a future with her; he wasn’t interested in dating anyone else. As he walked home past the Apple Tree in the warmth of the evening sun, he found himself wishing he was there with Tori, enjoying a drink together and talking about their future. Since Tori broke the news of Ryan’s return, she was all he’d been able to think about – at work, at home, day and night, she was constantly in his thoughts. Could he really just walk away and let Ryan pick up where he’d left off? Shouldn’t he put up a fight?
He knew his reaction to Ryan’s return had sounded too flippant; he’d acted as though it was no big deal, and he couldhear the hurt in her voice when he’d said that he’d see her around. He thought it would be easier for Tori that way, to let her think he wasn’t bothered, but, as it turned out, he couldn’t have been more wrong. He felt an overwhelming urge to throw his fish and chips in the bin, run straight to her house, bang on the door, and remind her how great they were together, that what they’d both felt on that first date shouldn’t be discarded so easily. Leo shook his head. No, he’d only make a fool of himself. If Tori thought her future was with Ryan, he shouldn’t get in the way of that, but if she didn’t, she needed to figure that out for herself. Leo could only hope that their date had meant as much to her as it had to him.
