It wasn’t Matt.
Letting her breath out before she fainted, Laura blinked and turned her attention back to the menu. Of course it wouldn’t have been Matt, she told herself sternly. That would have been too much of a coincidence and she didn’t believe in coincidences.
She frowned and scanned the dishes. The weird sensation whirling around inside her wasn’t disappointment. It was relief. That was all.
‘Quiet?’ said Kate. ‘Hah! I knew it. So who is he?’
Laura froze and glanced up. The gleam in her friend’s eye looked far too knowing for her liking. ‘Who is who?’ she said deliberately vaguely.
‘The man that’s put the weird look on your face.’
Laura’s heart lurched. ‘That’s not a man,’ she muttered. ‘That’s the dim lighting.’ She squinted at the menu. ‘In fact I can barely read this. Maybe I need glasses.’ She held it up to the beautiful but fairly useless light that hung above the table.
‘Rubbish,’ said Kate.
‘I definitely need a dictionary.’
‘You look as if you’ve just had the fright of your life.’
‘Well, I haven’t.’ Except perhaps at the prices. ‘Whatever you’re thinking you’re wrong.’
‘No, I’m not. I’m a lawyer. I’m known for my tenacity and trained to notice things.’
But not, apparently, the waiter who, with exquisite timing, was hovering at their table ready to take their order.
Laura looked up at him and gave her saviour a wide smile. ‘I was wondering…what is the rouget?’
‘Red mullet, madam.’
‘Thank you. And the poêlée de châtaignes?’
‘Pan-fried chestnuts.’
There were two pages of dishes. With any luck by the time she’d got to the bottom of the second page, Kate might have got bored and moved on.
Hmm. Or perhaps not, she thought as Kate swiped the menu out of her hands and beamed up at the waiter. ‘I’ll have the lamb and she’ll have the sea bass.’
Huh. Laura waited until he’d melted away before scowling at her friend.
‘What?’ said Kate, arching an eyebrow.
‘I’m perfectly capable of ordering for myself.’
‘I know, but I have a feeling there’s a story to be told and we don’t have all night. Besides you always have sea bass’
Laura stiffened. ‘Maybe I was thinking about trying something different.’
Kate gave a little snort of disbelief. ‘You were stalling. And when have you ever tried something different?’
Laura bristled. Was she really so boringly predictable? ‘That’s not fair. I do try different things.’
‘Like what?’ Kate’s eyes zoomed in on her.
Like jumping into bed with scorchingly hot neighbours. Not that she intended to use that as an example. ‘Fine.’ She shrugged as if she couldn’t be less bothered, and took a sip of her drink. ‘I don’t. Boring and predictable, that’s me.’
Kate’s blue gaze turned piercing. ‘I think you lie.’
‘Think what you like.’