“Hey.” She sounded nervous. “How are you?”
“Good, thanks. You?”
“I’m good too. I was just wondering if you’re free this afternoon?”
“Um …” He’d been hoping to avoid seeing her for a few days to give himself time to figure out how to let her down gently. “I’m working later.”
“Right. Yes. I knew that.” There was a short pause and he turned in time to see all the faces at the table whip back to their food as though they hadn’t been watching him. “Could I come with you?”
“What?”
“On the train? I told you I wanted to check it out so I can recommend it from personal experience … Maybe we could go for a coffee afterwards?”
He tried hard but couldn’t come up with a reason why not. “Sure,” he said. “That’d be nice.”
“Great. Three o’clock, right?”
Had he mentioned that yesterday? Or did she know his work schedule like some obsessive stalker? Not thathecould comment on that. Besides, she probably had it memorised for work.
“Yes. Exactly. I’ll see you there.”
When he ended the call and went back to the table, everyone remained silent.
“Sorry,” he said, directing the apology at his mum. “I have to go.”
“Already?”
“Yes.” He couldn’t face sitting down with them again. Sitting next to Seren while his family quizzed him about his dating life was too excruciating for words.
“At least finish your lunch. You’ve got loads of time before the train.”
“I know, I’ve just got stuff to do.”
Noah was staring at him. “Are you going to meet Holly? I didn’t think things were that serious between you two.”
“We’re just friends,” he said.
“So how come she calls wanting to meet you and you go running off?”
“Could you hear that?” he asked, holding up his phone.
“No, but it was pretty obvious.”
“I told you I have to go home before work.” He bent to give his mum a quick hug. “Thanks for lunch. I’ll see you in the week.”
“I was thinking we could have lunch next Saturday. Celebrate your dad’s birthday …”
Kit swallowed hard but managed a tight smile as he nodded. “I’ll be here.”
“Can we make it dinner?” Noah asked. “I’m working during the day.”
“Ask Charlie for the day off,” Seren suggested. “He’ll understand.”
Noah shook his head. “I’d rather work.”
“Dinner’s fine,” Mirren said. “Come up whenever you finish work.”
“See you later,” Kit said as he backed away.