Love and Other Puzzles by Kimberley Allsopp

Author:Kimberley Allsopp
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2021-12-22T00:00:00+00:00

THURSDAY

Two days ago

I sit on the sofa until 1 am. Waiting for him to return. Resisting the urge to do work or clean so he knows I’m sincere in my apology. I’m angry at him but apologetically so.

I haven’t even touched the crossword until I finally cave to the notion of sleep at 3 am because my eyes can no longer stay open. I go to bed, which is the signal for my brain to wake up and want to do a little polka around my head. I relent and open the crossword app.

I’ve upset Lucas to the point that I’ve become invisible. Plus I may have accidentally been on a date (despite my saying it was definitely not a date, but if you have to say that then it’s definitely a date) with another man – a lovely man. And I am no closer to getting time with Elle Chambers, a fact that will soon become blindingly obvious to David and Mathia.

A smarter person would retrace their footsteps and come to the realisation that basing important life decisions on a crossword app may not be the most well-thought-out idea, but I’m not a smarter person. I’m stubborn and refuse to give up after three days. I am just suffering from some very large teething problems.

It isn’t the crossword’s fault – spies got my foot in the door when it came to an actual by-line and Elle Chambers’ email. She hasn’t responded to my plea yet, but it’s in her inbox. Or in her junk folder. Maybe the crossword isn’t working to its full potential because I’m not taking this far enough. If Mata Hari or James Bond wanted something done, they’d just go, do it and not be shy about it either (admittedly, James Bond could have stood to be a little shyer). They wouldn’t lie in bed wondering why they’re wide awake at 3 am. They’d go straight to the target and get what they wanted. I also highly doubt that either Hari or Bond would be alone in bed. They didn’t seem the type.

I pull out my bedside notebook. My mother once suggested that I keep one next to me so that when I wake up panicking and full of to-do lists in the middle of the night, I can write my thoughts down and empty my head enough to go back to sleep. She so rarely gives me useful advice – see breathing exercises – that I was surprised when this turned out to be helpful.

I start a list.

What do I know about Elle Chambers?

I know her email.

I know she isn’t so hard up for beauty products that she’d attend launches for a goody bag.

I know she is about to announce a bid for the council position.

She has two dogs. Both are older and walking them is her main exercise.

I know she is on television every weekday morning.

I know she is most likely waking up now, while I’m still struggling to go to sleep.

That’s the sum of it.

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