The Christmas Calendar Girls by Samantha Tonge

Author:Samantha Tonge [Tonge, Samantha]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781838930769
Publisher: Head of Zeus
Published: 2019-10-02T18:30:00+00:00

19

I strode the last fifty metres and admired a fairy light sleigh on the dormer roof of the house opposite mine. As soon as I got indoors I pulled off my hat, let my coat fall to the floor, threw my gloves onto the stairs and collapsed onto the sofa. I rubbed my hands together. This was serious business. I needed to get a grip on what must have been a schoolgirl crush. I needed to prove I was over that kiss – I needed to prove that to Kit, and myself. I took out my phone, brushed my hair and took a selfie. The strained smile made me look like a convict. So I took twenty more and finally created one that didn’t suggest I’d turn up to a date hiding an axe.

Then I created a profile on Tinder.

Not words I ever thought I’d be saying when Adam and I were wallowing in domestic bliss, changing nappies and talking about colic instead of the latest flavour of gin or the current bands touring.

I was a journalist and could surely smash the bio. I examined other people’s. Some did first and lasts – for example, their first or last car. Or by day, by nights – for example, window cleaner by day, pole dancer by night (intriguing, maybe I’d check him out). Finally, I decided on:

Three short sentences about me:

Cold pizza for breakfast. Bad grammar puts me off. Laughs and holding hands are king.

But then I spent over thirty minutes rethinking it. Did the last sentence make me sound like a prude? But if I swapped holding hands for cuddles would a prospective partner expect sex on a first date? Because with Lily that was never going to happen.

In the end I left it as it was – and then waited, determined to achieve my goal of arranging a date I could tell Kit about this evening. Hopefully that would extinguish any remaining awkwardness between us. I wouldn’t be thinking he thought I fancied him. He wouldn’t be thinking I did.

Urgh. How had our friendship suddenly become so complicated?

Oh yes.

Total recall.

It was down to that mind-blowing, every-atom-of-me melting, stupendous kiss.

I closed my eyes for a second to replay it.

In slow motion.

Frame by frame.

I forced my eyes open. That would be the last showing. I needed to forget it.

And Tinder was supposed to be fast working, wasn’t it? The speediest way to get a date? I started liking and swiping and it wasn’t long before several profiles liked me back. This opened the messaging function. I lifted my finger to make contact with a man called Derek. He had a nice smile and enjoyed eating out.

His name sounded older than the photo and I’d read in the papers about how people lied about themselves on dating apps. But there was no point starting this process with a cynical attitude.

Hi there. How are you?

I pressed send.

Hey sexy. Looking hot in your profile. What size are those jugs?

Ew.

I threw the phone across onto the armchair.

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