That Certain Spark by Isobel Hart

Author:Isobel Hart [Hart, Isobel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-05-27T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

I’m still angry with Ben when I wake up the next morning. How dare he come around here thinking he can just waltz back into my life! The worst thing is, I’m tempted. I’m such a loser.

“You need to move on.” These are Nicole’s pearls of wisdom when she pops in with the kids for a cup of tea. “You’re fair game all the time you’re sitting here on your own. Find someone else. That’ll show him what’s what.”

“Nice idea, but in case you haven’t noticed, men are hardly falling over themselves to ask me out,” I say, herding Betty away from Sukie, who looks like she’s about to pull the same Freddy Krueger trick she pulled on Bertie.

She grunts at me. “How does one meet people these days? All my friends are married. What about the people on your course? Or failing that, a dating app?”

I rest my head in my hands. “Oh, dear God, has it really come to this? How depressing.”

Nicole slams her hand down on the card game she’s playing with Mathilda. “Snap!” Mathilda bursts into tears. It’s the third time in a row she’s lost to her mother.

“Don’t you think you should let her win once in a while?” I say, passing Mathilda my phone to distract her. I flick CBeebies on for Betty. This flat is no more fit for under-fives than it is for puppies.

Nicole shrugs. “It’s character building. No, what you need is to make a concerted effort to meet someone new. It’s not like it’s possible to bump into handsome men in the street these days, they’re all too busy staring at their phones. It’s difficult to meet new people. You’ll have to make an effort and put yourself out there a bit more. Kiss a few frogs.” She pauses for a minute, thinking furiously. “What about the hottie downstairs? He’s perfect.”

“Jack?”

She nods enthusiastically.

I shake my head. I can’t say the thought hasn’t crossed my mind. He is perfect. But I don’t want to ruin things between us. I’d be bound to cock things up and then I wouldn’t have him as a friend anymore, and the thought of that... No. What I need is a handsome stranger.

A memory stirs. I wander towards the coat hooks and rummage through my jacket pocket, pulling out a somewhat creased paper napkin. Thankfully the number’s still visible; His name is next to the number. Chris. “There was this guy,” I say, waving the napkin at Nicole.

Her eyebrows lift in surprise. “Who’s that?”

“A guy I bumped into when I met up with Ben and Bella the other day. He was nice. Defended me when Bella started to get Bella-ish.” From what I recall he was rather pleasant to look at too. Now that I think about it, he’s pretty perfect for a first stab at dating again.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” she says, wiping a slug of green mucus from beneath Betty’s nose. The girl produces more of the stuff than any other child I’ve met.

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