“I don’t do anything.” He embraced her. “My hair’s just oilier than yours. I keep it back when I cook. I was using the thin elastics from Boots, but they kept breaking.”
“No, you’d need the thick ones. What are you doing now? Do you want a bagel with me?”
“I’ve literally come here for a bagel! I always have one before work.”
The bagel lady, who had inch-long acrylic nails, laid out the meat with care. “Gherkin and mustard?”
“Yes, please, for both of us,” Dan said. “I love your nails.” The lady smiled, delighted.
“I can never do this with Zora around,” Coralie said. “She makes sick noises about the salt beef.”
“That’s nice that she’s a vego. I hardly cook meat at home.”
“Florence doesn’t eat meat either. I’m thinking of not forcing her.”
“Do you remember the chops? When we were young?”
“Stop,” Coralie said. “Disgusting.”
“Dad made me finish them before I could get down from the table. Once he found where I’d left all the chewed-up bits. In the wooden bowl, hidden in the pine cones—do you remember?”
“I don’t. Was he angry?”
“No, he was really relaxed and easygoing, just the greatest, kindest dad ever.”
They both laughed.
“I put a bit of extra gherkin on for you,” the lady said. “Have a lovely day, yeah?”
They pushed through the crowds. “Would you want nails like that if you didn’t have to cook?”
“Nah,” Dan said. “I like them, though.”
“You know what else is cute about Zora? When she talks about being grown-up, she says ‘my husband or wife.’ Isn’t that nice?”
“That’s so nice. Lucky little kid. Be free.”
They left the main market to sit on a low wall. They were shivering. “Brr,” Dan said. “It’s frigid. What was Australia like?”
“Heaven on earth. How was your Christmas? What did you do?”
“I worked, of course, on Christmas Eve. But on the actual day, I…” He fluttered his eyelashes. “Went to my boyfriend’s house.”
“Your what?”
“Yes, I have a boyfriend.”
“No, I mean, of course you do, you’re a very eligible man, but your boyfriend—has a house?”
“Oh, very funny. I didn’t choose to live in poverty. We’re not all hobnobbing with Tories and centrist dads.”
“What’s his name, then?”
“I just want to keep it to myself for a bit. You can meet him soon. Or…at some point.”
“But is he wonderful?”
“Yeah!” Dan’s jacket started buzzing. He pulled his phone out. “Speak of the devil.”
