Penny squealed. ‘Oh my god! That voice. You like him!’
‘Don’t be ridiculous! I’m way too old for you to act like that.’
‘Darbs. How long have I known you? Long enough to know what that voice means!’
‘It’s nothing.’
‘I can see you haven’t had sex.’
‘TMI! How can you tell?’
Penny nodded and her eyes went huge. ‘I’d know. It’s been what, over five years?’
‘You don’t know the details of my sex life or lack thereof.’
‘Ha. So how did it end?’
‘Here. He walked back with me, that was it.’
‘Are you seeing him again?’
‘I hope so.’
‘Was there a kiss?’
‘Yes.’
‘Darbs! This is epic.’ Penny nearly choked on her cinnamon bun.
Darby took a long sip of her coffee, trying to hide her smile behind the cup. ‘It wasn’t a big deal.’
‘Oh please, your face is literally the colour of a tomato right now. Details, please.’
‘It was just, I don’t know, nice.’
‘Nice? Nice is how you describe a cup of tea, not a first kiss with someone after years in the dating wilderness.’
Darby groaned and put her head in her hands. ‘It was more than nice. I’d forgotten what that felt like.’
‘Where did it happen?’
‘I think you’re making too much of it. It was literally more of a peck in the street. He was about to leave and then just, well, he turned back. Honestly, it was nothing to write home about.’
‘Just a peck? No tongues?’
‘Gross!’
‘What? These are important details for your best friend to know. I need to assess whether this Archie is worthy. Has he texted yet this morning?’
Darby glanced at her phone. ‘No.’
Penny checked her watch. ‘It’s barely nine in the morning. He’s probably trying not to seem too eager. What time was it last night when you got back here?’
‘Around eleven.’
Penny tore off a piece of cinnamon bun. ‘So, what was the actual date like? Before the earth-shattering kiss?’
‘We talked for hours about everything and nothing. His job, my disaster of a kitchen, books, that terrible Netflix series everyone’s watching. It was so comfy and easy.’
