things with you?’
‘I want to talk to you about this guy I’ve met. He’s called Charlie.’
Cleo blinked rapidly. ‘What about Jarvis?’
The name gave Regan a physical jolt and the phone slipped. ‘Sorry, I almost dropped you then.’ Regan tucked her hair behind her ear multiple times. ‘Um, we’ve kind of split up.’
Cleo’s mouth actually made a shocked ‘O’ shape. ‘What? Why didn’t you tell me?’
Regan could hardly say Because I’m secretly sleeping in your studio and I feared if I told you about Jarvis the rest of it would come out. She searched for something else plausible. ‘I didn’t want to bother you when you’re away working.’
‘I hate not being there when you need me. When did this happen?’
Regan felt sheepish. ‘A week and a bit ago. I didn’t want to worry you. It’s not like you can do anything. And for the record I dumped him.’
‘Right. Wow. I wasn’t expecting that. You sometimes moan about Jarvis, but otherwise you seemed to rub along okay. Are you all right?’
Regan nodded nonchalantly. ‘Yes. Totally. Completely fine.’
‘So who’s this new bloke?’
Regan took a deep breath and retold Charlie’s sad story. Cleo listened intently until Regan stopped talking and her shoulders slumped. Cleo blew out a breath that whistled through her perfect white teeth. ‘I wish I could teleport home.’
‘I wish you could too.’ Regan longed to have a proper chat to Cleo. FaceTime was okay but it wasn’t the same as curling up on a sofa for a few hours.
Cleo appeared to be processing what Regan had told her. ‘Are you sure it’s not a line?’ she asked.
‘You’re a sick individual,’ said Regan.
‘Hear me out. I’m just thinking that if it were a line …’ Regan was rolling her eyes. ‘I said if it were a line then it’s pretty well guaranteed to get him a lot of pity sex over the next few months.’
Regan shook her head. ‘Charlie’s not like that.’
‘You said he lied about being a policeman. I’m getting a bad feeling about this guy.’
‘But he’s a fireman. That’s still an emergency service so it wasn’t a massive lie,’ said Regan.
‘I’m not so sure. I don’t want you getting sucked in by some sob story. I’ve been there and it’s not fun.’
‘It’s not a sob story.’
‘And you’ve met him how many times?’ Cleo had a look of her mother about her.
‘Four.’ Regan’s voice was barely audible. ‘I’ve met him four times.’
Cleo shook her head. ‘Where is he now?’
‘He’s gone. He’s agreed to give me some time to think it over. Not rush into anything. I don’t know what to do.’
‘You need to get his story checked out.’ Cleo tilted her head in a teacher-like way as she spoke. ‘He could be a total con man out to fleece you.’ Regan opened her mouth and then closed it again. ‘Just be very careful. That’s all I’m saying.’
Regan nodded her glum face. ‘I really like him. It’s so sad.’
‘If it’s true,’ said Cleo, waving away Regan’s protest before it came. ‘Where are you?’ Cleo leaned in closer to the screen.
‘Coffee shop disabled toilet.’
‘That’s a relief – I thought you were going to say you’d moved already and it was your new place.’
Cleo was a bit too close to the mark with her guesswork and it made Regan jolt herself upright. ‘Shitting hell!’ yelped Regan, dropping the phone and scoring a direct hit in the toilet bowl.
Regan trudged out of the toilet with her phone wrapped in so much toilet roll it looked like she’d mummified it.
‘You okay?’ asked a harassed-looking Penny.
Regan shook her head. ‘Not really.’
Penny glanced at the queue and then at the clock. ‘I’m rushed off my feet. Kasia has strained her Achilles. But when I’ve cleared this lot we can have a natter if you want?’
Regan nodded miserably. ‘I can give you a hand if you like?’ She’d been coming there every day for the last three years so she knew her way around the coffee menu. She’d not worked a coffee machine since her days at the restaurant where she’d met Cleo all those years ago, but coffee was coffee and not much had changed.
Penny looked like she was going to kiss her. ‘Actually, that’d be great. Thanks.’
Regan grabbed an apron, more so she looked the part than to protect her clothes, and got to work. Penny shouted the orders and Regan soon found her way around the small area. She frothed and sprinkled until Penny declared the shop was closed. ‘What can I get you?’ asked Regan,