actually from a little town in Ireland. More a village really. You won’t have heard of it. People have only ever heard of Dublin. But I live in London now. I have done for almost twenty years. I suppose it’s home. Though I haven’t lost my accent.’ I’m prattling on, my face heating up like an electric hotplate. I can’t take my eyes off him but I’m also too overwhelmed by his beauty to hold his gaze for longer than a second. I feel almost star-struck and internally berate myself for acting like a teenage girl stuck in an elevator with her boy-band crush. I’m a grown woman.
‘I love London,’ Joaquim says.
‘Yes, it’s a great city,’ I say, nodding enthusiastically and glancing over at Kate. She’s locked in conversation with Emanuel, leaning her head close in to his as though she’s struggling to hear him, though in this corner the music isn’t as loud.
‘How long are you here in Lisbon?’ Joaquim asks.
I look back at him. He’s moved his arm so it’s now resting along the top of the banquette behind my head.
‘The weekend only,’ I say, reaching for my drink. ‘I’ve got to get back.’ I stop myself abruptly. I’d been about to say ‘to my baby’ but I wrenched on the brakes for some reason.
‘Do you have plans?’ Joaquim asks.
‘What?’
‘Do you have plans while you’re here?’
‘Er, yes,’ I say feeling massively self-conscious under his gaze. ‘We’re doing an e-bike tour tomorrow morning, taking in all the sights. I’ve heard that you need an e-bike. I don’t much fancy pedalling up all those hills! And then we’re doing a food tour in the afternoon.’
‘There’s great food in Lisbon. Maybe I can show you some places.’
‘Oh,’ I say, ‘we just ate actually.’
‘I meant tomorrow.’
I’m too startled to respond at first. Is he asking me out? Surely not? But it did sound like he was. I’m so out of the flirting and dating game I have no idea whether I’m reading into things. Probably. Why on earth would he want to go out with me? Not withstanding the fact we met less than a minute ago, I’m old enough to be his mother – almost, and he’s so beautiful he could have anyone.
‘Tomorrow?’ I echo, trying to gauge his intent a little more.
He nods enthusiastically. ‘There’s a little place I know. Only locals go there. It would be my pleasure to take you.’
‘Um …’ I flounder. Now is probably the time to mention I have a husband. But what if I’m reading into things wrong and he’s just being friendly? He might think it odd if I lob the fact that I’m married into the conversation like a hand grenade.
I look to Kate, but she’s fully turned to Emanuel – I watch her hand brush his arm as she throws back her head and laughs uproariously. A penny drops. This is why we’re here, why she made a beeline for this table – Kate’s on a mission to pull! And it looks like she’s succeeding. Emanuel’s hand is on her thigh, inching north. Damn it that was fast, I think, then remember Kate’s pre-Toby days. Within minutes of entering a club Kate would have located the hottest man on the dance floor and would be gyrating up against him. She’s like a homing pigeon for hot men. And nine times out of ten they respond like … horny pigeons I suppose.
I turn back to Joaquim. He’s staring at me expectantly, a half-smile playing on his lips. Is he flirting with me or am I imagining it? With all these women in the room – most of them looking like they stepped straight off a catwalk – why would he flirt with me? Or is it because Kate is so clearly making moves on Emanuel he thinks that’s what I’m after too? Or maybe I’m reading it wrong and Portuguese people are always this friendly.
‘You want to come with me?’ Joaquim asks, smirking a little as he says it, and I wonder if the double entendre is innocent.
‘Maybe,’ I hedge, then immediately feel a flush of shame. What is wrong with me?! I shouldn’t even be hesitating to say no. I have a husband at home right now looking after our nine-month-old baby. ‘Actually, now I think about it, we’re busy all weekend,’ I tell him, smiling politely. ‘We’ve got all these plans to do stuff. Like cycling and things. But thanks.’
I gulp my drink nervously and almost spit it out, right