‘I don’t like to mention it too much because most of it doesn’t work out,’ I persisted.
‘But that’s silly. I want to hear about all the unsuitable men you meet! I thought we’d have a laugh about it. But you never say anything about them. Don’t you have any funny stories to tell?’
I fidgeted, threading more ribbons through the Lebkuchen.
‘Not really. Mainly they’re pretty boring. Like me.’
‘Boring? You aren’t boring!’
‘Look, if you must know, I’m a bit embarrassed about it. The whole online dating thing, you know, it has a bit of a stigma attached.’
‘Oh, not any more!’
‘It does to me. I feel like a loser. I don’t want to talk about it.’
She narrowed her eyes at me, then had to serve a customer.
‘So who’s this guy you’re meeting tonight?’ she asked with a dash of hostility.
‘I don’t know. Some guy from London. I think he’s rich. Older.’
‘Sugar daddy, eh?’
‘I could do with a shower of gifts.’
‘Yeah, well, make sure you know what the hell you’re getting into. Men like that tend to have a vast sense of entitlement. They think they can buy you.’
Exactly.
The mournful howl of microphone feedback rent the air. Superhead was preparing to draw the raffle.
‘Now if only he wasn’t married …’ She nudged me and winked.
‘He isn’t. I mean, he’s separated. In the middle of getting a divorce.’
Lou gasped and poured herself a cup of the steaming wine – the fayre was about to end, after all. I joined her.
‘Why didn’t I know that? How do you know? Did he tell you?’
‘Yes. A week or so ago.’
‘Well … For God’s sake, Cherry, why don’t you … I mean, he likes you. That much is obvious. If he spent half as much time with me, I’d be on him!’
‘Lou! It’s not very professional, is it? Besides, I don’t know how difficult his divorce is. He’s probably got issues coming out of his ears. Baggage and all that.’
‘Well, your rich older man is hardly going to be a virgin, is he?’
‘It just seems too close to home. I’m off workplace relationships.’
We both looked over at Gareth, who was clearing up on his darts game stall across the hall.
‘Fair enough,’ sighed Lou. ‘So you won’t mind if I have a crack at him, then?’
‘Crack away,’ I said, trying to ignore the pang in my heart.
I looked at the clock. Ten past five. Less than three hours until my appointment with His Lordship.
I’d decided on a simple black dress, nothing too overtly sexy. It was demure enough, with a sweetheart neckline and a flippy skirt, beneath which I hid my best black underwear set, including a suspender belt and seamed stockings. Cherry on top, Keris underneath.