Page 105 of The Fallback

‘You’d turn it down for me?’ she asked incredulously.

‘Rosie,’ he said sternly, ‘I only applied for it because of you. If you’re not about to break my heart, and you’re telling me that you want to be with me, then the first thing I’m going to do is turn it down.’

‘But won’t you get into trouble?’ Rosie asked with concern.

‘You’re always so worried about doing the right thing,’ Mitch smiled. ’It’smylife,mycareer, they can’t make me go. And even if it does make things awkward for a while at work that’s fine, I can find another job. I did get Nico one after all!’ Rosie still looked worried, ‘Will you stop worrying,’ he insisted. ‘It will be fine.’

‘And what about the other thing?’ she asked. ‘You know, babies?’

‘I know how you feel about babies,’ he said, ‘and frankly I couldn’t care less. If I have you, I don’t care whether we have them or not. My dream for the future has only ever involved you, Rosie, and I want our life to be whateveryouwant it to be. I don’t think I can build the life I want without you in it.’

Rosie looked keenly into his eyes, searching for something. Eventually, she said, ‘I don’t want to scare you off, but I’ve started thinking, and I’m not saying now, but maybe in the future, after we’ve dated for a long time and we’ve worked out whether we’re compatible, and that it seems like the right time, and I’ve convinced my mother that I would be a good parent, then maybe,maybewe can talk about it.’ She paused. ‘And not just as co-parents.’ Mitch laughed. ‘But I’m making no promises,’ she insisted, the words tumbling out of her mouth.

Mitch squeezed her waist, and smiled. ‘I agree. Maybe when we have fulfilled all your criteria to make our lives a perfectly planned scientific experiment, we can discuss it.’

Rosie frowned at him. ‘You’re making fun of me,’ she said.

‘Yes’, he said, ‘I am. It’s what makes our relationship so special. I don’t plan to stop, is that OK?’

Rosie wrinkled her nose, ‘So we’re in a relationship now, are we?’

‘We always have been, Rosie,’ Mitch said, grinning at her.

‘I’m not just your fallback plan?’ she asked shyly.

‘Rosie, you were neverevermy fallback,’ he said sincerely. ‘Was I ever yours?’

‘Never,’ she replied. One of his arms was behind her, holding her body, with his other hand he caught her chin and kissed her. His lips on hers, warm and soft yet insistent.

A cheer rang out from the backdoor of the house. Mitch and Rosie broke away and both turned to look. The curtains which Rachel had firmly pulled across the door were now open and framed against the light they could see Rachel, Nadia and Nico lifting their glasses towards them and clapping. Rosie felt herself blush. Mitch took her hand and gripped it tightly.

‘Now what?’ she said out of the corner of her mouth.

‘Let’s smile and wave,’ he replied.

‘What?’ She looked up at him. ‘We’re not the royal family!’

‘Let’s pretend we are, just without the divorce and the unhappiness and the illegal activity, OK?’ Bemused, Rosie followed his lead and started laughing as Mitch snaked his hand around her waist pulling her tight against him while waving manically at her friends.

‘And now?’ she asked, as their friends lost interest and went back to the party. She could finally have Mitch properly to herself.

‘Now, we’re going to do something we should have done years ago. Rosie.’ He pulled her round so she was facing him again, putting both hands on her waist. ‘We’re going to go back to that pub on the Strand.’ She looked up at him in confusion. He laughed at the expression on her face. ‘We’re going back to where this started, and I’m asking you this time, not to be my flatmate, nevereverto be my fallback, but Rosie…’ He looked earnestly into her eyes, leaned in until his lips were touching hers, and whispered against them. ‘Will you go on a date with me?’