Page 81 of Little Miss Fortune

‘I know, uni was—’ He looks down, only for a moment, as if forgetting that I can see him. ‘It was an unusual time. But I don’t think I would be the person I am today if it weren’t for them.’

It’s not as if I am the one to judge. John wasn’t the first bad decision on my tab—no pub quiz win would ever be able to cover that horrible blemish. ‘I get it. I will try not to be too judgey.’

‘You can be a little judgey.’ He grabs our kebabs and leads us to a bench on the green a street over.

‘Maybe on our first date we should go to a sex clinic and get some tests done?’ I joke and bite into my pita with kebab strips.

Toby laughs and nods. ‘But about Chloe. We had a little falling out. Not about a relationship or anything. It’s nothing like that.’

I feel as if he doesn’t want me to ask any more questions, but I can’t help it. ‘What is it?’

‘She thinks I am irresponsible.’

‘I would agree with her, then. I still don’t quite understand why you decided to take the fall for me. But why does she think that?’

Toby curates his words in his mind before slowly dragging out, ‘She believes… I am not making the healthiest of choices for myself.’

‘Healthiest is what sense?’

‘In what sense, excellent question… Um, it’s just something I decided for myself a little while ago. I believed it to be the best option for me at the time.’

He doesn’t want to talk about it yet. Got it.

‘So, yeah. It’s nothing to do with you, or us. She is just unhappy with me.’

‘Not really an us if you don’t pass the investigation.’ I raise my eyebrow mischievously.

‘It’s booked for next week. You will probably be invited.’

‘Wow, you know how to win a girl over,’ I say, unimpressed. And then I add, ‘For our first date...’

‘Yes?’

‘Can we go somewhere that’s not a pub? We’ve now been to a couple together. I would like to do something else.’

‘Understood. I’ll take your feedback on board. No promises, though.’

I get another few mouthfuls, but there is really no sexy way to eat a kebab. Garlic and chilli sauce drips everywhere. I try to catch it with my hand, but it splatters against my trousers. ‘Fuck,’ I grumble, wiping it with a wet wipe.

‘You have wet wipes on you?’ Toby marvels, holding my kebab box for me.

‘If you are unlucky, you do not leave the house without those. Thank you.’ I take it back once the white stain is gone.

‘So much wisdom to bestow.’

‘Is that sarcasm I’m picking up on?’

‘No, I enjoyed hearing you talk about your luck with Zaria. I hope next time you will let me test it.’

‘I did change my luck before coming here. I think that’s why we won.’ I cheer.

‘Would you not have come otherwise?’ Toby asks, with a slight wobble in his voice.

‘Probably not.’

‘Why?’

‘Um. I think I would have ruined it for people.’