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He watches me swirl the milk jug and whispers, ‘You always were good with your hands.’
‘Thanks.’ I tap the till a few times to ring his total up, and then I lean against the back wall to keep away from wandering hands.
‘So is that a yes to drinks tonight? I’ve written some poems I’d love to share with you,’ he says eagerly.
This man has all the threatening energy of a slice of damp bread, but I’m concerned he won’t give up. My brain reels through things to say that’ll get him off my back.
‘Emily can’t come out for drinks,’ Finn says, reappearing by the till, ‘because she’s married.’
My mouth drops open as Jonas’s eyes widen in despair.
‘Married? You didn’t tell me.’ To be fair, I didn’t tell him anything at all. ‘I thought we had something.’
‘Yeah, I know,’ Jonas replies. His shoulders slump and I make every effort not to catch Finn’s eye, whose jaw is clenched with the effort to hold back a laugh at this ridiculous repetition. ‘Is it serious?’
‘It’s uh, yeah. Quite serious. What with the marriage bit,’ I reply.
‘Who is he?’ he asks in a whisper.
‘It’s me. I’m Emily’s husband,’ says Finn, fully inserting himself into a lie for me. For thesecond time.‘Nice to meet you. I’m Finn.’
While Jonas looks down at his feet, I finally meet Finn’s eye, who shrugs and grins, evidently enjoying himself.
‘I hope you know how fortunate you are,’ Jonas continues, clutching his latte like he’s adrift and the cup is his lifebuoy. ‘She’s a gift.’
‘Oh, I’m thankful for her every day. Her positivity, her vibrant light. I’m so lucky.’ He gazes at me longingly and I fight the urge to swear. ‘Although, I would love to hear one of your poems. It’d be nice to hear from someone else whogetsher.’
I give Finn The Eyes, which he has the gall to completely ignore.
‘I’ve got one written down here. It’s calledAngel on Earth.’ He reaches into his bag and pulls out a tiny notebook, ripping out a page and handing it to Finn. ‘Here, it’s my gift to you. I don’t think I can be around to listen, so I’ll get going now. Let me know if you ever… get a divorce.’
I nod and Finn waves enthusiastically as he leaves. The second the door closes, he clears his throat and starts to read aloud in a surprisingly sultry voice.
‘There was a woman; fair and divine
A beauty so classic, bound not to our time
A black dahlia amidst an ocean of roses
My heart opened to her as the Red Sea did to Moses
And when she left me I feared I was dead
For I never believed in God until she gave me h—’
A strangled noise escapes me as I yank the paper out of his hand before he can finish.
Finn puts both hands on the counter and leans towards me, dropping his voice to ask, pure glee coating every word, ‘What didyoudoto him?’
‘I don’t even know. I spent a single evening with him and that’s what he turned into.’ At my nonplussed expression, laughter finally tumbles from his mouth, and it melts into the cracks, sending a smile to my face too as I settle into the ridiculousness of the situation. ‘That’s not normal, right?’
‘Serious question,’ he collects himself enough to ask, ‘who the fuck is Emily?’
‘Do you not see why it might’ve been prudent for me to lie about my identity to that man?’
‘Okay, fair.’ He lets out another chuckle. ‘I honestly thought he was about to carry you to a registry office. And he was built like a Viking, so I’d have stood no chance. I had to think on my feet.’
‘I had it covered,’ I grumble. Then I look up into the warmth of his eyes and say, ‘But thanks for helping me, I guess. Again.’ How is this the second time he’s saved my ass in this very shop? First my fake friend, then my fake husband. What’s next?
