You Can't Hurry Love

Chapter Forty-Six

Oh my God, what is he doing here? This is bad. This is worse than bad, this is terrible. I've only just realised now that in my haste to make amends with Lincoln, I completely forgot to end things with Danny and now he's standing outside of my building and I'm going to have to confront him and tell him I don't want to see him again and that's going to be flaming awful.

Why couldn't he have just messaged me like any other normal person would do? Why did he have to show up at my home unannounced and make this a hell of a lot more awkward than it needed to be?

I pull out my phone in annoyance and see the unread texts on the screen (along with two missed calls) and I slap a hand to my forehead, wondering whether I could get away with saying I had amnesia and had no idea who he was.

11:36am
Danny: Hey stranger. I haven't heard from you in a few days :( I'm guessing you've been busy. Are we still on for Wednesday?? I've got my suit ready! X

4:15pm
Danny: Dot? You okay? X

6:23pm
Danny: I'm starting to get worried now. I'm coming to check you're alright!

NOOOOO!

What do I do? What do I DOO?

One things for sure, I can't hide behind this tree all evening. I needed a plan.

Maybe I should tell him I have a family emergency which means I can't go to the party anymore. (No one questions a family emergency.) But I'm pretty sure he's not going to fail to notice the ginormous dress bag I have in my hands and then he'll know I'm lying to him.

No, that won't work.

There's nothing for it, I'm just going to have to tell him the truth. (Or parts of it.) I'll tell him that I've decided to rekindle a romance with an old flame and sadly that means we can't see each other anymore. I mean, I know I can't exactly call Lincoln an old flame but it's better than telling Danny that I completely forgot he existed and I ended up doing the dirty with someone else behind his back. That's just unnecessarily cruel.

I'm watching him from my hiding place a few feet away, writhing in discomfort as he holds a finger to the buzzer of my apartment, when the thought suddenly occurs to me that he doesn't actually know that I'm here. I could slope off in the other direction, message him later tonight explaining everything by text message. At least then I wouldn't have to see the disappointment on his face when I inadvertently pie him.

No, that's awful. I can't do that.

Can I?

I was battling it out in my head when an astonished voice calls out my name and I spot Danny in my line of vision, obviously surprised to find me pressed up against the backside of a tree after having given up on trying to reach me at the flat.

'Dottie? I thought that was you. What are you doing?'

'Me?' I reply casually, trying to appear as if this act of randomness was an everyday occurrence. 'Just . . . hugging a tree.' I reach out and give it a tender pat. 'You know, getting at one with nature after a hard day at the office.'

Hugging a tree? My insides do a dance of utter mortification and I try not to hang my head with the shame.

'Right. Well, I'm glad I bumped into you, actually. I've been trying to get hold of you all day.'