Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

O nce Hannah had left, Seymour poured Kiera an Irish coffee. “I think you need this,” she said, with a grin. “Just watching her made me feel nervous.”

“Yes, she was a bit of a jumping bean, wasn’t she?” said Kiera, grateful for the debrief.

“My favourite bit was when you gently explained that given your allergy to dogs, it might not be worth pursuing a follow-up date.” Seymour was putting the large latte mugs on shelves by the counter, curls of her hair coming undone from her messy bun. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have been listening.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s not like I revealed any major secrets, and it’s a tiny café. You probably hear no end of gossip through the day. I’m not sure I could ever have enough energy for someone who just says everything they’re thinking like that, though,” said Kiera, gazing out of the window.

“Well, I’m sure there will be others,” Seymour told her, with a smile. Kiera raised her eyebrows and looked into her drink, keen to change the subject.

“What about you? How long have you been running this place?”

“Me and Jack, we run this place together. We’ve been here for about a year, we took over last spring. It’s been quite the adventure,” she said.

“I can well imagine,” said Kiera, recalling the man who sometimes served her, who must be the boyfriend – Jack. “It must be a really huge undertaking. I’m very impressed you’ve been able to make the business work, especially in these uncertain times. Wow, is that Tia Maria? I think it’s gone straight to my head.”

“Yes,” said Seymour, with a glint in her eye.

“Perhaps I should have had that before the date, to take the edge off the nerves,” said Kiera, with a smile.

“If anyone needed one of these, I think it was Hannah,” Seymour pointed out, drily.

“That’s a fair point, although I think it’s frowned upon to insist a date calms themselves down by self-medicating before meeting,” said Kiera. Seymour laughed. “And it’s back to the swiping for me.”

“May God bless you, and all who sail in you,” said Seymour.