The Way Things TURN OUT

Why on earth had she agreed to a blind date? It was bound to be a disaster…

Why do I always do this? Connie thought crossly, glaring at her reflection in the mirror. Agree to do something I know I’m going to hate, just to please Mum? It’s bad enough with the girls in the office setting me up with blind dates, but my own mother!

‘Michael Harrison’s a lovely boy,’ she’d said. ‘He’s only been in the country for a month and his mother emailed me to say he’s finding it difficult to make friends in such a big city.’

‘Mum! The last time you met him he was three years old,’ said Connie. ‘Just because they used to live next door to us before his family emigrated to Canada does not make him a lovely boy. For all you know he’s on the run from the police. Or a serial killer.’

‘What nonsense you talk. He’s an accountant,’ said her mother smoothly. ‘Anyway, I suggested to his mother that she asks him to phone you, so when he does, please be nice to him. Just have dinner with him. If you don’t hit it off, no harm is done.’

Poor Mum. I wish she didn’t make it so obvious that she lives in hope of pairing up her oldest unmarried daughter, thought Connie, wriggling into her blue silk, which she’d bought for her sister’s wedding. I can’t think of anything worse than having dinner with a man I’ve never met. And he probably doesn’t want to have dinner with me, either. He sounded very abrupt on the phone.

Connie hadn’t been out at night since she’d adopted her cocker spaniel, Rufus, a fortnight before, and she didn’t want to leave him alone for too long.