‘I’ll let you know when I get one,’ replied Ros.
His eyes widened in surprise. ‘What? You’ve never had a pet?’
‘No.’
Cameron remained shocked. ‘Not even a goldfish or a hamster when you were a kid?’
‘No. Dad was busy with the business and I don’t really like to see animals in cages.’
‘Fair enough. My first pet was a rabbit called Tango because it was an orangey colour . . . like the drink,’ he explained.
‘Yes, I understand.’ She added the info at the bottom of the page, unsure it was of any use at all.
‘What’s Ros short for?’
Ros felt her shoulders tense. ‘It’s Rosanna but nobody calls me that.’ Not anymore, she added in her head.
‘Rosanna’s a beautiful name.’
‘Just Ros, please.’
‘Sure thing. And your surname?’
There was such a lot they needed to know about each other. Ros was beginning to realise that she needed to start another flip chart.
Two hours in and they were on their third round of drinks and as Cameron was hungry he’d opened a packet of Hula Hoops he had in his bag.
‘Right. Let’s move on to jobs. I’m a risk and compliance manager—’
‘Tell me about that,’ he said, leaning forwards and looking interested.
‘I analyse any potential risks to the company. For example if a project is initiated I assess any risks of the change and work with the project manager to ensure they are properly managed, and there are a number of ways to do that, which I won’t bore you with. And I also ensure that the company is compliant with any necessary business-as-usual regulations.’
‘Sounds like a lot of responsibility,’ he said, pulling his hand out of the crisp packet with a Hula Hoop on each finger.
Ros was transfixed as he ate them one at a time off his fingertips. ‘Do you need to eat those like that?’
‘What?’
‘Children eat them like that.’
‘Kids know where it’s at. Way more fun to eat them off your fingers. Try,’ he said, offering her the packet.
‘No, thank you. Children are messy,’ said Ros, failing to stop her feelings showing on her face.
Cameron looked shocked. ‘You don’t like kids?’
‘Children can be lovely but they make so much mess.’ Ros tried to keep her expression neutral.
‘But that’s a minor thing. Do you not want to have kids?’
That was a serious question she’d not been expecting. ‘It’s not that I don’t want them. I just think you need to have a lot of other factors in place first. And they’re a huge responsibility. They’re a full-time thing. You can’t take time off or change your mind on a whim. Children are a long-term commitment.’ Something her mother didn’t seem to have grasped.
‘I agree and I’m well up for it,’ said Cameron.
‘But you’re a student.’
‘I won’t always be a student and with the right person I’d love to be a dad. I was playing mummies and daddies with Gina, at preschool. I always assumed I’d have kids.’
‘You seem very sure about that.’
‘I am. I had a happy home. I can’t imagine not building a family of my own. And anyway my mum would have something to say if I didn’t make her a grandma.’
‘Erm. We’ve gone off track. Where were we? Jobs. We’ve covered my job. Let’s agree on a job for you.’
Cameron smiled. ‘I’m a barman at the cocktail bar and I do some volunteering at a charity shop, which is great because I get first dibs on stuff.’ He pulled at his Scooby-Doo T-shirt. ‘One pound fifty. Let me know your size and I can look out for stuff for you.’
Ros couldn’t hide her alarm at the thought of childish T-shirts. ‘No, thank you. And what I meant by a job was what job we’re we going to tell my dad that you do.’
‘I don’t follow.’
‘I can hardly say you’re a mature student.’
‘Why not?’ Cameron made a big show of sucking a Hula Hoop off his little finger.
‘Because this has to be believable. I did cover that at the start. He needs to be convinced that we are in a relationship.’
Cameron scrunched up the empty crisp packet, leaned back and considered her. She felt a little vulnerable under his gaze. ‘And a student stroke part-time barman is below you?’
