Nge TheReve Date

Trish was ready to hate Dave, but things didn' t quite go to plan¼

Cath sipped her tea and leant across the kitchen table. So, what do you think, Trish? Give it a go?' I' m not sure,' I said. I' m happy on my own. And now that I' ve got Fred and Ron'¼ Your life is complete?'

Cath finished for me.

I didn' t answer. I could feel Cath' s eyes boring into me, pitying me. She was thinking: How can your life be complete without a man? You know what you' re turning into, Trish? One of those eccentric old cat ladies.' Less of the old,' I said, reaching for a Danish pastry.

I thought of Reg the last man she' d set me up with. For a few weeks it was all champagne and roses, then suddenly he started turning up with bags of laundry for me to wash and iron. Then he took ownership of the remote control and decided what programmes we should watch. He had to go. I' m quite happy with my cats,' I assured her.

Cath slid her phone towards me. At least take a look at his photo. He' s local and I think he' s quite a dish for his age. I mean, hair isn' t everything, and his profile says he' s got his own house and car. His name' s Dave.'

Such was my sister' s devotion to getting me a partner that she' d taken out an online subscription to a dating agency to search for suitors on my behalf.

I glanced at Dave' s photo. For a few seconds, I didn' t recognise him, then something pinged inside my brain. I knew this guy even without his trademark luscious locks, I recognised those eyes and that cruel twist of his mouth.

Dave Bridges love of my life at Abbot High School.

The boy who broke my heart and took pleasure in scattering it into a thousand tiny pieces in front of the entire school. OK,' I said. I' ll give it a go.' Really?' Cath' s eyes widened. Of course, he may come with baggage. No one gets to be 50 without baggage.' That' s true for us all,' I said, thinking of the hatred I' d harboured for Dave all these years.

Afew days later, I' d made contact with him. He thought I was a blonde woman called Carol. I' d put on a wig so he wouldn' t recognise me.

Things went well and soon Dave had invited me for a meal at a posh restaurant in town.

On the evening of our date, I carefully applied my make-up and put on my sexiest dress. I wanted Dave to know what he was missing when I rejected him later that evening.

Dave was at the bar when I came in. Hello,' he said, kissing my cheek. What can I get you?'

I ordered a glass of their finest, priciest, champagne. Dave bought the bottle. Then, as we sat at our table, I perused the menu and ordered the most expensive meal on it. Later, I intended to order the most expensive dessert, then nip to the loo.

Except I wasn' t going to go to the loo I was going to walk out of the front door, leaving Dave to pick up the tab. Revenge at last!

But things didn' t quite go according to plan.

Dave started telling me about his life. About how, after the kids left, he and his wife decided to split up and she moved out.

To fill the void, he started taking in and caring for injured hedgehogs. Word got around, and now people brought him all sorts of injured small wild animals to look after. My house is like an animal hospital,' he smiled.

That' s when I declined dessert and offered to go Dutch with the bill. I didn' t want revenge any more.

But Dave touched my hand. No, Trish,' he told me firmly. I' ll get this.'

I looked at him. You knew it was me?' As soon as you walked in,' he said softly. I' ve been waiting a long time to say sorry for what I did to you back in sixth form.' It' s OK,' I shrugged. No, it isn' t. I was horrible. A big-headed show-off. But I' ve changed.' I can tell.' Look,' he spoke softly, why don' t you pop over sometime and see my hedgehogs?' Sounds like an invitation I can' t ignore,' I said, and we both laughed.

He thought I was a blonde woman called Carol. IÕd put on a wig so he wouldnÕ t recognise me