First DATE

He’d gone from charming to withdrawn in the blink of an eye. Just what had she done wrong?

- Catherine Howard

So far, Katie’s date with Mark wasn’t going quite as well as she’d hoped.

They met in the gym one Saturday afternoon. Her sister worked there and Katie helped out whenever they were short-staffed.

He had joked about being stuck indoors when he’d rather be outside, enjoying the spring sunshine. It was exactly what she’d been thinking. When he asked her out, she said yes straight away.

And when he suggested a country walk it sounded right up her street. As she got ready for their date, she imagined a leisurely stroll round a pretty lake, stopping to watch ducks or moorhens, followed by a long, leisurely picnic, but Mark had other ideas. He’d planned a long hike across open fields.

Now the sky had turned an ugly shade of grey and, unless she was very much mistaken, the heavens were about to open.

‘There’s a farmhouse nearby. They do great refreshments,’ she said. ‘My walking group sometimes stops there and the owners are lovely.’

‘I’d rather press on.’ Mark looked up at the looming clouds. ‘We might be able to beat the storm.’

As if to prove him wrong, it promptly began to rain. At the same time, the first faint murmur of thunder rumbled in the distance.

‘Sorry, Mark, but I’d rather go to the farm and wait this out.’

As they turned on to the path that led to the farmhouse, Katie wondered what had happened to the man she’d met at the gym, the man who’d asked questions and actually listened to her answers.