Blind Date

BLIND DATE DEBBIE IOANNA Copyright © 2023 Debbie Ioanna The right of Debbie Ioanna to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published in 2023 by Bloodhound Books. Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publisher or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. www.bloodhoundbooks.com Print ISBN: 978-1-5040-8617-2 This book is dedicated to my very own ‘girl squad’ who are always there for the good, the bad, and the hilarious bits in the middle xxx CONTENTS Love best-selling fiction? Also by Debbie Ioanna Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 You will also enjoy: A note from the publisher Love best-selling fiction? LOVE BEST-SELLING FICTION? Sign up today to be the first to hear about new releases and exclusive offers, including free and discounted ebooks! Why not like us or follow us on social media to stay up to date with the latest news from your favourite authors? Facebook Twitter Instagram ALSO BY DEBBIE IOANNA Abberton House CHAPTER 1 I stared at the menu before me, purposely hiding my face from the man sitting in the chair opposite. My date. I can’t remember a time when I felt less inspired, by both a menu and another human being. Although if I had to compare, the prospects of food poisoning from ‘Gino’s Chicken Surprise’ did seem a tad more exciting than my current situation. The fact that he brought me somewhere that was located above an Indian takeaway, next door to a nightclub and in the centre of Bradford should have been a huge indication that this was not going to be a match made in heaven. “He’s in education,” my best friend Sarah had told me the week before over drinks. “He is very well respected and very well paid (she winked), you need to meet him. I’ll give him your number and make sure he calls you!” Sarah could have omitted the part about him being in education, because he had the look of a teacher. Not the fun colourful kind you might get in a primary school, but the stuffy one in a secondary school. Someone who is full of knowledge and extremely intelligent but has no ability to teach and so waffles on about photosynthesis, not knowing that he has no control of his classroom. His tweed jacket with a matching waistcoat suggested he had not changed his clothes between finishing work and meeting me. The mustard stain on his sleeve confirmed it. I now had a fair amount of doubt that Sarah knew this man well at all. He could very well be her neighbour’s cousin’s stepbrother’s dentist’s friend that she happened to meet for five minutes and thought would be a good match because we’re similar age and single. Although judging by his attire and handlebar moustache, he could have been in his fifties. Sarah had a knack for talking me into situations I would later regret. Back in our teenage years, she convinced me that a holiday to Zante would be great for a quiet girls’ holiday with a few evening cocktails and sunbathing by the pool. That was a hard lesson learned… However, at thirty years old I didn’t like the idea of a blind date she was suggesting. Having to make such an effort for a stranger on a Saturday night when I could be at home watching the latest episode of Sherlock with a Chinese takeaway seemed far too unnecessary. Surely, I’m too old for this? I must admit that after he’d called, I’d been intrigued by Gerard’s husky voice and desire to meet me so soon. Maybe Sarah had over exaggerated to him my “beauty” like she had told me about how “interesting and exciting” this man was. “She has these wonderful laughter lines; our Jenny has an infectious smile!” I can hear her saying to him about the wrinkles that were creeping up on the sides of my mouth. “Her long flowing locks glisten and shine so fabulously in the sun, it’s gorgeous!” Hopefully she’s not referring to the rogue strand of grey hair which I always notice by chance as it catches the light as I walk past a mirror, but then can never actually find on purpose to yank out of my head. I can honestly say that the most interesting thing this man had said to me thus far tonight in his “husky” voice was that he should avoid eating anything too thick and fatty as he has a lot of phlegm sitting in his throat and he would hate to cough it over me. Nicholas Sparks could use some of his lines as inspiration for his next romance novel. “Yes, that’s the thing about teaching,” he began. Were we talking about teaching? I hadn’t noticed. “You can see the children absorbing the information as you give it to them.” “Oh, yes?” Children? He must be a primary school teacher then. “What age group do you teach?” “Fifth form.” Fifth form, what’s that? Does he mean sixth form? Or is that an old term for year eleven? “So, I’m getting them ready for their science GCSEs.