Love on the Menu

Contents Cover Title Page Copyright Dedication Contents Chapter 1: The Party Chapter 2: S.H.A.M.E Chapter 3: I Will Not Survive Chapter 4: Behind Closed Doors Chapter 5: Tick-Tock Chapter 6: In His Pocket Chapter 7: Let the Games Begin Chapter 8: Dive Chapter 9: Swipe It, Fake It Chapter 10: Pick Up the Crumbs Chapter 11: No Try, No Play Chapter 12: Off-Track Chapter 13: Play the Game Chapter 14: Something Blue Chapter 15: A Different Drum Chapter 16: Spin It Chapter 17: On Ball, Or Bottled Chapter 18: So-Bar Chapter 19: In the Hole Chapter 20: Clean Up the Strikes Chapter 21: Humble Pie Chapter 22: Put It on a Plate Chapter 23: Milk Chapter 24: Poacher Chapter 25: Jazz-Matt-Azz Chapter 26: Skipper Chapter 27: Crash. Boom. Bang. Chapter 28: Howler Chapter 29: Pitch Perfect Chapter 30: Stuck in It Chapter 31: The Catch Chapter 32: Clean Sheet Chapter 33: Karma’s a Queen Chapter 34: Early Doors Chapter 35: It’s My Birthday Chapter 36: Stay on Your Feet Chapter 37: I Knew You Were Trouble Chapter 38: Under the Cosh Chapter 39: People Like Us Chapter 40: Take It Offline Chapter 41: Parking the Bus Chapter 42: New Normal Chapter 43: Man On Chapter 44: Where the Hell is Ma? Chapter 45: Own Goal Chapter 46: Second Chances Chapter 47: Blackout Chapter 48: Love, Actually? Chapter 49: Magic Sponge Chapter 50: Just Do It! Chapter 51: Hollywood Pass Chapter 52: Pack Up the Past Chapter 53: Face-Off Chapter 54: Sweeper Chapter 55: Sink Or Swim Chapter 56: Home Advantage Chapter 57: Run! Chapter 58: Away-Goal Chapter 59: I Do Chapter 60: Build-Up Chapter 61: Carpe Diem Chapter 62: Free Kick Chapter 63: Ben & Gia Acknowledgements About LOVE ON THE MENU Mimi Deb Copyright Published by AVON A Division of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF www.harpercollins.co.uk First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2023 Copyright © Ipsita Deb 2023 Cover design by Emily Langford © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2023 Cover illustration: Shutterstock.com Ipsita Deb asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library. This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents Dedication To Babo, I wrote a book. (You probably knew that before I did) Watch on from the top tier. Acknowledgements Winning the Avon-Mushens prize was one of the best days of my life. For that, I thank the wonderful Silé Edwards, Imran Mahmood and Cara Chimirri, my brilliant editor, who shared my vision from the very beginning to the very end. This book, or this journey, wouldn’t be the same without you. The wider team at Avon, Helen, Maddie, Gabriella, Raphaella,