Chapter 54
Fifty-Four
It was just past eight, and they were parking up outside The Mare & Foal, the low-lit pub Cassie knew from her early training days, a place the players used to sneak to for an off-diet drink.
Delilah was already out of the car.
‘This is the spot?’ she asked, looking up at the timber-framed building with its battered sign.
‘It’s not glamorous,’ Cassie said apologetically.
‘Neither am I,’ Delilah said.
They’d both changed and showered and were in, if not date clothes, fresh ones. Neither had packed in the expectation of any kind of a date, so the effort showed in small, telling ways: Cassie had swapped her usual scuffed trainers for clean boots, Delilah’s eyeliner was sharper than usual.
Cassie held the door for her, and Delilah gave her a brief look. Not teasing exactly, more an acknowledgement. I see you dating me, and I like it.
Inside, the pub was warm and cosily lit. Cassie steered them toward a corner booth half-hidden by a wooden beam, and they slipped into the seats.
Delilah rested her forearms on the table, studying her with a smile that was all too knowing. ‘Very lowkey, Coach.’
Cassie lifted a brow. ‘Maybe don’t call me coach tonight.’
Delilah’s mouth dropped. ‘Oh yeah. Right,’ she muttered, rolling her eyes at herself.
Cassie liked it. She was nervous. They both were.
Delilah tried to recover the moment with a quick subject change. ‘What are you having to drink?’
‘Beer.’
Delilah blinked. ‘I can’t imagine you imbibing alcohol.’
‘What?’ Cassie said, surprised. ‘Of course I do.’
Delilah gave herself a little nod. ‘Oh, right. Because you’re human. Have to try and remember that.’
Cassie chuckled, bemused.
They ordered burgers with triple-cooked chips. Delilah ate like it was her first meal, little moans escaping.
‘My God, fried food. I’ve missed you so much.’
Cassie watched her with a smile. ‘I’m convinced this place stays in business catering to the lowered gastronomic standards of tennis players.’
Delilah chuckled as she chewed. She looked around as she swallowed. ‘You been here before?’ she asked.
‘When I was training at Larchfield, I came here.’
Delilah grinned. ‘You broke your training diet?’
Cassie shrugged, smiled, looked away. ‘On occasion. When I was feeling naughty.’
‘Cassie Thorne has a naughty side,’ Delilah said, putting her fork into a chip. ‘Good to know.’
Cassie’s brain was having trouble forming full sentences at that. But she could tell it was her turn to say something. ‘So…’ she began, hoping for her brain to kick back in. It didn’t.
‘So?’ Delilah asked.
Cassie decided to be honest. ‘I don’t know exactly how to talk right now.’
Delilah gave a surprised laugh. ‘OK. Well, we could ask each other about our jobs? That’s pretty standard date fare.’
Cassie decided not to get hung up on Delilah using the word ‘date’. If she did that, she really was just gonna sit here mute. She had to push on. ‘Yes, that’s good, thanks. So, tell me how you got into acting?’
Delilah looked amused but answered without mocking Cassie’s shut down, which Cassie truly appreciated.
‘When I was nine, I was in the school play. I had three lines, and I forgot one of them. My teacher was in the wings, mouthing it at me, and everyone laughed at me. But the funny thing is, I didn’t even care.
I was still the happiest I’d ever been, up there on that stage, pretending to be someone else.
I humiliated myself, and I couldn’t wait to do it again.
After that, there wasn’t really any coming back. ’
Cassie smiled. ‘That’s a good answer.’
‘Glad you like it. Your turn,’ Delilah said. ‘How did you get into tennis?’
Delilah took a big bite of the burger and nodded.
Cassie set her glass down, considering. ‘My dad was a big fan of tennis but couldn’t play.
So he used to drag me to the courts every Saturday in the hopes of turning me into Bjorn Borg.
I actually hated it at first, and I used to beg my dad to let me stop all the time.
But then I won a match against this older girl, and I still remember how good that felt.
After that, I was hooked. It was the only thing I wanted to do. ’
Delilah raised her eyebrows. ‘So, you humiliated someone and loved it. And I humiliated myself and loved it.’
Cassie had to laugh at that.
‘Was your dad proud of your success?’ Delilah asked.
‘He died just as I was climbing the ranks, but I think he was.’
‘I’m sorry.’
Cassie shrugged. She never liked dwelling on it, but Delilah’s voice was gentle enough that it didn’t feel like pity. Still, she didn’t want to dwell.
‘What are your parents like?’ Cassie questioned.
‘Oh, well, they’re both accountants, so you can imagine how they feel about my career choice.’
‘I see.’
‘Yep. I think they wanted me to do that too, but I barely know what two plus two is, so it was never on the cards.’
‘It’s four. In case you need to know,’ Cassie told her.
Delilah sighed dramatically. ‘The mystery is solved!’
The way Delilah talked was mesmerising to Cassie. She talked with her whole body, her face animated, her eyes soft when she listened. Cassie could have watched it forever.