Normally Lola would have thought of something funny to say to this, but her brain was all over the place. ‘I’m fine. Really.’
‘She’d rather have a plate of carrots.’ One of the men at the next table chuckled and nudged his friend, who broke into a buck-toothed Bugs Bunny impression.
‘Sorry.’ Nick James looked at Lola. ‘I should have found somewhere better than this.’
Offended, the waitress sniffed and said, ‘Charmed, I’m sure.’
‘It doesn’t matter.’ Lola shook her head. ‘I wish I wasn’t wearing a bunny suit, but that can’t be helped. And the tea’s great.’ She smiled up at the waitress. ‘Actually, I’ll have another one.’
‘My flat’s not far from here. We could go there if you wantto,’ Nick James offered. ‘But I thought that might seem a bit strange.’
‘A bit.’ Much as she’d have preferred to be wearing normal clothes, Lola had felt the same way about inviting him back to Radley Road.
He nodded in agreement. ‘Neutral ground’s better. For now, anyway.’
His voice was nice, well-spoken without being posh. He was wearing well-cut navy trousers and a mulberry and blue striped shirt. The watch on his wrist was a black and gold Breitling. And —
she now knew it was true; believed him absolutely — he was her actual biological father.
‘When I was little I always thought my dad was a film star,’ said Lola, ‘because the only Americans I knew were the ones I’d seen on TV.’
‘And you got yourself an advertising exec instead. Bad luck.’
‘That’s OK. It’s just weird, all these years imagining you being an American, talking like an American, and now having to lose that idea. I used to wonder if the dark one from Starsky and Hutch was my dad.’
‘Sorry.’
‘I never much liked his cardigans anyway. Or the guy from Miami Vice,’ said Lola. Don Johnson.’
Nick said gravely, ‘I promise I’ve never pushed up the sleeves of my suit.’
‘Or Robert Wagner from Hart to Hart. Or John Travolta. Even thingummy with the dodgy moustache who was in Smokey and the Bandit.’
‘If I’d known, I’d have brushed up on my American accent.’ He shrugged, half smiled. ‘I can’t imagine why Blythe told you that.’
Lola glanced at her handbag, lying on the chair next to her and containing her mobile.There was nothing to stop her calling her mother right now and demanding an explanation. Or even using the camera on her phone to take a photo of Nick James, then sending it to Blythe along with a message saying ‘Guess who?’
But she couldn’t bring herself to do that.
Ooh, Tom Selleck, he’d been another on her list of possible fathers. She’d evidently had a bit of a hankering for one with a moustache.
Except Nick James didn’t have one.
God, this was so weird.
‘How did you find me?’
‘The piece you did on the local news,’ he admitted. ‘When I said I hadn’t seen it ... well, that was a lie. I was flicking through the TV channels that evening and there you were, with your name up on the screen. Lola Malone. You were Lauren when you were born.’
‘I know’ said Lola.
‘Sorry, I meant I knew you as Lauren. But the day I came round to your mother’s house when you were a baby, she handed you over to a friend and said, 'Could you take Lola out into the garden?'‘
‘Our next door neighbour’s daughter couldn’t say Lauren so she called me Lola. It stuck.
Nobody calls me Lauren.’
He nodded. ‘Well, anyway, I didn’t know for sure if it was you, but it was an unusual name and you were the right age and colouring. So I had to come to the shop and see you.’
That was why he had engaged her in conversation.
‘Hang on, so you didn’t really like those books I recommended.’ Lola’s pride was wounded.
‘You were just pretending.’
Nick smiled and shook his head. ‘I loved the books. I read them because you’d recommended them. Don’t worry, I’m definitely converted.’
He was telling the truth.That made her feel better. Lola took another sip of tea. ‘I can’t believe I’m sitting here talking to you now. Wait till I tell Mum.’
A flicker of something crossed her father’s — her father’s! — face. ‘How is Blythe?’
‘She’s great. Living in Streatham. Having fun.’
‘Married?’
‘I had a fantastic stepdad. He died five years ago.’
Nick shook his head. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘But Mum’s doing really well. She’s started dating again. I’m trying to do something about her clothes. Did she
