Page 84 of When We Are Old

Ronnie’s shoulders fell. “Hannah, that wasn’t for you to arrange. We're here spending time with Matthew and the boys.”

“I know. But she works ten minutes away and I do need to get…”

I shrugged, still at a loss. Until it clicked. “Oh, you need Tampax. Why didn’t you just say?”

“Ugh. You’re such a man.” Hannah growled. And I mean, she actually growled while clenching her hands into fists and stamping her feet.

“Yes. Last time I checked.” I caught Ronnie’s gaze, seeing her lips curve. “But I’m not a caveman. I do know what Tampax is.”

Hannah’s face was the colour of a tomato in August.

“Go on. Do you want to take the car?”

“Would you mind?” Ronnie’s pulled at her ponytail and shook her blonde strands out before retying it. “We won’t be long.”

I pulled her in, unable to resist. “Don’t be. We’ve got date night tonight.”

“Date night?” She arched a fair eyebrow.

“Yep. I thought we could get all the kids to bed and then you and me could have a nice dinner. I’ll cook.”

“And when did you come up with this plan?”

“About thirty seconds ago.”

“And people say romance is dead.” Hannah snorted with her comment, but I couldn’t, rather wouldn’t, let her ruin what we had here. She could bring it all, every teenage strop in the history of teenagers, and I would take it. This all meant too much for it to be ruined by hormonal melodramatics.

“It’s alive and kicking in this house.” I pressed a firm kiss to Ronnie’s delicious mouth and then pulled the keys out of the pocket of my jeans.

“Daaaaaad! I’m bored.”

“Oh shit. I forgot he was on the bog.”

I turned my back and ran up the stairs, the sound of Ronnie’s laughter flowing behind me.

Right. How could I organise a date in about an hour?

Latte and Friends

Ronnie

“Oh my god. All these damn years and here you are in the wilds.” Ange called loud enough that half the cafe turned to watch us enter.

“It’s a shopping centre, Ange. Not the bloody Highlands.”

She pursed her lips. “Still. You could have called.”

I pulled out a chair for Hannah's backpack that now contained a giant bag of cosmetics I’d been conned into while getting Tampax. “We’ve hardly had any time. Matthew’s family is…” I trailed off.

“Huge.” Hannah added. “Loud. Annoying. Intense.”

“Enthusiastic.”

Ange’s gaze narrowed. “They are going to suffocate the life out of you, Ronnie.”

I snorted and plopped myself down in the chair opposite hers while I waited for the barista to tell me the latte and hot chocolate were ready. Hannah had wanted a coffee—fat chance if Matthew and I were having a date night. My mind went to a happy place involving a crisp and bright fire, bottles of wine, and us, naked and writhing on the floor.

Teenage Porno Ronnie wanted to run the date