It is Complicated Until it is Not

As Zara's form disappears among the bustling lunchtime crowd, you take a sip of your water, gathering courage. The encounter has left an important question hanging in the air between you and Clara. You watch her delicately cut into her croque monsieur, the melted cheese stretching in tempting strands.

"Clara," you begin, setting down your fork beside your half-eaten niçoise salad. "That was... interesting. With Zara."

"Mmm," she agrees, dabbing the corner of her mouth with her napkin. "Bound to happen sooner or later."

"It got me thinking," you continue, your voice dropping slightly despite the ambient chatter providing privacy. "How do you feel about introducing me as your boyfriend to other colleagues and friends?"

Clara's hand pauses midway to her water glass. Her eyes meet yours, searching, evaluating. For a moment, you worry you've overstepped, but then her lips curve into a slow, deliberate smile.

"Is that what you are?" she asks, her tone playful but with an undercurrent of seriousness. "My boyfriend?"

"I'd like to be," you admit, surprised by how easily the words come. "Unless you think it's too soon?"

She takes a moment to consider, twirling a strand of auburn hair that's escaped her ponytail. "It's simultaneously too soon and not soon at all, isn't it? I've known you as Mia for days, been intimate with you, shared things I don't usually share..."

"But as Matt, we're just getting started," you finish her thought.

"Exactly," she says, reaching across to take your hand. Her thumb traces the new contours—larger knuckles, different texture. "It's strange. I feel like I know you intimately, yet I'm still discovering you."

"So what do we tell people?" you ask, gently squeezing her hand.

"The truth is impossible," she says with a soft laugh. "But I think I'd like to introduce you as my boyfriend. It feels right." She pauses, her expression growing more thoughtful. "We'll need a story, though. How we met, how long we've been seeing each other."

"We could say we met through David," you suggest. "Simple, believable."

"And recent," Clara adds. "We've only been dating a short while—explains why no one's met you yet."

"What about Mia?" you ask, lowering your voice further.

Clara's expression shifts slightly, a complex emotion crossing her features. "We'll stay with the story we gave Zara,First she had to return to Ireland unexpectedly—family emergency—and we're not sure when she'll be back."

"And eventually people will just... forget about her?"

"People come and go in London all the time," Clara says pragmatically, though you catch a flicker of sadness in her eyes. "Besides, she was only in their lives for a few days."

You nod, feeling a strange twinge of loss for a version of yourself that no longer exists. Clara seems to sense this and gives your hand another squeeze.

"For what it's worth," she says, her voice warm and intimate, "I'm looking forward to introducing you as my boyfriend. I want to show you off."

The words send a pleasant thrill through you. "Even though I'm not a cute redhead anymore?"

Clara's laugh is genuine, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "You clean up pretty well either way, Matt." She leans forward slightly, her voice dropping to a whisper. "And between us, I'm quite enjoying the broader shoulders."

The waiter returns to clear your plates, breaking the moment. "Dessert?" he inquires.

You exchange a look with Clara, both of you smiling at some private joke. "Definitely," you both say in unison.

15:00 | Tuesday 5 August 2025 | La Petite Maison, Highgate Village