‘Lana hates injustice,’ Ethan says. ‘And, honestly, she looked so cute, stuck there, all helpless, clutching at her Twix like it was the last piece of food on earth. I knew I needed to help her.’
Oh, can you think of a more sorry sight than me with my arm trapped in a vending machine, just for a Twix? I’m not saying I don’t have form for it, but it didn’t happen, and it is not making me look good right now.
‘So, while she was stuck there, I told her I would help her get free, and I would buy her another Twix, but only if she agreed to go for a drink with me later that night – and the rest is history,’ Ethan concludes. ‘She said yes.’
Bea is sitting with her hand over her mouth. ‘Lana, are you so hard up that you’re trying to steal chocolate from vending machines?’ she asks.
‘No, I get it, we’ve all been in a situation like that,’ Beau says, gallantly coming to my defence – have we? ‘I almost fell in a river once, trying to catch a bottle of wine that was rolling down a hill. I completely understand.’
‘Really?’ I reply, laughing with a girly little squeak.
‘That’s hardly the same thing,’ Seph says.
‘I’m with Seph, sorry, Lana,’ Tiggy adds. ‘There’s a big difference between trying to stop a 2009 Château Margaux from rolling into the Seine and getting trapped in a machine with a bar of chocolate.’
‘Tiggy, come on, that’s not fair. You’re so wrong,’ Ethan tells her firmly. ‘A Twix isn’t a chocolate bar, it’s a biscuit.’
His face contorts into that grin that makes me want to punch him and kiss him at the same time – the dick.
I can’t help but roll my eyes as Ethan laughs at his own little joke.
Still, I suppose I dodged a bullet there. Ethan obviously told that story to make me look silly and – ha! – it didn’t work, if anything it seemed to endear me to Beau, and did you see how hecame to my defence? He put himself out there for me, he didn’t make fun of me – he was on my side when he didn’t need to be.
That’s something, right?
32
‘Well, today was interesting,’ Ethan says as we lie in bed together.
A laugh track plays out of nowhere.
I push myself up on my elbows, looking around the room suspiciously, before my eyes settle on Ethan and the cheeky look he has on his face.
‘Did you…’
He holds up his phone, showing me the laugh track video he just played from YouTube.
‘Hilarious,’ I say, lying back down.
‘What? You said we were like an old sitcom,’ he replies. ‘I’m just making it feel more authentic.’
I try to make myself more comfortable. It’s a little warmer tonight, the kind of warm where a good night’s sleep feels just out of your reach.
‘I see you and the earl are getting along,’ he says.
‘I see you and Tiggy are getting on,’ I reply.
‘I’m getting on with everyone,’ he replies. ‘Your family are great.’
‘You say that, but just remember what motivated me to invite you along on this trip in the first place,’ I remind him.
‘Has anyone mentioned your birthday?’ he asks, his tone especially gentle, like he already knows the answer.
I shake my head.
‘If you could spend it anywhere, where would it be?’ he asks curiously.
‘If the answer doesn’t have to be logistically or financially realistic, then Paris,’ I reply. ‘I’ve always wanted to go. If I was an old-money snob, that’s where I’d throw my party.’
