‘That is not a problem.’ Cassie slumped slightly against the bar. ‘Todd. Have I told you that you’re a very nice man?’
‘Why, thank you.’ Todd looked a little too pleased with that compliment.
‘Could I get a large glass of water?’ James asked.
‘Sure.’
Todd handed Cassie her glass and she made to walk away.
‘Wait for me?’ James said to her, while Todd filled his water glass.
‘Okay. Fine.’ Cassie took a step backwards, turned her ankle and spilled some wine on the floor. ‘Owww. Oh, no, s’okay. Doesn’t actually hurt.’ That would be the anaesthetising properties of alcohol.
‘Come on.’ James took her elbow and walked with her towards the marquee entrance. He was pretty sure that she wouldn’t want to stay this drunk. ‘Why don’t we get some fresh air?’ Hopefully a combination of a lot of water and the cool evening air would sober her up. She wouldn’t want to miss the rest of Laura’s party. They hadn’t even done the cake yet, and, if he said it himself, that was going to be a good moment.
‘Okay,’ she said. ‘You know what, James?’
‘What?’
‘Everyone keeps telling me that they love you. People like fishing with you. They like talking to you. They like shooting pool with you. All sorts. They’re pleased to have met you. They wouldn’thavemet you if I hadn’t left. It’s unflattering.’
‘They do miss you. They keep telling me they do. Plus rumour has it thatmyneighbours like you, and I don’t evenknowmy neighbours,’ he told her.
‘Oh yes.’ She stumbled. ‘That is a very, very good point. You must be very, very clever.’
James steered her round the side of the marquee a little way. ‘Come and sit on this wall with me for a moment?’ he said. ‘Maybe look at the stars?’
‘Look at the stars?’ Cassie hiccupped. ‘Are you the kind of person who looks at stars?’
‘You know, I actually am.’ He knew that he was smiling at her. He really didn’t know why. He hated drunkenness. ‘Let me take your glass.’
‘One more sip first.’ She pulled it away from him and it spilled. Really not a bad thing. ‘James. We’ve made a mess on the grass.’
‘Yeah. Drink some water.’
‘The water’s nice actually.’
‘Drink more of it.’
‘Are you trying to get me un-drunk? Because I can be drunk if I want to. And I’ll tell you why.’ She turned and prodded him in the chest. ‘I can be drunk because I’m not pregnant. I’m un-pregnant. I’m very very very un-pregnant. Not pregnant at all.’ She hiccupped again.
Should he say anything? This felt like a minefield. Had she met someone in London? Dina had definitely told him that Cassie was single, and he’d assumed from his conversation with her mother that she was. Plus, if shedidhave a partner, what had that been in the kitchen earlier?
‘I like your shoes, James.’
‘Thank you. I like your shoes too.’
‘I like your shirt too.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Oh, God,’ Cassie moaned. They’d been sitting there for a good half hour pretty much stargazing and she was clearly a lotmore sober now. Not sober-sober, but not do-stupidly-dangerous-things-drunk any more. ‘Sorry. I had too much to drink.’
‘No need to apologise. It happens. Are you okay?’
‘Yeah. No.’ She paused. James waited, sensing she had more to say. ‘I know I was waffling about not being pregnant. Basically…’ She was staring at the ground. ‘Basically, I had IVF with a donor sperm while I was in London, and I found out last weekend that it didn’t work.’
God. And, okay, so the kitchen moment hadn’t been so bad.
