‘I really have. I think I’ll miss them when we swap back. Not joking. You’ll have to send me news of them.’
‘Yeah, I’m going to miss your neighbours when I leave London.’ She was going to miss James too.
‘Maybe we should make it an annual thing. For a holiday. Again, not joking.’
Cassie nodded. ‘That does sound like a plan.’ And then she and James would have to stay in touch.
‘Okay, great. So I’m going to go over to see the chickens. Have a good journey.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Probably speak soon about something.’
‘Yes, probably.’ Cassie smiled at him and he walked round her, giving her awideberth.
James had demonstrated that he was a lot lovelier than she’d ever have expected, but Cassie still felt a little awkward about having a full-on one-sided chat with the alpacas within possible earshot of him, so she just gave each of them a kiss and left.
* * *
Cassie thanked Henry fervently for his help with her luggage and closed the door of the flat behind him. Arriving here after the long journey from the island felt different this time. It genuinely did feel like a second home.
This time, she had food, she had towels and she had friends, and this evening she was going to the cinema with Chloe, Juliet and Anthony. Juliet had suggested a film based on what was apparently a great example of nineteenth-century German literature, and Cassie had invited Anthony – he read a lot of quite serious books – for another good opportunity to try to get him and Juliet together. A lot could happen under cover of the darkness and noise of a film auditorium.
* * *
‘Hi, Jennifer.’ Cassie put her phone on speaker and turned the volume down. The cinema last night had been one of those fancy ones with a lot of velvet and a wine bar, and she’d had more glasses than she should have done because the film had been dull, so she had a headache this morning. She could increase the volume if it turned out that Jennifer was in Friendly Home Jennifer mode rather than Business Bitch mode.
‘How’s it going? We have a meeting with the TV people lined up for next Tuesday.’ Business mode. Cassie adjusted the volume down further.
‘Okay, so all great then,’ Jennifer wound up. ‘And now I’d better go. Gotta try to find another babysitter. We have tickets forHamiltonthis evening, which we don’t want to miss, and our babysitter just fell through. Teenagers. She got asked out on a date with the boy she’s been into for months and she said yes and binned us. And you know what, you can’t do that.’ Screechy but fair. ‘I’m not going to be asking her again. Disappointing because we know her mother and that’s why we felt confident leaving Sammy with her, but, you know. You do need a babysitter to be reliable.’
‘And you wouldn’t want her date to help her babysit?’
‘So she can make out on the couch and ignore any sounds from the baby monitor? No. I’m actually really pissed at her, which is why I’m talking to you about it now and mixing business and displeasure. It’s our anniversary and it was the first time since Sammy that we were going to venture out beyond Barnes. Anyway. Maybe I’ll find someone. I’m going to call around.’
‘Why don’t I do it?’ Cassie heard herself say. What? She didn’t want to be alone all evening with Sammy. She’d be beating down the door of the IVF clinic again by the time Jennifer and Angela got home.
‘I couldn’t accept your help. I hope you don’t think I was asking you.’
‘No, of course I don’t. But, honestly, not a problem. I was only planning to work this evening. I can bring my laptop with me.’
‘Are you really sure?’
‘Totally.’ Not. But Cassie couldn’t avoid babies for the rest of her life just to stop herself feeling broody. That would be ridiculous. And how rubbish if Jennifer and Angela had to miss out on their anniversary evening.
‘Well, then I will accept very gratefully but on one condition.’
‘Mmm?’ Never say yes to Jennifer until you knew exactly what the question was.
‘You have to accept whatever very OTT thank you present I buy for you with no quibbling.’
Cassie laughed. ‘No present OTT or otherwise is necessary but, yes, should there be any such present I will accept it quibble-free.’
‘Perfect. Thank yousomuch.’
‘Bye. Have fun.’ Cassie closed Jennifer’s front door and turned to look at Sammy. She could totally, no question, do this. Of course she could. She was a competent adult. He was a very small person. How hard could it be for her to look after him?
He started crawling away from her along the hall towards the kitchen, really quite fast. He had agorgeouskind of commando action, not your classic crawl, and it looked so determined and socute. And, woah, he was about to go headfirst down the two steps that led to the kitchen.
