‘No, they shouldn’t.’ Georgie did an authoritative head shake. ‘I read somewhere last week that the average British woman doesn’t lose all her baby weight until her baby’s seventeen months old.’
‘I think you look beautiful, Poppy.’ Raf produced a megawatt smile for her.
Poppy’s lips immediately turned up at the corners and her shoulders visibly lifted.
Which was ridiculous. To be fair, Raf was possibly the most gorgeous man ever to set foot in the whole of Gloucestershire, even including all the celebs who flocked to the Cotswolds in their very un-muddy 4x4s to install solar-powered swimming pools and cinema complexes on their organic farms. His liquidchocolate eyes and slightly lopsided smile could persuade a lot of people to do alotof things. And so far he’d seemed like very good company. But he was a stranger. And he had succeeded where all Poppy’s actual best friends had failed. And that was just not right.
‘But,’ Raf continued, pulling a stool up and pointing the open bag of popcorn at Georgie, ‘that weight loss statistic was totally invented. Aka a lie. I can see it in your eyes. Whichtotallyproves my point.’
‘You cannot see it in her eyes,’ scoffed Ankita.
‘I can,’ said Raf. ‘I’m a divorce lawyer and it’s my USP. I can always tell when people are lying. Which, as I said, they do at least once every ten minutes.’
Honestly. He mightlooklike actual sex-on-legs, but in facthe was a tactless idiot. The mood she was in, Poppy would definitelytake that the wrong way.
Georgie sneaked a quick look at her. Yep, she looked as though she was on the brink of tears; she was definitely not her usual self. Poppy had always been very positive, very upbeat. It was probably all the post-baby sleep deprivation getting to her.
‘Poppy.’ She reached for Poppy’s hands. ‘Ididinvent the details of that statistic, but the big picture of it is one hundred per cent true. Hardly anyone goes back to their pre-pregnancy weight within yearsof giving birth. Look at me. I’m literally a stone and a half heavier than I was before I had Max and I’m obviously not going to lose the weight now, because he’seleven. And I never manage to do any exercise. And I never get enough sleep. And I really don’t mind. I never think about any of it all.’
Shetotallyminded. She’d love to get a full eight hours at night, at least occasionally, but it was difficult getting to bed on time when combining full-time work and single-motherhood. And she’d like to lose a bit of weight. If only she had any willpower to do some proper exercise and give up chocolateand cake. And crisps, obviously. Speaking of which, she could murder a packet of salt and vinegar right now.
She looked up and caught Raf smirking at her. The look on his face totallyimplied he thought she was lying.
‘Seriously,’ Georgie said. ‘Does anyonelikeyou when you do the Mr Human-Lie-Detector thing?’
‘Lots of people do.’ He gave a pantomime wink.
Georgie raised her eyes to the ceiling. Ow. That hurt, and the ceiling looked all swirly. It must be because she wasn’t used to still being up at 2a.m.
‘But Georgie, it suits you,’ said Poppy. ‘You’ve got the whole Marilyn Monroe amazing hourglass figure and beautiful face thing going on. I haven’t. Oh. I’ve just realised. You think I should buy bigger clothes.’
‘No, I really, really don’t.’ Georgie put her hand on her forehead. It was still hurting a bit, even now she wasn’t looking upwards. ‘You look great. Honestly. You do.’
‘You really do,’ Beth and Ankita agreed simultaneously.
‘You’ve always looked like you should be a model,’ said Beth, ‘and you still do.’
‘An ugly, plus-sized one.’ Poppy sniffed. ‘With falling-out hair and bags under her eyes.’
‘They’re all telling the truth.’ Raf was megawatt-smiling again. Not too megawatt, though. Just the right amount. ‘You do look fantastic.’
And, again, Poppy produced an actual smile of her own.
‘So who’s made any New Year’s resolutions?’ asked Georgie. It was definitely time to change the subject. ‘I have. Lots.’
‘Me too,’ said Ankita, ‘which I don’t normally do.’
‘There’s no point.’ Poppy’s smile had gone. ‘I wouldn’t keep them. I’m too tired and too bored.’
‘Poppy, darling.’ Beth put her arms round her, causing some of her hair to dip into the wine in Poppy’s glass. ‘Do you think you’d be happier if you went back to work?’
‘I said I’d take a year’s maternity leave. I can’t desert Daniel.’
‘What about just a day or two a week?’ said Georgie. ‘It wouldn’t be deserting him. I started teaching three days a week when Max was six months old and he loved nursery. And it was fantastic for me because we still spent the majority of the week together but I got to have that break from full-time parenting when I was at work. I bet you could find a one- or two-day-a-week locum job. Maybe at the village surgery with Declan?’
Poppy shook her head. ‘I don’t think so.’
‘Why don’t you make it your New Year’s resolution just to think about it and make a couple of enquiries?’ suggested Raf. ‘You don’t have todoit. Just ask.’
