Tasha tilted her head to one side.
‘Are you sure?’
‘I think at my age I’d know.’
‘In my experience a lot of adults know very little.’
‘Already such a cynic! You didn’t inherit that from Granny. If you must know, he asked me to go to the opening of a gallery tomorrow night.’
‘That’s a big deal.’
‘Really? He didn’t make it sound like it.’
‘Well, he wouldn’t. He’s Lance the Modest. The woman who’s set up the gallery is an interiors influencer and she’s going to stock some of his bigger, more expensive pieces. She’s got squillions of followers on Instagram and London contacts. Erin’s really excited about it, but Lance is worried that it’ll all come to nothing. He hates Erin to be disappointed.’
‘So, not a date then, in your opinion?’
Tasha shook her head. ‘More like a cry for help and you rebuffed him.’
‘Don’t say that!’
‘He probably just wants someone to give him some moral support, that’s all. Anyway,’ she said, with a sly glance, ‘would it be too terrible if it was a date?’
‘Yes, it would.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I’m not ready.’
‘Granny says we’re very rarely ready for things. She says the trick is not to plan too far ahead or look too far behind. Try to live in the present. She also says don’t give up on the important things.’
‘Easier said than done.’
Tasha frowned.
‘I’ve said that to her, but she just gives me that look as if I need to look inside myself and find some fortitude.’
‘And do you?’
‘I try. I don’t want to disappoint her. I can live with my own disappointment in myself but not letting her down. Granny says you’re not a giver upper. She says you’re going to be okay.’
Somehow hearing that Rita thought that gave her a real boost.
‘If you’d known it wasn’t a date, would you have said yes?’
‘Possibly.’
‘I bet your mum would make you go. Where is she, by the way?’
‘She’s upstairs having a rest. The responsibility of shrine making is exhausting apparently.’
Tasha stood up and walked towards the sitting room.
‘Tasha, don’t you dare go and get her,’ Jules said, half laughing.
‘Erin worries that Lance has spent too much time going to things on his own.’
‘I presume she’ll be there tomorrow?’
