I smile at the message. So far, he’s proving to be quite a good flatmate, after all my concerns. The endless cups of tea he makes for me. He’s very quiet; in fact, he’s in his room all the time. Gaming or something, probably. He doesn’t want or expect anything from me. He just co-lives with me. I jump as my phone starts to ring in my hand, and this time it’s Charlie.
I feel a small sense of beingwanted, which makes me feel almost bloated with happiness.
“Charlie?” I say.
“Mara, how are you? I wanted to hear your voice,” she says.
“Oh, all good here. Just in a work meeting,” I say, looking over at my three colleagues, who are in various states of undress by the pool, sipping tea and gorging on cream buns. Itisa work meeting of sorts.
“Oh good. Great. Howiswork?” says Charlie, sounding more relaxed.
“It’s gotten interesting, at last.” I feel a big sense of excitement as I start to imagine all the possibilities that lie ahead.
“Oh, that sounds... well... like a good project,” Charlie says, and so I explain to her all about my ideas and the election, and she says things likewowandcoolandgood for you, Mara.
“I’m so happy to hear you thriving in a... you know, healthy way,” she says.
“Yes. I’ve realized that this is my Saturn return, Charlie. It came late, but it’s here. My upheaval. My big change. I am on the path.”
“You’ve been waiting for it,” she says lightly.
“I cut all my hair off, by the way,” I say now, “and I’m going to get eyelash extensions and my brows waxed, and I’m going to fix this lido and fix my life, and then—and I know you don’t believe me, but Joe is going to come. I can feel everything coming together. You’re going to be so proud of me.”
There is a pause on the other end of the phone.
“Okay, Mara,” she says, weakly now.
“But listen to me going on. How areyou?”
“I’m fine. Same old,” she says.
“Mara!” Lynn shouts and waves excitedly in my direction.
“I have to go,” I say to Charlie. “Don’t worry about me. I’m cool as a cucumber. It’s all falling into place.”
And then I hang up before she has a chance to say anything else.
“Samira has been googling the US presidential election to see what kind of jobs people have... and we all agree you can be the campaign manager since you came up with the plan. What do you think?”
I look at Samira, Lynn, and Ryan smiling giddily at me, and we all stare wistfully out to the English Channel.
“I think let’s bloody well do this!” I say, finding myself beaming with unbridled delight. “I’m so up for it.”
“Put that in your—” Ryan begins.
“No,” I snap, holding up a finger. “Don’t sully thismoment.”
Part Two
JULY
12
Ash, I needhelp,” I say, holding my hand over my face as I speak.
“What’s wrong, Mara?” he says, his voice tight with concern.
It was partially to avoid Samira’s comment and subsequent offer to thread my eyebrows that I booked a wax and a dye for as soon as possible, with very little research. And then, when I was on the phone to the only available beauty therapist in nearby Faversham, I’d spontaneously asked for eyelash extensions too.The thick, bushy kind, I’d said.So I look like Zooey Deschanel fromNew Girl, I’d said. And something has happened—some kind of reaction—because I can barely see.
