Val tipped up her beer and finished it off. ‘Right then, my loves. I could sit here all night but my Don will send out a search party if I’m not back, clutching a chicken chow mein, in time forStrictly. It’s the little things in life…’ she said, grinning. ‘Since Josie has led me astray with alcohol, we’ll jump in a cab and Don will bring me back in for the car in the morning.’
Cammy reached over and took her hand. ‘Tell Don I said hello and I’ll give him a shout during the week for a pint.’
‘Will do. Maybe make it the same evening as our book club. What night is it this week, Josie?’
‘Thursday.’
‘Okay, will do. What are you reading this week then?’
The two of them gave him the pursed lips of warning. He’d discovered months ago that ‘book club’ was their euphemism for a ‘drink gin and gossip with pals’ club. Josie and Val had been going for years and they’d never discussed a classic novel yet.
‘You ready to go now too?’ Josie asked him as she wandered over and deposited her beer bottle in the bin.
‘I’ll be five minutes. Just want to sort out a tie and quickly cash up today’s takings.’
Josie leaned down and gave him a hug, then a kiss on the cheek. ‘You know we love you, don’t you?’ she said affectionately.
‘I do,’ he replied truthfully.
‘Right, I said I wasn’t going to go there…’ Josie announced mournfully.
‘Don’t, Josie,’ Val warned.
‘It’s for his own good,’ came the retort.
‘Jesus, we were almost out the door,’ Val sighed.
Josie, however, was unconcerned about the protest. She turned to face Cammy. ‘Cammy, you know that, as always, this comes from a place of love…’
‘Oh God,’ Cammy groaned, knowing this wasn’t going anywhere good.
Josie carried on, undeterred. ‘I promise I’ll butt out of your life and get on board with this wedding. I’ll even wear a hat the size of a manhole cover. I’ll do a jig. And I’ll tell Lila that she’s the best thing that ever happened to you despite the fact that she’s down there on the list below chickenpox and the boot in the bollocks you got that time at five-a-side footie…’
Cammy turned to Val. ‘The biggest “but” in history is just around the corner, isn’t it?’
Val nodded sadly. ‘Coming right at you.’
Josie took a moment to prepare the rest of the declaration. ‘BUT only if you can absolutely 100 per cent without a doubt tell me honestly that you feel the same way about Lila as you did about Mel.’
‘I do,’ Cammy blurted.
‘Honestly?’ Josie asked sceptically.
‘Is that why you don’t want me to get engaged? Because you don’t think I love her enough?’
Josie looked sheepish. ‘No. It’s because she’s shallow, stand-offish, she’ll bleed you dry and she couldn’t find a sense of humour if it was gift-wrapped in tissue paper and backlit with a strobe light. But apart from that, you’re right. I think you’ve come home and you want to settle down, make a new life, banish old ghosts, and that’s what she’s done for you. I worry that it’s the idea of her that you love more than the real thing. I don’t see her make you laugh, I don’t see that you’re best friends like you and M…’
Cammy interrupted her before she could finish the sentence. He didn’t need to hear it. ‘She does, and we are. I want to marry her, Josie.’
‘Then I’ll get shopping for a manhole cover,’ Josie replied, beat. She’d given it her best shot. There was no more to be done.
Val moved in to hug him. ‘Good luck tonight. If you’re happy that’s all that matters.’
‘Thanks Val.’
And then they were gone, leaving him sitting in an empty shop with an expensive suit waiting to go on, and anengagement ring burning a hole in his pocket. And Josie’s words replaying in his mind.
‘Tell me honestly that you feel the same way about Lila as you did about Mel.’
