‘Oh, I— we’re not—’ Claire began.
‘I’m so glad!’ Ali interrupted. ‘You must come to my birthday party,’ she said to Claire.
‘That’s very kind of you but?—’
‘You have to bring her,’ Ali said to Luca, cutting off Claire once again. ‘I’m sure Mum and Dad would love to meet her.’ Claire was almost afraid to look at Luca, sure he would be freaking out, but he just smiled at his sister helplessly.
‘We’ll have a proper chat then, get to know each other properly,’ Ali said to Claire. ‘It’s next month ? did he tell you? The fifteenth of June. We’ll use the sunroom, but if the weather’s good we can be out in the garden. Anyway, I’ve got to go, but I’ll see you then.’
‘Aren’t you going to come to brunch with us?’ Claire asked.
‘No,’ she said, aiming a sly smile at her brother. ‘I know where I’m not wanted.’
‘Oh, of course you?—’
‘It wasreallynice to meet you again, Claire. Don’t forget – fifteenth of June,’ she babbled, as she made her way to the door. ‘Dressy, but not too dressy,’ she said, turning in the doorway. ‘You don’t want to upstage the birthday girl. And don’t worry about a present. Just get me something small and very expensive. Only kidding!’ She giggled. ‘Well, bye.’ And then she was gone.
‘So that was your sister,’ Claire said to Luca.
‘Yeah.’ He sighed. ‘That was Ali.’
‘I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to say that I couldn’t go to her party. I couldn’t really get a word in.’
Luca gave her a wary look. ‘You don’t want to come to her party?’
‘Oh, it’s not that I don’t want to – I mean she seems lovely, and I’m sure it’ll be fun, but?—’
‘Sheislovely. Itwillbe fun.’
‘But she only wants me to come because she thinks I’m your girlfriend. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to set her straight about that but…’ She waved her hand helplessly in the direction of the door.
‘She invitedyou. You should come.’
‘But she thinks we’re… together. And I’m sure you have someone else you’d rather bring.’ She had no desire to be subjected to an evening playing the fifth wheel, watching Luca with some other girl while she stood on the sidelines. Just thinking about it made her want to cry.
‘No.’
‘Sorry?’
‘No, I don’t have anyone else I’d rather bring.’ Luca looked right into her eyes then and her breath hitched.
‘But… everyone will think we’re together.’
Luca shrugged. ‘So? We know what we are to each other. What does it matter what anyone else thinks?’
Did she know what they were to each other? Did Luca really know what he was to her? Despite what she had said to him that morning, she wasn’t at all sure she knew herself.
‘Look, you know you’re not my girlfriend. I don’t give a toss if anyone else thinks you are.’
‘But your mum and dad?—’
‘Will be very impressed. Come on, you can make me look good for once.’
She smiled. ‘You really want me to come?’
‘Yes, I really do. What do you want – a gilt-edged invitation? Actually, there probably is a gilt-edged invitation somewhere. So…?’
‘So…’ She hesitated.
