‘I know that. It’s just you said about all the applications and the ghosting and… well, you haven’t really got any admin experience have you, so…’
Bella felt a strange sensation in her chest. She reminded herself that her sister was just being supportive.
‘Yeah. Anyway,’ she said dismissively, determined to change the subject. ‘What about you? Have you been up to anything?’
Kitty snorted. ‘Oh well, we went to the park yesterday so that’s something!’
‘And how’s Ty?’
‘Adorable. Annoying.’
Bella smiled, thinking of her two-year-old nephew. ‘Hopefully more one than the other?’
‘Yes, but I’m not saying which. Anyway, my life is nothing new. I want to know about this house share. What are the others like? Are you getting on?’
Memory footage from the last forty-eight hours scrolled through Bella’s mind as she inspected it for suitable titbits. Naked Henri? No. Getting unfathomably drunk on three glasses of cherry wine, then finding out it was more of a liqueur, something to be enjoyed sparingly? Best not. The fact that she was off out again tonight despite the fact she was starting a new job tomorrow? Probably best to keep that to herself. That and the fact her friends thought she was a twenty-something student on a degree break rather than a thirty-something woman with dodgy finances.
‘It’s good. They seem… nice,’ she said at last.
‘And Pete hasn’t been in touch?’
‘No.’
‘Good.’
The fizz she had been feeling in anticipation of the night out dampened at the mention of his name. ‘Good?’
‘Sorry. I liked Pete, obviously. But after he left you like that? It was so heartless. It made me question everything about him.’
‘Well, I loved him. And whether you liked him or not, I miss him.’
‘I know, I’m sorry.’
When she’d got married in her twenties, people had commented it was young. Plus, emigrating to France and opening a business? Nobody had said much out loud once the move had been finalised, but she’d always suspected people had wondered – how long it would last.
She wondered how long it would take her sister to say, ‘I told you so.’
‘So. Are you all ready?’ her sister continued.
‘What for?’ She had, in the past, wondered if Kitty might be psychic. But how could she possibly know Bella was preparing for a night out?
She’d selected a yellow dress she’d bought years ago and never worn, and Odette had helped her to style her hair with more of a tousle, using mousse and tongs. She’d even promised to help her run a little colour through its brown length to give it a bit of a pop. She’d lent her a dark red lipstick and when Bella had put it on earlier, she’d looked in the mirror and gasped.
In place of the rather sensible, neat, and passably pretty Bella she’d become accustomed to seeing was a new woman – someone who looked vibrant and fun and bright and confident. It was as if she’d stepped into a magical clothing store and bought a whole new persona. Eat your heart out, Mr Ben.
‘Ready? What do you mean?’
‘For work! Got everything ironed? Have you bought your ticket? Thought about lunch? It’s probably better to take something just in case… I?—’
‘Oh yeah, I’ll be fine.’ Bella straightened up and held her leg out, looking at her toenails in the still bright daylight. They glimmered.
‘Good. And you’re not going to spend the evening fretting?’
‘I’ll try not to.’ She smiled, thinking about the theatre, the musical she was being dragged to at Théâtre Darius Milhaud. It was a performance of an original play penned by one of the students and although she’d never really been one for musicals or theatre – or, latterly, even going out after 7p.m. – she had really been looking forward to it. Henri had said he’d bring a couple of people he knew from the uni, and one of Odette’s friends had managed to secure them tickets at half price.
She managed to deflect further questions by asking Kitty about her husband, Stu, and his new job. It worked… just.
After they’d said their goodbyes, she set her phone down on the cotton duvet, stood and opened one of the doors of her rather ancient wardrobe, taking in her appearance in the mirror on the back. Her newly styled hair was falling softly around her face. The dress hugged her waist and fell gently to her knees, just enough to reveal her lightly tanned legs without being too short.
