‘You can pay me back with snacks,’ she said, grinning.
He chuckled and started the engine.
She settled her bag in the footwell. ‘But seriously, you don’t owe me anything. This is a treat for me.’
He chuckled, turning out of the driveway, and started down the hill into Glenbriar. ‘I hope you’re still saying that at the end of the week.’
‘You worry too much.’
‘Probably. But honestly, it’s just… nice to have a friend who’d do this.’
‘Aw, that’s why I love you so much.’ She patted his knee.
‘Clara, seriously.’ He shook his head. ‘You have to stop saying things like that. God knows what people will make of us if you go about telling everyone you love me.’
She burst out laughing. ‘Then I know what we could do.’ She spread her fingers wide and held out her hands. ‘How about we try a fake date?’
He blinked, casting her half a look though keeping his eyes on the road. ‘A fake… date? What the hell is that? You mean, like… the fruit?’
She threw her head back, laughing. ‘No. Not dates.Fakedating. Like pretending to be together for other people’s benefit. Don’t you watch films?’
‘Apparently not the same ones as you.’ But his insides were jumping. Would she really be up for doing that? He didn’t like the idea of lying to Dominic, but he didn’t like the thought of his teasing either.
‘It’s very common in films and books. You’re an English teacher. You must know what I mean.’
‘Of course I do. The phrase “fake date” was what threw me. I just had a vision of a little brown, shrivelled up piece of plastic pretending to be a real fruit.’
She turned in her seat, raising an eyebrow, and giggled. ‘That’s too funny.’
‘Not as funny as what it really means. It’s just a version of Lissa’s pretending-to-be-married scenario.’
‘Exactly. And it often leads to all sorts of fun and nonsense.’
‘Does it have to?’
‘Oh, yes.’ Her tone was teasing. ‘I mean, we might end up with another of my favourite movie moments. The “one-bed” scenario.’
‘Oh god.’ He shook his head – he couldn’t ask her to do this… could he?
‘You must have heard of that one.’ She smirked. ‘You know. When the fake couple arrives somewhere, and for whatever reason, there’s only one bed.’
‘Uh-huh… And would you want a scenario like that?’
She leaned back, throwing him a mischievous look. ‘Forced proximity and awkwardness guaranteed. Who wouldn’t want it?’
He huffed out a laugh. ‘Hmm. Can’t think. But I messaged the owners to sort out the bed arrangements. It’s one of those zip-up things, so no chance of your one-bed thing tonight, though we’ll still be in the same room, so that might be enough forced proximity and awkwardness anyway.’
She gave him another pat on the knee. ‘I wouldn’t have minded. Friends can share a bed, no drama.’
He shook his head, watching the traffic to his right as got to a junction that led to the main road. Some of the stuff she said was unlike anything he was used to. Friends in his life definitely didn’t go about telling each other how much they loved the other – especially in such exaggerated ways. But then it wasn’t completely uncommon. She said that kind of thing to other people – he’d heard her saying she loved Lissa, Polly, Mirren, Isaac and others… so Sam wasn’t really special. Had she ever said it to Kerr? Or maybe it was harder to say to the person she really loved.
As they headed out of Glenbriar and onto the dual carriageway, she said, ‘So, tell me about your friend who’s getting married.’
‘Dominic.’ Sam drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. ‘We went to school together, though that seems like a hundred years ago. This is his second marriage. I haven’t even met Astrid, the woman he’s marrying.’
‘Oh well, that’s good… for me.’ Clara smiled. ‘It means we’ll both be meeting new people.’
‘Yeah, that’s true. But there’s something I should tell you about him.’
