‘Oh? What’s that?’
‘Well, we go way back. We met at infant school, and we’ve stayed friends, possibly because we shared the same terrible haircuts throughout most of our school life.’
Clara smiled. ‘I’m trying to imagine a mini-Sam with a questionable fringe. I bet you were a right cutie.’
‘I don’t think so.’ He shook his head. ‘I was a weird-looking kid. But that’s not what I wanted to tell you. Dominic’s first wife… Well… I dated his first wife before he did. At high school. She didn’t cheat on me or anything. We’d split up by the time she started going out with Dominic, but it was a bit awkward for a while.’
‘Oh dear.’ Clara raised an eyebrow.
‘We got over it, and I never made a thing of it. But Dominic likes to rib me about it sometimes, especially when he’s had too much to drink. It’s like he thinks he’s won some non-existent competition because he married my first “love”. If you can call it that. She was really just someone I went to the cinema with a few times. Not exactly shocking stuff, but when you meet Dominic, you’ll get it.’
‘I see.’ She raised an eyebrow. ‘He’s got bragging rights.’
‘Exactly.’
Clara sucked on her lower lip. ‘Should I be worried? He sounds like—’
‘A bit of a dick?’
She giggled. ‘Ha-ha. He definitely sounds like someone completely unlike you. I thought you’d only have sensible friends.’
He raised an eyebrow, one corner of his mouth quirking. ‘What can I say? Even sensible teachers were once reckless students.’
‘Reckless?’ She gave him a sceptical look. ‘You? I’m not convinced.’
‘Well, Dom’s always been a bit of a charmer.’
‘So are you.’ She looked at him thoughtfully.
‘Me? I don’t go around flirting with everyone.’
‘You don’t have to. Your charm comes from your being so nice to everyone… and your voice.’
‘My voice.’ He screwed up his face. ‘What about my voice?’
‘It’s very low and deep.’ She put on a fake version of it. ‘And you have that well-spoken Englishness. It draws in the ladies and makes them swoon.’
‘Seriously, that is nonsense.’
She laughed. ‘It’s really not.’
‘Listen, Clara…’ He took a deep breath. ‘Would you…’ How could he say this without looking like a fool?
‘Would I what?’
‘This might be the craziest thing I ever say in my whole life, but would you pretend to be my girlfriend when we’re with Dom?’ His insides squirmed as the words left his lips, but he didn’t need to look at Clara to know she was beaming. He felt it like heat and light radiating from her.
‘You’re serious?’ She put her hand on his arm.
‘I guess I am. It’s just… so awkward sometimes.’
‘Then say no more. Of course I will. That sounds like a laugh, and I really need some fun right now.’
‘Ok.’ He let out a slow breath. ‘Thank you.’
‘And what about your family? Are we pretending to them too?’
‘No. I couldn’t lie to them like that – even if it’s a white lie. I just couldn’t. I already told Mum I might be bringing a friend. And she’s probably told Claire. I can’t deny that the minute they see you, they’ll jump to all sorts of conclusions.’
