‘I’m quite nervous!’ said Helena as she fiddled with Google Maps on her phone although they knew the way.
Jago glanced at her. ‘Why?’
‘Because James may not like me!’
‘I like you. Isn’t that enough?’
Suddenly it wasn’t. She needed him to tell her he loved her. He’d certainly shown her this was the case but now she needed the words. She wouldn’t ask though. ‘You know how it is. Your best friend! I’d have been miserable if Amy didn’t like you and I was desperately upset when Ithought my mother was getting together with Leo.’
‘A mother is different, though.’
‘Of course. I did wonder if I’d never want her to have a man in her life but I’m fine about William. I mean, it took a bit of getting used to and a lot of blanking out about what they do that isn’t just having dinner or whatever, but basically I just want her to be happy.’
‘I’m sure James just wants me to be happy. And I am,’ he said. As they’d reached a set of traffic lights just then he took the opportunity to kiss her.
Helena was glad Jago was driving – a glass or two of Prosecco would make the whole date a lot easier, at least in the beginning. If James didn’t like her, Jago would be torn between his girlfriend and his old friend forever. As for her liking James, she’d made up her mind to. A lot of things were a matter of choice, she realised, even those that didn’t appear to be.
As arranged, Helena and Jago arrived first. James appeared minutes later. Amy was due half an hour after that.
‘Hey mate!’ said Jago as he and James hugged each other.
‘So this is Helena?’ said James. He hugged her too and she took it as a good sign.
While Jago went to the bar, Helena and James inspected each other. She was a bit more intensewith her inspection than he was. For her part she liked his curly fair hair, very blue eyes and intelligent expression, and thought Amy would too. He wasn’t as tall as Jago and, in Helena’s opinion, not as attractive, but he was quite good-looking enough, she felt.
When they’d finished studying each other she smiled and he smiled back. ‘So, you’re a weaver?’ he said.
‘Yes. But Amy and I do a lot of workshops together which are more lucrative than selling the things really. I hope you’re not anti-weaver generally.’
He laughed, as he was supposed to. ‘Certainly not. So far, I’ve never met a weaver I haven’t liked.’ He paused. ‘Of course you are the first weaver I’ve met.’
She smiled. ‘Amy is also a weaver.’
‘Well, let’s hope she fits the pattern.’
‘I don’t know if there’s a pattern but she’s bright, and fun.’ She paused. ‘Jago says she’s jolly.’
‘You don’t agree with him?’
‘Oh, I do! She and I have a lot of fun but I’m not sure it’s a flattering description.’
‘I’ll let you know if I think she’s jolly.’ He winked.
Helena decided she liked James – he was definitely jolly.
As the evening was going so well, they decided to stay and eat. Amy and James seemed to hit it offand, Amy had confided, she fancied James really quite a lot.
But while they were sharing a selection of puddings, Jago frowned and got out his phone. ‘Sorry,’ he said, having looked down at it. ‘I’ll have to take this.’
Something in the way that he left the table made everyone else a bit less cheerful. ‘I hope it’s not something dreadfully wrong with one of his properties,’ said Helena. ‘We may need to leave at once to put buckets under burst pipes.’
‘Well, if you have to go, maybe me and Amy can stay on for a bit? Would you be up for that, Amy?’ James asked.
‘I should think that would be all right,’ said Amy. She sounded fairly relaxed about it but Helena guessed she was delighted by his suggestion.
Jago came back. ‘We’re going to have to go, I’m afraid,’ he said.
‘Burst pipes?’ said Amy.
