“You need to have a proper chat with him, Rose. Maybe after you’ve worked out if you want more from him than just being friends.”
Her words hung in the air like fireworks that had been paused on a screen.
“We’re only ever going to be friends.”
“Is that what you want?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I always wondered if he wanted something more, but I was never sure, and he felt too good for me, if you know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t know what you mean because in our opinion no man is good enough for you, which we’ve told you every time you’ve been out with some tool who thought you should worshipthem.” She took a bossy tone to her voice, one that would never suit her, given she looked like a China doll.
“But Carter was different.”
“To you.”
I pulled my face just like I had when I was fifteen and didn’t agree with something even though it was true. The other three had all gotten on well with Carter, we’d all hung out together, but not as much as Carter and I had.
“He moved into my house.”
“Your family’s house. You never lived there.”
“That’s pedantic.”
“It’s true.” Harriet sipped her tea, calm as always. “I remember you finding it weird when he moved in there, especially when his bedroom was the room I used to stay in.”
“I found it weird anyone living there apart from Marie and Grant.” I didn’t always manage change well.
“How are you going to manage me not being here?” And she skilfully brought it back to what we needed to discuss.
“It’ll be okay. I know this is amazing for you and we can’t live together forever.” I had given it some thought.
“We agreed we’d have the same retirement home when we get to eighty.”
“Of course. We signed a contract when we were fourteen.” I doubted it was legally binding, but I had every expectation that would be what happened.
“You’re not going to get another roommate?”
I shook my head. “No. I don’t really like living with people. You were an exception because you’re a neat freak and don’t want to talk all the time, but I couldn’t even live with Erin or Fallon. Definitely not Fallon.” Fallon was a nightmare on wheels at the best of times. She purposely lived on the edge of whatever precipice took her fancy, and would dance over it with an untested parachute.
“Maybe you’ll live with a boy one day.” Harriet smiled sweetly, the smile she sometimes wore when she was reading a romance novel, usually one set in the eighteen hundreds when men rode horses and wore breeches.
“I can’t imagine it.”
“You will when the right person comes along. I know that’s a cliché, but you will.” She nodded with certainty.
“So will you.” I knew my friend wanted a partner and a family at some point. Fallon was more like me, only she picked men off a menu, seasoned them and froze them for when she was hungry. I fixated on one I knew would be totally unsuitable because then I didn’t need to make any huge decisions about living with them which meant nothing much changed.
Apart from Carter.
“Maybe. We’ll see. Stratford-Upon-Avon might have a geeky bookseller who’d be the right man, or a captain who runs the barges up and a down the river for tourists. Someone low key and drama free.” She shrugged. “I’m not sure that exists.”
“If it did you’d be bored of them quick enough.”
“Possibly. I want someone like you have Carter who’ll never get bored of.” Her smile turned wicked.
“I know you’re needling me. Stop it. For all I know he’s got a girlfriend already and he’s just not telling us. We’re not as close as we were.” The last few months had ended that.
“That’ll change now he’s back. You’re just keeping him at arm’s length.”
