‘I know, I know. I wouldn’t have him back now anyway.’
‘So stop looking at what he’s doing! What about the guy from the garage? I thought he’d asked you out? Maybe worth a date?’
‘Dave the rave? Have you seen the car he drives?’
Elle laughed. ‘It’s not all about the car – and at least hehasa car. And what about what Nick drives? You could hear it coughing and spluttering a mile down the road with that dodgy exhaust. I feared for your life every time you went out in it.’
Pippa laughed. ‘Me too.’
‘Well, I suppose what the bright blue Corsa lacked in working parts, it made up for with the cream leather seats, dangly dice and what the hell was that air freshener? Very stylish to say the least.’
Pippa raised her eyebrows at her. ‘Vintage would be the kindest way to describe that ancient piece of junk.’
They both laughed.
‘Are there any other possible contenders?’
Pippa screwed up her face.
‘What about Frankie? The guy who comments on all your Insta posts the minute you post them.’
Pippa shook her head frantically. ‘Dork city and, anyway, he’s ancient. His profile picture must have been through every filter possible. In reality, he’s over fifty, looks shifty and sleazes after every young woman out there. He’s not even a twenty-tequila type of guy.’
‘If you drank twenty tequilas you’d probably end up in a coma.’
Just then they were both startled by the sound of the rain battering against the windowpane.
‘Jeez, I don’t fancy venturing back out in that tonight,’ Pippa said.
Elle stood up and walked over to the window, watching the rain bounce off the pavement. ‘Lashing down is an understatement.’
‘What about book club?’ Pippa asked.
Elle didn’t like to let Mim down – she and Rona went to so much trouble to organise everything – but on nights like this, Elle would rather curl up on the settee and watch Netflix. ‘It doesn’t look like it’s going to stop anytime soon,’ she said uncertainly.
‘Dress code for the evening will be bikini and flippers if we endeavour to go out in that. Heads would turn, especially if we nipped into the pub for a pint on the way,’ Pippa joked. ‘Is there an author booked for tonight?’
‘No, I don’t think there is. Mim will understand if we miss one night, especially with the weather being like this. I’m sure we won’t be the only ones who want to stay home tonight. Have you eaten?’ Elle asked, sitting back down.
Pippa shook her head. ‘It’s one of those nights when I just want to eat stodge and no doubt it will be steamed veg and chicken at home.’
‘How about a takeaway? Oh, and wait until you see what I grabbed from the library today! I’d almost forgotten,’ Elle said excitedly, leaning down and digging deep into her bag.
‘A takeaway sounds divine,’ Pippa replied. ‘Come on – show me! What do you have?’
Elle tossed a book in her direction and the grin on Pippa’s face as she caught sight of the cover said it all.
‘Oh my gosh! The new Sam Stone book! I’ve been waiting for this to be released,’ she marvelled, flicking through the pages.
‘It came into the library today. I thought we could read it before it gets borrowed by the masses – perks of the job and all that.’
‘Absolutely!’ Pippa said. ‘Right, I’ll text Mum to let her know I’m eating with you, and you text Mim to let her know we’ll see her next week.’
As Elle walked into the kitchen to grab the takeaway menus from the pinboard, she tapped out a text to Mim.
‘Curry or Chinese?’ she asked, passing the menus over to Pippa once she was back in the living room.
‘Chicken balti for me,’ Pippa piped up, causing Elle to smile. Every time they ordered a curry, Pippa would always have the same old same old, yet every time she swore blind that she would try something different from the menu next time.
