‘Nothing.’
Sofia looked from one to the other.
‘It can’t be nothing. You’ve both got tears in your eyes, you’ve been laughing so hard.’
Maddie passed her friend a beer.
‘I know you hate being left out. But let’s just say it’s nothing for you to worry about.’
Sofia took an angry swig at the beer, and Charlotte’s appearance at the table stopped any further conversation, as all three of them stared at her.
Her long blonde hair was plastered to her head, and the sweat was running in rivers down both sides of her face while her silver dress was stuck to her body in big damp lumps.
‘That was fantastic! I used to adore The Jam. Paul Weller went to my friend’s school and they used to practise in the school hall.’
Sofia passed over another beer.
‘Eeeew. Don’t get too close to me, please. I’m meeting up with Adonis later, once he gets rid of all the annoying hotel guests hanging around the bar. Why can’t they all just have an early night?’
Maddie and Grace exchanged glances. Usually, it was the men waiting around for Sofia, not the other way round.
Charlotte leant over and rubbed her cheek slowly against Sofia’s.
‘Yuk! Get off.’
Maddie waved down a waiter. Charlotte was already pretty trollied, so they might as well catch up.
‘More beers, children?’
Grace looked down at her phone.
‘I could squeeze in one more. Thanks.’
Another energetic bout on the dance floor had the four of them high kicking in unison to ‘New York, New York’, with Charlotte and Grace as the glamorous blonde bookends, hair shining brightly under the lights, and she and Sofia the flashes of red and brunette in between.
Back in their seats and halfway down their new beers, Charlotte giggled and leant over to Grace.
‘I know. You can be our fourth musketeer! You’d have to be called D’Artagnan though, because he was the one who joined last.’
Maddie marvelled at Charlotte’s grasp of facts even when three sheets to the wind.
‘That’s a great idea.’ Sofia smiled at Grace. ‘Remind me of the other names, Char.’
‘Um, Athos, Porthos and Aramis.’
‘Oooh, bagsy Aramis. I had an old boyfriend who wore that aftershave. Just a whiff of it could get me going.’
Maddie laughed into her beer.
‘I’m sure Alexandre Dumas would be proud.’
‘Who’s he?’
‘The author of the original book.’ Charlotte smiled. ‘Aramis originally wanted to be a priest.’
Maddie nudged her friend.
‘Perfect for you, Sof.’
