I shake my head wearily. What I need is to rewind time, go back to that day before the wedding that never was and do something different, so I never end up with a head injury in the first place. But since I don’t know why I was in the garden on my own, I don’t even have a clue what that might be. Other than that, I’m stumped. Knowing what everyone else needs and serving it up to them is my superpower. I’m not so good at turning it around on myself.
A naughty glint appears in Anjali’s eyes, and she leans down to the large tote bag sitting by her chair. ‘Well, while you’re working it out, maybe these will help…’ and she brings out a tub full of salted caramel mini muffins and places them on the table between us.
‘Oh my God!’ I say, taking a swift look at the kitchen window. ‘Don’t let my mum see these! She’ll confiscate them.’
Anjali salutes me, takes two muffins from the pot, and replaces it in her bag. ‘This is why I brought mini muffins,’ she says, unpeeling one from its case and pushing the other towards me. She opens her mouth and pops the whole thing inside, then closes it again. ‘Eaf … ta hide … effy den,’ she says.
I’ve only just recovered from the last bout of laughter, yet I’m set to go again. ‘What?’
She swallows and tries again. ‘Easier to hide the evidence! Go on …’ She nods at my muffin and waits.
I’ve just finished unpeeling it when my mum appears from the back door, carrying what looks like a platter of fresh fruit. I shoot a panicked look at Anjali, crumple the paper up and stuff it down my cleavage, then shove the muffin in my mouth because I have literally nowhere else to put it.
‘Everything okay?’ Mum says brightly as she places the fruit platter on the table. I nod, doing my best version of an angelic smile, muffin threatening to emerge from my closed mouth at any second, and Anjali almost implodes trying to keep the giggles inside. ‘Yes, thank you, Julie,’ she says sweetly. ‘What lovely fruit!’ And she picks off a grape and eats it. ‘Don’t let us keep you …’
‘Well, yes … I have got some charity stuff I should get on with,’ Mum says, shooting a nervous look in my direction, where I’m close to choking on a salted caramel mini muffin.
‘I’ll take care of Erin,’ Anjali says with a winning smile. ‘Don’t you worry.’
I hold it together, quickly chewing and swallowing my muffin while Mum walks back down the garden and when she’s safely winside and the back door is closed,I explode into a coughing fit, showering crumbs everywhere, and then we both start laughing again.
‘Just what I needed,’ I say when we’ve both regained our composure.
‘Personally, I think mini muffins could solve most of the world’s problems, if we only gave them a chance.’
I stand up, walk around the back of my best friend’s chair and give her a big squishy hug from behind. ‘Not the muffins, you melon,’ I say in her ear. ‘It’s you.Youare just what I needed.’
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
Present Day
I curl my legs up underneath me as I hold my phone to my ear. ‘I understand that, Rob. But Kalinda is used to having things done a certain way. If she pulls you up on something, you just have to smile and say you’ll do better, even if she’s being unfair. I know it wasn’t your fault the florist cancelled two hours before the dinner party and the replacement wasn’t up to par, but I’ll give you the number of the one I use. She’s very reliable and—’
I freeze as I hear a key in the front door. ‘You know what? I’ll text you the deets. Bye!’ I press end on the call and, just for good measure, tuck my phone down the side of the sofa cushion, then turn and smile brightly at Simon as he walks into our living room. ‘How was your day?’
He frowns. ‘Busy. Who were you talking to?’
‘Um … no one?’ I pick up the remote and hold it up, hoping I can make him think it was the TV without actually saying so. The lines on his forehead get deeper. I’m not surprised. I am an absolutely horrible liar.
‘You were talking to that guy again, weren’t you?’
I blink innocently. ‘Which guy would that be?’
‘The guy who’s covering your job. Erin …’ He gives me a warning look, and then comes over to the sofa, delves down the side of the cushion, and pulls out my phone. I have the grace to blush. ‘I thought we talked about this.’
‘I know, but …’
He shakes his head. ‘You haven’t been given the go-ahead to go back to work yet. That means no answering texts and phone calls from Kalinda or your replacement, and certainly no backseat organizing.’
‘But Kalinda just tore strips off Rob for ruining her dinner party! He needed my help.’
Simon slides my phone into his back pocket. He does not look impressed. ‘I don’t give a flying fart about what Rob needs. It’s you I care about.’
I know he’s right. I kneel up on the sofa so I can loop my arms around his shoulders. I try to kiss him, but he’s just that little bit too tall, so I end up planting my lips on his collarbone. He grudgingly huffs and puts his arms around me.
‘I’m just bored,’ I tell him. ‘I feel as if I’ve been pacing around this flat for years with nothing to do.’
I feel his chest inflate and deflate as he lets out a deep sigh. ‘You haven’t even been home from your mum’s for a month.’
