‘Of course, not! And I’m not telling her. I wouldn’t hear the last of it.’ Finn mimics his sister’s voice. ‘…You’re taking advantage … she’s been through enough …’He looks up from his coffee. ‘And don’t you start spilling the beans either. You don’t have to tell her everything.’
Jo is about to say,But she’s my best friend, when she remembers the other things she has never told Lucy about. ‘Believe me, I don’t.’
‘Anyway, this is my private stuff too.’
He has a point: it’s not just her secret to share.
But if Finn isn’t behind Lucy’s anger, then what is? After all, this is what has stopped her asking Lucy outright. The fear that she knew about Finn, and that she would thinkJohad taken advantage ofhim. All six foot two, thirty-two years of him. Jo wishes she could smile, but she finds she is too anxious.
‘How is she?’ she asks.
For the first time, Finn frowns. ‘Oh, you know. Bit cranky with the pregnancy. You know the jazz club she sings in sometimes? Well, they let her go. Seems they didn’t want a singer with a huge belly entertaining the after-work crowd. Imagine that. Yeah, she was well pissed off with them.’ Finn pauses. ‘Things okay between you two?’ he asks, airily.
Jo pounces. ‘She’s said something, hasn’t she?’
Finn shakes his head. ‘Not really. You know Luce and I don’t talk like that …’
He stops mid-sentence, watching a woman in a yellow coat walk past the window.
Jo follows his gaze. It is Caramel Toffee Girl.
‘Nice,’ he says, appreciatively.
‘Enough of that,’ Jo pokes him, feeling that sheismore like his mum. And also that she doesn’t blame him: Caramel Toffee Girl does look nice. Hadn’t she wanted the woman to be her friend?
Finn looks back at Jo.‘Oh, I don’t know. Lucy’s just been a bit weird when it comes to you. Have you fallen out?’
Jo has no idea how to answer this, so instead asks, ‘Did you like James?’
Finn shifts on his stool and takes a while before saying, ‘Truth?’
‘Truth.’
‘Thought he was a right tosser.’
‘Oh, Finn, not you too.’ She leans her head on his shoulder and he puts a consoling arm around her. A picture comes to her of Lucy, Jemima, Wilbur and now Finn lined up, arms crossed, lips pursed, shaking their heads at her.
‘I feel like such an idiot. I didn’t see it … still not sure I do …’
‘Well, he was a fit, good-looking bloke, who was doing really well. Isn’t he what a lot of women want?’
Like Nickeeey, Jo thinks. But Finn’s words do make her feel better. He had been all that, and therehadbeen good times. Especially when it was just the two of them.
Jo glances down at Finn’s bag that is still by the counter. ‘Want to stay?’ she asks.
‘No, you’re good. But can I leave the bag here until later? I’ve got some meetings this afternoon. Should only take a few hours.’
Jo nods.
‘I’m staying with Matt from school. Remember him?’
Again she nods.
‘He liked you too,’ Finn says with a laugh, and Jo grins. He then grabs her hand and kisses her wrist with a loud smack, ‘But when I was fourteen, Jo Sorsby, I proper loved you. And don’t you forget it.’
15
In need of an optician
