‘Oh, my God!’ and Jo grabs the back of the chair, turning it so she can sit down. Or rather fall down.
Lucy takes the other chair. ‘Out with it. And this had better be good.’
‘I thought … but how on earth did they meet? … Oh, my God … the key … Mrs Patmore.’
‘Nope, not getting it so far,’ Lucy says, laughing, pouring a glass of wine for Jo and a mineral water for herself.
Jo tries again. ‘The thing is, I thought—’
But she gets no further. Clare is at their table with Finn in tow.
‘Hi there, Jo. Good to see you, sis,’ Finn says, cheerfully. A man oblivious to undercurrents. A man in love. And who wouldn’t be in love with this woman, Jo thinks, looking at Clare.
All she can manage is, ‘But I thought … What about Eric the Viking?’
Now everyone is laughing and she wants it to stop; she wants someone to explain.
It is friendly, freckle-faced Clare who speaks first. And Jo thinks, after Lucy (of course), this girl may soon be her deputy best friend. ‘Eric?’ she says, with a frown of confusion. ‘Have you spoken to him since you left London? Oh, he really,reallylikes you, Jo. He thought he’d blown it when he asked you out, but I hoped … I was worried I might be to blame there – he was going to ask just the two of you …’ She continues in a quieter voice, turning away from the others, ‘… but I knew you were Lucy’s best friend, and she issoimportant to Finn, I thought if I got to know you, it wouldn’t be so daunting meeting her over Christmas.’ She pauses. ‘It was so obvious that Eric and you … well, I could see it, but he wasn’t so sure and when you said, no …’
Jo relives theChrist! No!in her mind. The sarcastic,Nice thought though, that followed quickly behind.
Oh God.What has she done?
‘He thought that was it,’ Clare finishes.
All Jo can think about is the question Eric asked about her minding about Clare – what was that about? ‘But why …’ she begins, but gets no further.
‘Why didn’t he ask you out sooner?’ Clare says, trying to help her out. She lowers her voice, looking a little shamefaced. ‘He thought you likedFinn, to be honest. He walked past the shop when you were hugging and … He was worried I might be muscling in on that, at first. Until I told him that Finn was your best friend’s brother.’ She continues, in less of an undertone, ‘Eric was there when we met. I’d just had an eye test when Finn came in for your key … and well.’ She looks up at Finn, smiling.
‘Love at first sight. Blew me away,’ Finn offers. Which Jo thinks would be tactless if it wasn’t music to her ears. ‘It was like one of those sliding doors moments. She’s heading to the door. I’m standing there, mouth open. Then I thought, it’s now or never, so I asked her for a drink.’
Clare laughs, ‘And told me to never leave you.’ She tugs on his sleeve. ‘Didn’t you tell Jo we’d met, that we were going out?’
He blinks. ‘Um … No.’ His face says it all – I’m a man, why would I?
‘Aah,’ Clare says, as if a lot of things are now becoming clear, ‘so you thought me and Eric …’
‘You say he really wants to ask me out?’ Jo needs to know this, urgently.
‘Yes, of course. He can’t talk about anything else. He thinks you just … hated the idea.’
‘I thought you two …’
Clare laughs. ‘I kind of get that now. No, we just get on really well. We’re friends.’
Jo can’t help it. ‘Oh my God,’ she says, and now she has her head in her hands. What must he have thought of her? But then she looks up and beams at Lucy. ‘Eric the Viking likes me.’
Clare touches her arm, smiling. ‘Well, you two have a nice lunch, and have a happy Christmas, Jo,’ She leans down and hesitantly kisses Jo on the cheek.
Jo barely acknowledges it. At one level she knows she is being rude (and is about to be a whole lot ruder), but she can only think of one thing.
‘Luce, I’m so sorry – I’ve got to go to London.’
‘Of course you have,’ Lucy says, smiling at her.
And Jo knows, this is why no one but Lucy will ever be her best friend.
Jo stands up. She sits down. Then stands up again.
