‘Must be meant to be,’ I say and then feel like a twat. I meant the work side of things, obviously. What is happening here? This sort of awkward ineptitude from the two of us is ludicrous.
‘You two know each other?’ Chloe asks.
‘Well, yes,’ Jake says and we exchange a smile.
This project is going to be so good. It felt right the minute I saw the message, and this has now confirmed it.
‘But not dressed?’ Chloe purses her lips; her shoulders lifting as she does so, and her head cocks to one side. I have a flash forward to her, years from now, questioning her children. Jake gives her a warning look, but it rolls off her like oil from a spoon.
‘It’s great that Dr Galbraith has been able to join us. Come on, let’s go and join the others,’ he says and stumbles on the edge of the beanbag again. ‘I’m really not usually this clumsy,’ he says.
‘Well, apart from that time in the shower—’ I stop myself just in time. What is happening to me? A woman who carefully measures every word and yet I’m stood here, speaking without thinking and digging an even bigger hole for the pair of us in front of these girls.
‘Nope. No. No!’ he says, addressing them. ‘That is not what it sounds like either. It’s just that Doctor Galbraith has a way of making me clumsy.’
I squawk. ‘Woah, don’t blame me for your shortcomings, I wasn’t anywhere near you, didn’t even know you when that shower incident occurred.’
‘True,’ he answers.
‘And as for you taking a beating from that beanbag –’ I wave my hand at it ‘– that’s not on me either. Not at all. Not my fault. Don’t even try, do not even try –’ I repeat for dramatic effect ‘– to blame me.’
‘Yeah, for real. It’s all about personal responsibility, Jay,’ Chloe adds to a chorus of sniggers. I high-five her.
Jake shakes his head but his eyes are sparkling at me and for some reason I find this man, who I now know spends his work life trying to make things better for young people in the community, even more attractive now he is fully dressed.
Chapter Fourteen
Jay
The realisation that Lily is The Love Doctor is huge for me. Revelatory and, on a personal level, mortifying.
I pull myself together, introduce her formally to the girls and go back to my office. I want to give Lily the space, and privacy, to talk to the girls without me hovering over her. I see her lowering herself onto a beanbag, the girls joining her, and hear her say, ‘hey, I’m Lily and I know Jay introduced me as someone who has come to talktoyou but truth is I’ve come to talkwithyou. You’ve got as much to teach me as I have you so let’s sit down and get to know each other.’
‘Okay.’ I hear Chloe’s voice as I am almost at the office door. She has always been Lily’s super-fan so hopefully will be gentle with her, although why I think that after the very non-gentle questioning just now, I don’t know.
I pause, just for a second. I have seen this girl tear strips off grown men in the street, I have seen her reduce people to tears time and time again. But I figure Lily is more than capable of looking after herself. She needs to hold her own with these girls or this simply won’t work.
‘So, I listen to your podcast and I’ve told all the girls to listen to you too.’ There’s a chorus of agreement. Chloe continues, ‘I like what you do. You’re all about being honest about shit, having firm boundaries, with sex particularly. But are you here cos you’ve slept with our Jay? Cos he claimed he ain’t never met you and now we know that ain’t true.’
I turn on my heel ready to shoot daggers at Chloe. Here she is meeting the woman she claims to be her idol and she’s doing her best to make her feel uncomfortable. I know Chloe, I know how she works, and this is a test, but Lily doesn’t know this and more importantly shouldn’t be subjected to it.
Lily lets out a burst of laughter. Some of the other girls join in the laughter too, I suspect with relief that an embarrassing situation seems to have been defused.
‘Look, we both know there is no need for me to answer that question. You know you’ve crossed a line asking it. But honestly, I can promise you I have not slept with your guy Jay. I can also tell you, although I shouldn’t, that we won’t be sleeping together either. Mixing work with pleasure is not something I do.’
‘You two havemadchemistry and you should know that man is beggin’ for a wifey.’
‘He’s going to love us talking about him like that. He’s not here to defend himself but yeah, we’ve met in a social capacity and we get on well, I think we could be good friends. But the sex thing is off the table. I have my hands full at work so I’m prioritising that rather than anything else at the moment.’
‘Well, you better snap him up now if you have any intentions that way. He’s never single for long.’
‘Ha. I’ll bear that in mind, but I think we’re all good.’ Lily laughs and I sit at my desk knowing there is no need for me to intervene here, although I could easily strangle Chloe.Beggin’ for a wifey!
Lily shifts the conversation and soon the girls are sharing some of the problems they are encountering in the community in which they live. None of which are easy things to navigate, things that they live alongside in a way that fills me full of admiration daily.
I start to scroll through my emails and become fully aware of who my sauna buddy is. This woman that I have been sitting giggling with, that I have shared some serious stuff with under the guise of a budding new friendship, is the same woman I messaged about my sister. And one I have introduced to my workplace.
On top of which, if our friendship didn’t have to be platonic, then I think both of us know that ripping each other’s clothes off and pressing up against each other would be hugely tempting. But with the seismic negative ramifications, my vow to Cass and now potentially working together, that is absolutely off the table.
