‘Yeah, whatever.’ She waves me away. ‘And you honestly expect me to believe you never shagged him?’
‘I never shagged him,’ I say firmly, rolling my eyes at Mel.
‘What a wasted opportunity,’ she says wistfully. ‘Not even when your parents were out?’
‘Not even when our parents were out. So what did you two get up to yesterday?’ I turn the subject to Bank Holiday proceedings and am soon bombarded with details of Mel’s conquest on Thursday night with a banker from the city.
‘He stuck around for breakfast?’ I ask. ‘That sounds promising.’
‘Yep,’ Mel replies gleefully. ‘We went for pancakes.’
‘Woohoo! Are you seeing him again?’
‘He’s going to call.’
‘Fingers crossed, then,’ I say as Richard and Josh return with a variety of multicoloured drinks.
‘I can’t remember which is which,’ Josh says, plonking the drinks on the table.
‘Well,Iordered an Orgasm,’ Nicola says flirtatiously. ‘And I want to have at least one of those tonight so you’d better deliver one way or another.’
I stifle an outraged cry as Josh grins down at her before slumping into a chair. Mel and I gawp at each other, then at Nicola, but she pretends not to notice.
‘How was your flight?’ Mel asks Josh. I look across at Richard, still reeling from the shock of Nicola’s brazenness, but he shrugs and grins.
A few cocktails in and I’ve lightened up considerably.
‘Where are we going from here?’ Josh asks. He’s been basking in the glow of Nicola’s attention for the last two hours.
‘A Mexican restaurant I know. It’s got a good party atmosphere,’ I say.
‘Sounds great.’
‘And then we’ll hit a club if you haven’t collapsed by then.’
‘Collapsed?’ Josh sniggers. ‘Don’t you remember, I’m a hardcore party animal.’
‘That was years ago. You’re an old man now.’
‘Twenty-eight? Old? Please!’
Twenty-eight. Twenty-eight. That age again.
Clear as day I see Ben’s dark-blue eyes staring into mine on the night we bumped into each other in Hahndorf. That was when I knew he felt something for me.
‘She’s got that far-off look in her eyes again.’
I come back to the present with a bump to see everyone staring at me. Mel is grinning mischievously.
‘Whatareyou thinking about?’ she prods.
I shake my head, dumbly.
‘She’s been like this loads over the last couple of weeks, hasn’t she, Nicola?’
‘Yes,’ Nicola says, smiling.
It’s true. I’ve been thinking about Ben a lot recently. Much more than I ever used to. I can’t get him out of my head, dayornight. He’s there. Like a permanent resident.
