“What’s so funny?” Jules passed Catherine’s wine to her and sat back as she sipped her own.
“Oh, nothing. Just my silly friend.” Catherine’s phone buzzed again, and even at a quick glance, the long string of splash emojis had her blushing and turning the screen face down.
“It just occurred to me that I don’t have your phone number.” Jules folded her legs underneath herself. “Like right now, if I needed to get hold of you, how would I do that?”
“Well, I’m right here, so…”
“No, but I mean if you weren’t here, then what?”
“Well, you know where I live.”
“Alright, smart-arse. I mean if you were out, or I was out. Say I’m at the shop and decide to thoughtfully check whether you need anything, you know, like a cup of sugar.”
The corners of Catherine’s mouth twitched. “A cup of sugar, from the shop?”
Jules smiled and shook her head. “Okay then, a bag of sugar.”
“I don’t take sugar; it’s unlikely I’d ever run out.”
“God, you’re actually really annoying.”
“Thank you, I do try.” Catherine bit down on her grin. “I mean, you could always leave me a note.”
Jules narrowed her eyes. “Right, so I’m standing in Tesco Express and suddenly overcome with the desire to do my neighbourly duties?—”
“Neighbourly duties?”
“Yeah, to check whether you’ve run out of milk or you have the munchies, and you want me to write you a note?”
“Yes, I see your point. That would be inefficient.”
“Too bloody right.”
“Okay, well in that case I can give you the number for a great psychotherapist.”
It took Jules a second, but she laughed. “Well, I think I have PTSD from the near-miss with the naturists today, so I could probably do with a little therapy.”
“Any time. Although it’d be a conflict of interestnow.”
“Why?”
“Because I know you.”
“Do you?”
“Well… a little, I guess.”
“Do you know how much I wanted to kiss you earlier?”
“I, er…”
“I don’t want to make things weird between us, but I think it’s best I tell you that I like you. And if you don’t feel the same, then at least it’s out there in the open, and I can move past it.”
“No, I like you too… I really do.”
“Good, okay.” Jules nodded. “That’s good. Phew, it’s not just me then.”
“No, I wanted to kiss you earlier too.”
