Nell shrugs. ‘Sometimes that’s the only way. It took years for me and George to get together. I wish now we’d both been less resistant.’
Plum lets out a low laugh. ‘He didn’t look reluctant on the clip.’
I round on her. ‘You saw it too!’
Plum grins. ‘Along with a million other people.’
I’m still pushing this. ‘Who put that up?’
She laughs. ‘I’m not sure, but there was no holding back on Ross’s side. It would make Top Ten Snogs on YouTube.’
I have to hold firm on this. ‘It wasn’t a kiss.’
Nell just looks at me sideways. ‘No, you were both just having your cake and eating it.’
Plum’s voice rises to a shout. ‘Of course it was a kiss!’
Sophie’s sounding thoughtful. ‘If you don’t try, you’ll never know. If he does say no, all that’s hurt is your pride.’
Plum’s right in my face. ‘Mermaid’s honour. Promise us you won’t leave before you’ve tried to jump him. Bewitch him with your magic lingerie.’
There’s only one answer they’re going to accept here, so I relent. ‘Okay. I’ll try.’
Sophie grins. ‘That’s all we want to hear.’
While we’re all here, I have to let them know how much times like this have meant to me. ‘The best part of being in St Aidan has been finding you three. I’ve never been part of a friendship group before, so I never really knew what I was missing. But you’ve all been here for me, you’ve all helped me, you’ve all had my back. You’ve taught me how much better life is when you have people around you to share things with. And that has been the biggest gift of my stay.’
Plum grasps my hand and as Sophie’s pulling me into a hug I’m swallowing back my tears. And as Nell comes round the table and joins in, so does Diesel, who puts his nose in my ear. ‘Sorry, Diesel, obviously you’ve been awesome too.’
‘You really are a mermaid now.’ That was Sophie, patting my back.
Plum’s joining in. ‘Not just an honorary one. You’ve been here for all of us, but just look what you’ve done for St Aidan and Kittiwake Court too. You’re a fully-fledged, nuts-and-bolts, real-life one, who skipped the first thirty-five years and dolphin-flipped onto the team.’
Sophie raises her glass and holds it up to the sky. ‘How about we drink to us – to best friends, and to mermaids in particular.’
Nell joins in. ‘Not forgetting Clemmie.’
Sophie gives a cough. ‘To best mermaid friends, both here and far away.’
And we all raise our glasses in the air, then gulp down our champers.
Nell’s shaking her head. ‘If someone had told me four months ago I’d be best friends with Cressida Cupcake, I would not have believed them.’
I have to fess up. ‘The new-look Cressy isn’t quite the same as she used to be.’
Nell laughs. ‘But you’reourCressy now, with all the benefits of a St Aidan makeover. Very few people who come here go away the same.’
And I don’t actually mind that at all.
Now Sophie’s started organising us, there’s no stopping her. She’s pointing her finger at me. ‘Thinking about Cressy Cupcake, for the book launch next week – if you can drop by Plum’s and sign as many copies as you can before Saturday, next to your foreword, that would be great.’
Plum’s taken a notebook out of her dungaree pocket and she’s jotting things down. ‘I’ll let you know when the books are here. And you are okay if I get you a mermaid’s tail made up for the after-party?’
I know I’m a fully-fledged member of the mermaids’ club now, but on balance, I’m probably okay without. ‘It’d be a shame to go to all that trouble.’ I can tell by their faces I need to be more insistent. ‘So much work for one outing seems a waste.’ I have to find something to put smiles back on their downcast faces. ‘But don’t worry, I’ll make you all proud. I’ll throw myself at Ross so hard the man won’t know what’s hit him.’
And their shouts of ‘Go for it, Cressy!’ are so loud, people probably heard them all the way around St Aidan Bay.
40
