I lift my fingers and place them down again.
Still nothing.
I tap a few notes, the sound filling the small space. And then I close my eyes and tap a few more. And suddenly my fingers are working by themselves, pulling a song I’ve never heard from my fingers that have never learnt to play.
Still weirded out from the piano playing, I try to psych myself up to email Tyler, a blush spreading across my face at the thought of that kiss. But this isn’t the Tyler I kissed, this is a whole new Tyler, one who probably thinks I’m a stuck-up bitch who blanked him too many times at events and who he wants nothing to do with.
I sigh and get typing. I tell him about the days of the week socks, and calling his teacher mum, and the giant bunny phobia, and the lychee bubble tea. I sign off the email withLaters, Dickhead, click send and cross my fingers as I wait for his reply.
We meet in the tearoom of a boutique hotel close to Victoria Station and this time I’m the one who’s late. It turns out that this Bethany doesn’t have Apple Pay on her phone and it took me ages to find her credit card before I left the flat.
Anyway, he’s already sitting at a table with one of those tower display things full of finger sandwiches and tiny elaborate cakes.
‘Fancy,’ I say with a shy smile.
He stares at me for a few moments and I’m forced to remind myself yet again that this isn’t the same Tyler. Even though he looks identical, right down to the watch on his wrist and the way his hair slightly flops in front of his eyes like a Nineties boy band member.
‘I thought meeting someone from an alternate universe warranted getting the full posh afternoon tea ensemble.’ He motions at the sandwiches. ‘There’s champagne coming too.’ He glances behind him as if to check for the waiter bearing wine. He’s nervous.
I take a seat. ‘You believe me?’
‘Well, the way I see it there are only two explanations.’ He holds up the index finger on his right hand. ‘The first is that you are somehow in cahoots with my entire family and this is an elaborate joke at my expense.’ He raises his middle finger to join the index one. ‘The second is that you’re telling me the truth.’ He shrugs.
‘But you don’t think it’s the first?’ I nudge.
He breaks into a smile. ‘If it is, then I need to put on a show for Nessie and Zac by at least playing along for a short while, don’t I?’
I laugh. ‘True.’
‘Besides …’ he says slowly, as he begins to pour me a cup of tea from the delicate silver pot on the table. ‘Darjeeling, is that okay?’
I nod, and he carries on pouring.
‘Besides …’ He starts the sentence again. ‘I’m too invested already to walk away.’
I pause for a moment.
‘Oh, shit,’ he says quickly. ‘I don’t mean it like that. Like you’re a specimen, or just something for my entertainment. I can only imagine how terrifying this is for you and I’m here to help.’ His words start to run together and I cut him off by reaching for a sandwich.
‘I’m not offended or upset.’ I bite the edge of the sandwich, the zing of cucumber on my tongue. ‘Yes, I’m terrified. But the scientist inside me understands just how fascinating this is.’
‘You sound almost conflicted.’
‘Yeah.’ Conflicted perfectly sums up what I’m feeling. Both about the skipping and about the way he is delicately eating a French Fancy.
‘So. Helen will be pleased we’re on speaking terms,’ he tells me as the waiter finally brings the champagne. Dom Pérignon. He really did push the boat out.
I give him a look that says I have no idea what he’s talking about.
‘The wedding?’ He says it like I might be a bit slow. ‘Now she doesn’t need to worry about sitting us on the same table.’
‘But why would I be invit—’ I stop myself. ‘She’s with Cesca.’
‘You sound surprised?’ He crinkles his forehead. ‘Oh my goodness, are they not together where you come from?’
I think back to Decanting Bethany and the Cesca in her world. Colourless. Sad. Obviously unhappy but unable to see a way out of the situation she’d made for herself.
‘Earth to Bethany,’ he says waving a hand in my face.
