‘Maybe you shouldn’t have come to meet us this morning,’ I say. ‘It might have done you more good staying in bed.’
‘And miss out on this high-quality sport?’ she smiles, as Jacob performs such a forceful serve that his racket flies out of his hand. ‘Truth is, I wanted the fresh air and the company. The doctor said if my antibiotics haven’t killed it by next week, they’ll send me for a scan.’
There’s a moment of silence as we all take in this prospect – and what exactly they’ll be looking for.
Jeff slaps his hands on his knees and stands up. ‘Well, I’m going to grab us some coffees. Is everyone having their usual?’
As he disappears inside, Rose turns to me. ‘Come on, spill the beans.’
‘What about?’
She employs a ‘don’t give me that’ look. ‘Something’s happened between you and Zach.’
‘I see your powers of telepathy are as sharp as ever.’
‘No telepathy required, Lisa. You’re really not that subtle.’
‘I haven’t even mentioned him!’
‘It’s not what you’vesaid. It’s the fact that one minute you’re smiling to yourself, then you’re looking really wistful and melancholic and looking into the distance. Like you’re on the cover of a late-1990s U2 album.’
‘My HRT probably needs adjusting.’
‘Hmm.’
I look at my hands and start playing with my rings. ‘You’re going to think I’m an idiot. But I am starting to think I have real feelings for him.’
‘Ah,’ she says. ‘So you had sex with him.’
‘No,actually.’
She narrows her eyes.
‘Not . . . properly, at least.’
‘Oh. Is this like a Bill Clinton-type thing?’ she says. ‘I did not have sexual relations with that man . . .’
‘Something like that,’ I concede. ‘I’ll spare you the detail.’
‘You really like him that much then?’
I bite the side of my mouth. ‘I think I do. Oh . . . it’s probably for the best that he’s going back to America.’
Jeff reappears from the clubhouse and puts two coffees on the table, before producing a cupcake for Rose. It’s a lovely, irresistible-looking thing, all light sponge and creamy raspberry and vanilla swirls.
‘What’s this?’ she asks.
‘It’s for you, sweetheart. To keep your strength up. They were all out of cod liver oil.’
‘Dad!’ We all look up as Bella calls out to Jeff through the court netting. ‘My bottle hasn’t got any water in it.’
‘Oh, damn, I must have forgotten to fill it up. All right, I’m coming!’ Jeff says, leaping up to head down the clubhouse steps.
Rose looks down at the cupcake, then up at me. She smiles. ‘I feel so lucky to have friends like you lot.’
She picks it up and takes the tiniest bite. Then she swallows, so hard you’d think she was eating sand.
Chapter 45
