With comic timing, (so why aren’t I laughing?) the room to the living room opens as Archer busts in. ‘Honey, I’m home! And I got a mega box of dick socks, so don’t expect to wear knickers this weekend!’ He launches the box across the room, Mir catching this.
Elvis barks and thumps down onto the floor, making Miranda jump. ‘I forgot he was there,’ she says, her hand pressed to her chest. Then her head tilts with the air of an inquisitive terrier. ‘Greensleeves?’
I shake my head rapidly, grabbing the large box of condoms from her hand, throwing them to the spot recently vacated on the sofa.
‘Why do I feel the need for a cocktail date coming up? And the other kind of debrief.’
As if my cheeks weren’t red enough.
‘Mir.’ I hold out my hands, sort of,behold the manly specimen before you. ‘This is Archer. From work.’
‘Oh.’ So much meaning in that little sound. So much understanding. ‘Well, I can see why work has improved,’ she says as she stands. ‘So it was a good wedding, was it?’
‘I told you,’ I mutter as we both stand, ‘it wasn’t like that.’ It was better. Better than she could ever imagine.
‘Archer.’ I suppose I’d best get on with the awkward introductions. ‘This is my cousin, Miranda.’
‘Oh, Mirandathecousin?’ Now he’s doing the terrier thing, too.
‘I hope that’s not my reputation preceding me,’ she grumbles good-naturedly.
‘I’ve heard only good things,’ he says, stepping into the room as he shoos Elvis to one side, proffering his hand.
‘Now I know you’re lying.’ She grins cheekily. ‘Well, I’m going to leave you two. .. toit, I suppose. She bends to pick up her huge purse from the floor next to Jammy’s chair.
‘Yeah, good idea. I’ve got to go to work soon.’
‘Don’t labour too hard now, will you?’ Pulling the door open, she steps through it and pokes out her tongue, quickly closing it behind her.
‘She seems lovely,’ Archer says, slipping off his jacket.
‘She is. She’s the best.’ He barely has time to drop it to Jammy’s chair as I launch myself into his arms, my heart beating so hard it hurts.
You’re the best, that muscle seems to say.And I don’t deserve you.
Not when I’m lying to myself.
Not when I’m ignoring an email from Barney.
Not when we’re on borrowed time.
33
Heather
I lieto Archer for the first time that night. Well, discounting the lie I told him in the first place. The lie about my boyfriend.
Tonight’s lie was a lie of omission.
I hid the truth that we only have days left.
We’d made plans to watch a movie at his after my Sunday party duties, but I sent him a text that said I was done in. To tired to function. Unfit for anything but my bed.Alone. To make it worse, he didn’t make a fuss. He accepted it with good grace, despite the fact that we’ve spent pretty much every minute together for weeks.
He said to get some rest. That he understood. That I’d had a big day. That the excitement of becoming a business owner was probably the cause of my aching head.
Too much thinking, babe.
He blew me a kiss down the line and said he’d call me later to check in.
