Jamie laughs. ‘Nelly, take what he’s offering and milk more out of him.’
I smile but I am only half-listening. A thought has rushed to the front of my mind and requires urgent consideration – what if my curse doesn’t work on Oliver? Beads of sweat have gathered on my brow, and my heart is hammering inside my chest. Every time I touch Oliver, I don’t see a vision. He’s the only person my curse goes glitchy on. After putting down my plate of food, I reach into my bag and take out a pencil and the notebook I used when I went to see Cynthia and when I interviewed Oliver. The front two pages are filled with the questions I wanted to ask my parents when Cynthia contacted them in the afterlife, and the next page is Oliver’s interview assessment, which is a sea of ticks. I flick to the empty fourth page and write:
Theory – my curse doesn’t work on Oliver.
I loved science lessons at school. I loved making chemicals react, and I also enjoyed undertaking experiments where you had to prove or disprove something. I look at my theory. Now, all I need to do is start conducting mini experiments.
Jamie catches my attention by gesturing towards a beanbag on the floor. ‘I bought Ollie a housewarming gift. It’ll keep him away from your chair. He has told me all about it, and you do have an impressive set-up there. I don’t blame you for guarding it.’
I smile. ‘Thank you. Oliver did try to bribe me with a signed copy of one of his books to sit here.’
Oliver enters, carrying a plate of food for himself. ‘I thought it was a good deal.’
Jamie laughs. ‘Nelly, I would have refused that crappy deal, too.’
Oliver grins and sits down on the beanbag, resting the food on his legs. ‘Nelly, tell us about what’s going on with Frank and Miranda. Dad texted me to say Frank has had to take emergency leave. He’s got someone pregnant, and that person is not Miranda.’
‘Eight months ago, Frank had a one-night stand with his ex-girlfriend, whom he bumped into on a night out,’ I explain, after swallowing my first mouthful of Oliver’s homemade pie. It’s delicious, but I dread to think what my kitchen looks like.
Oliver gasps. ‘Frank and his ex-girlfriend? How many years has he been with Miranda?’
It’s hard to believe. Even though my curse has always shown Frank pushing a baby’s buggy, I have never thought it could have been from a one-night stand. I never envisioned he’d end up fathering a child.
I recount what Miranda told me. ‘Frank and Miranda have been together for fifteen years. He left his ex-girlfriend after meeting Miranda at a cocktail party. He was out for a darts club night out eight months ago, and his ex-girlfriend was in the same pub. Apparently, she thrashed him at darts, made all his mates laugh and then invited him back to hers for a nightcap. Frank never told Miranda as he claimed it was “just a blip” and didn’t think she would ever find out.’
Oliver and Jamie exchange bewildered glances.
‘He left his wallet under her bed and told Miranda he lost it. His ex-girlfriend turned up at his office last week to tell him she’s pregnant. The weird thing is that before they split up, they were trying for a baby. Nothing was working. Fifteen years later she’s pregnant with his child. He’s told Miranda a child won’t change his life. He claims he still loves her, and that they would be silly to throw away fifteen years of a relationship.’
‘It will change him,’ says Oliver in a serious tone, which makes me glance in his direction. He bows his head.
‘Nelly,’ says Jamie quickly. ‘I hear you and Ollie are sharing a bed, and he’s built a pillow wall.’ I sense Jamie is trying to change the conversation. I look at Oliver, who is still staring at the wooden floor. Something is going on, and I intend to find out.
‘Yes, Oliver is a man of hidden talents.’
Jamie chuckles and tucks into his meal.
For a few minutes, we all devour Oliver’s food in silence.
When he finishes, Jamie looks at his phone. ‘I’d better get off as I have a first date tonight. She’s called Nia, likes paddleboarding, chess, and sushi.’
I smile and hope she likes his aftershave. ‘Good luck.’
He nods. ‘Fingers crossed. I’ve not had much luck when it comes to romance.’
‘Join the club,’ scoffs Oliver, shaking his head.
I watch as Jamie glances at Oliver. ‘Will you be okay tonight?’ he asks with a concerned look. I recall Oliver telling me he had to go out so much in the evenings because Jamie was lonely. That wasn’t true. My curiosity has piqued. What are these two hiding?
Oliver checks his phone. ‘I need to go out too now.’
‘You can phone me if things don’t go to plan,’ says Jamie.
‘Are you going anywhere nice?’ I ask Oliver.
He shoots me a strained smile. I can see his jaw is clenched and his face is taut. ‘I have to go see someone.’ He gets to his feet and heads for the kitchen. I notice his phone is lying on the floor. I’m about to pick it up when Jamie casts me a worried glance, which throws me off track. What is going on with these two? What is Oliver up to?
‘See you, Nelly. I’ll walk Ollie out.’
