“Good, then. Humming is banned.”
We fell into silence and didn’t speak to each other for the rest of the day.
It’s very clear that I cannot let Ryan win today, because if hedoes, he will lord it over me forever. A winning outfit iskeyto the operation: it needs to be sporty enough for me to move in for the competitive activities, but it can’t be gym gear because it’s Mimi’s birthday and I need to make an effort.
I’m actually quite glad Liam isn’t here, because I need to practically empty my entire wardrobe onto the bed and bedroom floor to see what my options are. I’m surprised to come across clothes that I’d forgotten I owned, including high-waisted gray denim shorts that I had bought last summer on a whim after watching a slew of Taylor Swift music videos.
I slip those on and then start rooting around for a clean T-shirt. Once I’ve found one, pulled it over my head, and tucked it into my shorts, I start working out what to wear if it gets cold and land on a roll-sleeved blazer jacket. After putting some effort into my makeup (but trying to make it look as though I’ve spent hardly any time at all), I rummage through my bedside table looking for my new sunglasses. They’re anessentialaccessory for the outfit.
I tear the flat apart, getting angrier and less merciful with my belongings as I go, chucking items over my shoulder out of drawers as I search for them.
My bedroom looks like it’s been hit by a tornado, and I groan as I realize I’m going to be late. And then I perk up when I remember that I wore those sunglasses earlier this week! They’re in one of the cases in my bag!
I slide them up my nose happily and head out of the flat in a rush, returning once for my phone, which is still in my bedroom playing a summer day playlist, and a second time for Mimi’s present, a pretty gold bracelet that I left in its box on the kitchen counter.
After stopping briefly on the way to buy a couple of bottles, I make my way through Brockwell Park, spotting from a mile off the long outdoor table with pink, white, and silver balloonstied all along the side and picnic food platters and bottle coolers laid out on the top. Mimi picks the same spot every year for her birthday, right beneath one of the huge old oak trees in the park, so the food table is safely in the shade.
I smile as I stroll past the clusters of people sitting cross-legged in circles laughing and chatting as they swig from cans of cider. When the sun is shining, the whole mood of London is lifted.
I spot Rakhee chatting to one of Mimi’s school friends. She sees me approaching and her expression brightens.
“Have I missed you!” I say, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Please tell me you hate your new magazine and you’re going to come crawling back to us.”
“I’m afraid not.” She laughs. “I’m sort of loving the new job. But I’m glad to see that nothing has changed and you’re still rocking up late to everything.”
“Blame that on my sunglasses. I couldn’t find them anywhere.”
“Let me guess, they were in your bag the whole time?”
“You see? This is why I need you to come back toNarrativeand look after me!”
She chuckles. “How is it working with Ryan?”
“Don’t ask her opinion on Ryan,” Mimi butts in, appearing next to me and giving me a hug. “She’ll tell you how much she doesn’t want to speak about him before speaking about him alot.”
“Oi!” I nudge her in the ribs. “I can’t get mad at you because it’s your birthday. Everything looks amazing, of course. The food looks delicious. Is it all homemade? Maybe I should have baked something.”
“A very sweet thought, but we all know you and baking don’t mix, Harper. Besides, everything you see was provided by my dear friend Marks & Spencer,” Mimi tells us, hitching up her white high-waisted trousers that she’s wearing with a bright orange top.
I wouldn’tdreamof wearing white trousers to a day at the park where I know I’ll be playing games and lounging around on the grass, but of course Mimi wouldn’t blink before throwing them on. She’s the kind of person who always looks neat as a pin—like she’s just arrived from sitting front row of Victoria Beckham’s latest show, but she’s ready to kick off her shoes and play rounders.
“When do the games start?” Rakhee asks.
“Soon,” Mimi promises. “You two are on the same team. I’m on the other team, but don’t worry, I’m not expecting you to let me win just because I’m the birthday girl. I’ll beat you fair and square.”
“Oh, here we go,” I say with a grin. “The rivalry begins now, does it?”
“Never too early to rile the spirits with a bit of healthy competition,” Mimi declares. She glances over my shoulder and smiles. “Speaking of competition, Ryan is here.”
I look round and see him sauntering over.
“Remember to play nice, Harper,” Mimi says sternly.
“You were just talking about healthy competition.”
“Healthybeing the optimum word,” she insists. “Everything has to be aboveboard. I don’t want to have to break you two up after you attack each other with bats.”
“If that scenario did happen, I would so win. You can tell he has a weak swing.”
