“I know,” Amy said. “I’ll see you at three.”
After she hung up, Amy sat holding her phone for a few minutes, trying to steady her breathing. That was done. The first step taken.
She went through to the living room where Naomi was talking to one of her housemates.
“How’d it go?” she asked when she saw Amy walk in.
Amy grimaced. “The call was the easy part. I’m seeing him at three… it could be a long afternoon.”
“Did he sound ok?”
“About as hungover as me. So that’s something.”
Naomi nodded slowly in understanding. “We’re going to get an early lunch, and you need to eat. You can’t see James on an empty stomach.”
Amy hesitated… she really didn’t feel hungry, a mix she suspected of the hangover and the nerves about seeing James. Her head was still pounding, and she could feel her braingoing fuzzy again after the short term boost from the shower. Experience, though, told her that she had to eat.
“Thanks, I’d like that. Can you give me two minutes? I just need to send a message.”
“Sure. As long as you need.”
Amy stepped out into the hall and took out her phone again. One more message… Sarah. This one was kind of easy, because frankly Amy couldn’t deal with the whole Sarah thing, not today and not with this hangover.
Hey, a lot to deal with today. Are you ok? x
The only debate had been the kiss at the end, but that wasn’t a debate really. It had clearly got complicated between them, yes, but she couldn’t deny the spark.
Sarah’s reply came quickly:
Oh, I’m fine. Completely understand, here to talk whenever you want to x
Amy pondered for a few moments, her sluggish brain struggling a little to work through the possibilities.I fly to LA on Thursday, she thought,and that’s for three weeks. I can’t let whatever it is with Sarah sit until I’m back, so it has to be before. And soon.
She realised there wasn’t much choice but to talk soon. She typed out her reply:
Tomorrow evening, there’s a bar in Borough Market I’ve wanted to try. 7pm? x
It didn’t take long for Sarah to confirm, and Amy realised that with it there came a sense of relief… three people to juggle that Sunday morning, and she’d at least triaged the problems even if her hungover head wasn’t remotely ready to resolve them. She’d chat to Luisa when she got the chance and Luisa would be cool with that, James would be James, and Sarah tomorrow gave her time to think about what exactly they were… Amy knew that she had some serious thought to give to that.
It was a lot to work through, and at that moment Amy made a spur of the moment decision: her work was quiet for the next few days before LA, no one would miss her, she’d take the three days off as holiday to give her the headspace she needed. Nobody would begrudge her that, surely?
“Ok, done,” Amy called through to the living room.
“Perfect.” Naomi and her housemate came into the hall, reaching for their coats. “Time to feed you up and break that hangover.”
Sarah
London
Sarah’s phone pinged as she walked through the door of The Ned and her heart skipped a beat when she saw it was from Amy. Sarah had resisted the urge to message her all of Saturday evening, not knowing whether Amy was locked in heated discussion with James, or whether she’d gone out with her friends as planned, or maybe even something else. Eventually Sarah had sent a message when she woke up that Sunday morning and had been growing more and more concerned as the morning wore on to not have had a reply. Now, close to midday, it had come.
Hey, a lot to deal with today. Are you ok? x
Sarah nodded to herself.I’ll bet you do,she thought. Her own situation was complex, clearly, but Amy’s was a different level entirely. It was important, she knew, to be supportive and absolutely not pushy. She replied:
Oh, I’m fine. Completely understand, here to talk whenever you want to x
She saw Amy typing out a message for a while, then received:
