‘He’s texted me, obvs!’ she said, still typing. ‘He’s picked out a nice suit for tonight too.’
Zola’s face fell into a smile. ‘He looks good in anything.’
The three friends left the apartment and headed into the sleek black limo Jimmy had arranged for them to travel in style. As Zola stepped in, she noticed how silent Ella was and gently rubbed her arm to comfort her.
‘It’s going to be fine,’ she said reassuringly, as the car began moving. Katy was so busy texting on her phone that she didn’t even notice.
‘My head’s just fucked, Zola,’ Ella admitted as the car sped through the glittering city lights.
‘Why? What’s going on?’
Ella’s lip trembled. ‘I loved Philip, but he hurt me so much. Now he wants me back, but I don’t want to be hurt again.’ She sighed. ‘And I have to say goodbye to Jimmy, the only genuinely nice guy I’ve ever met.’
She turned to the window, thinking.
‘Philip’s maybe got in my head a little,’ she said at last. ‘He said he got me to open up, stopped me from being uptight and lonely like I was before, and he’s sort of right.’
Zola squeezed her hand. ‘So what? Curtis taught me how to cook spaghetti – doesn’t mean I stick around for him.’
‘What if he has changed, and I’m just too scared to try again?’ Ella said. ‘I was happy at the start with Philip in Glasgow. And what if I’m only clinging onto Jimmy because I know it’s ending. Fuck, I feel like I did when I was fourteen and had to leave my Turkish boyfriend, Usif, after a two-week Marmaris trip.’ She almost smiled. ‘Jeez, it was awful.’
Zola pushed Ella’s head onto her shoulder. ‘Do you know what I think? I think you meet some people in life who teach you things, yeah? Particularly about yourself. So, imagine, life is this one big journey, in this big fancy limo, OK?’
Ella smiled. ‘OK .?.?.’
‘And some people in life jump in your limo for a ride, they sometimes teach you great things, then have to get off, because it’s your fucking limo, babe. Some people’s journeys will last longer than others, too; all the while, you’re learning, you’re changing.’
‘So .?.?.’ Ella shrugged. ‘You think Philip should get out of my limo?’
Zola giggled. ‘Babe, he was out of your limo a long time ago! Thatt cunt’s trying to catch back up, but you’re going way too fucking fast!’ She winked.
‘And Jimmy?’ Even saying his name hurt.
‘Jimmy might just be one of the awesome people who come in for a short time and make the drive incredible, but that’s up to you, I guess.’
Ella agreed, taking a deep breath as the car slowed down, pulling up at the Four Seasons.
‘You do realise she heard that whole limo analogy thing on TikTok?’ Katy said. ‘I saw it too!’
‘And you do realise you’d need a fucking double-decker bus for the number of cunts you have let ride your limo!’ Zola pushed her on the shoulder, and we all began laughing.
The driver opened the car door and allowed Katy to step out on to the red carpet, then Zola. Zola turned back and watched Ella hover, ‘Come on, babe. We got you,’ she said.
But Ella looked terrified. ‘I can’t. I don’t want to,’ she admitted.
Katy lowered her head. ‘Ella, it’s our night! What are you doing? Come on.’
Zola crouched down, too. ‘You’ve worked so hard on this, Ella. You deserve to celebrate.’
Ella managed a smile. ‘I know I have, but I’m going to enjoy it more alone, somewhere I can actually hear myself think, somewhere it is my achievement and not Philip’s. You two can handle the speeches, right?’
Zola grinned, feeling proud of her friend’s decision but also gutted she was missing out. ‘Absolutely. Unless you want us to come with you? We could patch this full night, really leave New York in style?’
Ella shook her head, laughing. ‘No, I think I’d rather be alone. I’m sorry. I just really need to do this.’
The driver closed the door and headed back inside the car. Zola and Katy stepped out to the bright lights of the gorgeous hotel and walked up the steps, waving to the assembled photographers.
‘Where is she going?’ Katy whispered, posing for the pictures. ‘Do you think she’s OK?’
