more clearly, my morning cup of tea was like the nectar of the gods. I was even having a good hair day. At long, long, long, long, long, long last, all was right with the world.
Lucy pulled at the hem of her gown, attempting to cover things it was far too late to attempt to cover. ‘It’s back on, is it?’ she asked. ‘You’re a smitten kitten, all over again?’
‘I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy,’ I replied, too full of joy to come up with anything clever or funny. ‘I know none of you are going to be ecstatic about it but truly, Luce, it just feels blissful. All the time I was missing him, he was missing me and now we get another chance.’
‘What did Sumi say when you told her?’ she asked.
‘It wasn’t so much what she said as how she said it,’ I answered thoughtfully as I recalled our phone conversation from the night before. ‘Or rather screamed it.’
‘She’ll come round eventually. Remember how you all hated Dave when I first met him? And now you’re practically best mates.’
I stuffed my mouth full of crisps and looked out the window.
‘Anyway, I’m very pleased for you and insanely jealous.’ She held her hand out for a crisp and I dutifully handed over the entire bag. Her need was greater and I no longer needed the sustenance of food. I had achieved the impossible: I had reconnected with the one that got away and reeled him right back in. ‘I’ve had the raging horn for the last month and Dave won’t come anywhere near me.’
Classic Creepy Dave. Actually, was that less creepy or more creepy? I would have to check with the panel.
‘There are a lot of things I would do for you but that is not one of them,’ I told her, wiping my hands on the legs of my jeans and then wiping the crisp crumbs off my jeans and onto the floor. ‘And I don’t care how long it’s been for you, I know it’s been much longer for me because the evidence is about ten centimetres from staring me right in the face.’
She rested the crisps on the top of her belly and turned her head to look at me. ‘Go on then, tell me all the disgusting details, I know you’re dying to.’
‘Do you really want them all or do you want me to blush and say something like, there’s not that much to tell?’ I asked, already regretting handing over the crisps. Her needs were not greater, I needed to replace all the calories I’d burned over the weekend.
‘Give me everything,’ she nodded, taking a deep breath. ‘I can take it.’
‘Fine but remember you asked for it.’ I closed my eyes, my shoulders pinching together with the memories. I’d only left his flat a few hours ago and I was still tender if I pushed in the right places. ‘So, we met at the pub but there was a singer on and she was rubbish but then I choked on a mint.’
‘Ooh, it’s practically The Notebook,’ Lucy cooed, delicately placing a crisp in her mouth.
‘Shut up. So we left the pub and we were standing outside, sort of looking at each other in the sunset, and it was all intense and so I said, what’s going on and he said, I’m going to kiss you and—’
‘Ros,’ Lucy interrupted, looking down at my feet. ‘You do know your sandals don’t match?’
I looked down at my feet. One brown leather sandal, one leopard print.
Shit.
‘Do you want the story or not?’ I asked.
‘Not really,’ she admitted. ‘It’s giving me heartburn.’
‘Too much salt is bad for you,’ I said, seizing the opportunity to reach across her and nab the Discos back.
‘This is the most wonderful part,’ she sighed, a dreamy smile on her face and her legs up in the air. ‘When it’s all shagging and talking and more shagging and breaking for snacks and then more shagging. Have you even slept? Are you utterly delirious?’
‘I no longer need sleep,’ I replied. ‘I am as a god.’
Lucy smiled.
‘And when are you seeing Mr God again?’
‘Don’t know,’ I said as I chomped. ‘We just spent two days shagging and he did not appear to be utterly repulsed, that’s good enough for me. I’m not expecting a proposal until at least next week.’
Although that didn’t mean I hadn’t spent every second since I left his flat staring at my phone and willing him to text me. But