Our Stop - Laura Jane Williams Page 0,69

don’t let yourself be open to this man, you’re stupid.’

‘I’m hungover,’ complained Nadia. ‘Be nice to me.’ She slid in a Salted Caramel Charm, chewing noisily.

‘Oh, this is me being nice to you. Trust me.’

‘How much weight can we give to the fact that, now I think about it, the barman said it was his mother who called?’ Nadia eyed up a Hazelnut Whirl. ‘And that’s why he left so suddenly?’

‘Zero. Less than zero,’ Emma said.

‘Less than zero?’

‘Less than zero! It could have been the Queen of Sheba on the line, and he still could have waited for you to walk through that door so he could explain why he was leaving face to face.’

Nadia pouted down the phone.

‘Don’t pout at me.’

‘How did you know I was pouting!’

‘I can read you like a book, even when I can’t see you,’ Emma said. ‘And stop bloody chewing so loudly. It’s like being on the phone to a washing machine.’

Nadia laughed.

‘There could have been a family emergency …’ Nadia said. ‘A terrible accident that meant he couldn’t wait.’

‘Doubtful,’ said Emma. ‘Question though – and bear in mind the answer to this doesn’t get him out of this at all – but just to sate my own curiosity: were you on time?’

‘I am proud to say that I was literally a minute past the hour. That’s as on time as it gets for me.’

‘It is. I’m impressed.’

‘I was really excited! If I hadn’t stopped to talk to Gaby in the lobby I’d have been a minute early!’

‘Well. He might still have already gone by then. We’ll never know, will we?’

‘I could write to him in the paper and ask him …’ Nadia said. She was down to the Strawberry Temptations in her chocolate selection. She decided no hangover was worth that, and pushed the box away from her, causing a lone crumb of Perfect Praline to smear across her bedsheets, leaving a brown mark. I should change these anyway, she thought. I’ll bet they’re covered in—

‘Guess what I’m going to say to that?’ Emma replied.

‘Absolutely no way?’

‘Absolutely no way! Correct!’

‘Stop. Shouting.’

Emma took a breath. ‘Listen. Train Guy is over. Ov-er. But Eddie is not! See him again, just once. In daylight. Over coffee, so your judgement isn’t impaired. Give him a chance to win you over. You deserve that.’

Nadia couldn’t articulate why she didn’t feel able to do that, so settled on: ‘Fine. I hereby suspend judgement. I’m going to have a bath and watch Sleepless in Seattle now. You’re too bossy for my headache.’

‘Okay, good. I love you. I say all this because I love you.’

‘Are you around this weekend? Sunday brunch?’

Emma faltered. ‘Um, I’m not sure. Can I text you?’

‘Sure,’ said Nadia. ‘But also, before you go: are you okay? How are you feeling?’

‘I’m good. I’m okay.’

‘That’s it? Just tell me what happened last weekend.’

‘Nads, I love you. I promise I’m fine.’

‘I don’t believe you. But. You know. I’ll be here when you’re ready.’

As she hung up and pulled up Deliveroo on her phone to finally order some proper food, she reasoned that Emma was, indeed, correct. Surely it would be self-sabotage to block Eddie’s number in the hope that he took the hint (and also forgot her address). That’s what she had thought about doing. She was better than that, though: if she blocked the number of a man she’d slept with with no explanation – a man who had sent her a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils! – that would make her a total cow. And the romantic karma would surely come back around to hurt her. No. She had to act according to her value system despite how awkward that felt, because that’s how she’d been raised. That’s the treatment she’d want. Kindness first.

As she ate her dinner on the couch later, she surprised herself at how, even as she mopped up cheese sauce with half a focaccia, she continued to pine for the imaginary man on the train. Anyone could have been sending those notes. She kept thinking about a man who she had never met, who she had never seen or heard speak, when an actual real-life man had been in her bed last night. She should at least be polite and text Eddie a thank you, she reasoned. It was a cute gesture, and he hadn’t done anything wrong except emphatically not being Train Guy. He couldn’t help that.

Thank you, Nadia sent to him. It bothered her that she had to use iMessage because he