‘D’you know, I’m not sure. He was seeing someone a while back, but I don’t know if it’s still going on. You know what men are like, they don’t talk about that kind of stuff like we do.’ Sally fluffed translucent powder onto her nose and said, ‘Why? Do you still fancy him?’
Only an older sister could say it quite like that, as if it was on a par with fancying Quasimodo.
Lola said regretfully,’He’s gorgeous.We were so happy together once and I messed that up. It was all my own fault, I know that, I made a mistake but at the time I didn’t ... I just couldn’t ...’
‘Oh please, I didn’t mean to make you feel worse.You were only seventeen,’ Sally exclaimed.
‘We all make mistakes at that age. And, OK, Dougie was miserable but he recovered. It’s not like he joined a monastery!’
Grateful for Sally’s understanding, Lola managed a wobbly smile. ‘I’m glad he didn’t. Sorry, seeing him again like this has been a bit overwhelming. But who knows, maybe I can persuade him I’m irresistible and he’ll forgive me ...’
The bedroom door, which hadn’t been shut, swung further open. ‘Look,’ Doug said curtly, ‘I really wish I didn’t have to keep overhearing this stuff, but Philip wants to make a speech and he asked me to round everyone up.’
‘OK, we’re done here.’ Sally gaily flipped back her hair and headed for the door.
‘And can I just say,’ Doug fixed Lola with a steely knee-trembler of a gaze as she passed him in the doorway, ‘don’t waste your energy with the being irresistible bit, because I’m not interested.’
Hang on, what were the qualities he’d always admired in her when they’d been a couple? Her eternal optimism and refusal to take no for an answer?
‘You might change your mind,’ Lola said bravely. ‘I’m very lovable.’
‘Not to me.’
‘I could be. If you’d just give me a chance.’
‘Lola, don’t even bother to try. Nothing is going to happen between you and me. After this evening we won’t see each other again and that’s fine by me. So let’s just go downstairs, shall we, and get this farce over with. The sooner it’s done, the sooner you can go home.’
Everyone gathered in the drawing room for Philip’s speech. It was sweet, if hard to believe, hearing this nice man speak so movingly about the happiness Adele had brought into his life.
Everyone raised their glasses to Adele, then Philip went on to talk about Lola and her actions on the night of the mugging. He concluded by announcing that they were all indebted to her, and that from now on she was part of the family. Cue applause, a toast and – hilariously – another brittle hug from Adele. It was like being embraced by a Ryvita.
Then the embarrassing bit was over and everyone went back to drinking and chatting amongst themselves. Everyone except Adele, who looked at Lola’s mouth and said, ‘What an extraordinary coincidence, you appear to use the same lipstick as me.’
Oh bugger, bugger. And she knew.
‘Sorry.’ Lola couldn’t believe she hadn’t recognised it earlier. ‘I ... um, lost mine and Sally offered to lend me one. I didn’t realise it was yours.’
‘You may as well take it with you when you leave.’ Adele shuddered as if Lola had just spat on the hors d’oeuvres. ‘It’s not as if I’d use it again now’
‘Everything OK?’ Doug joined them.
‘Lola used my lipstick.’ With an incredulous half-laugh Adele said, ‘I must be old-fashioned. It just seems an incredibly brazen thing to do. So ... personal.’
Lola opened her mouth to protest but now Dougie was surveying her with equal distaste, as if she were Typhoid Mary going around spreading her vile germs on other people’s lipsticks. There came a time when you simply had to accept that winning someone over wasn’t an option.
When Lola’s phone trilled for the third time that evening, Adele’s mouth narrowed with fresh annoyance.
Will you stop hanging up on me?’ Gabe demanded. ‘I do have better things to do with my time than keep trying to get through to you. It’s not that complicated,’ he rattled on. ‘I just need to know if everything’s going OK. A simple yes or no will—’
‘Are you serious? The contractions are how far apart? Just wait there and stay calm,’ said Lola.
‘Boil the kettle and take deep breaths. I’m on my way’
Chapter 10
I dreamt about him last night,’ said Lola.
Cheryl was restocking the bestseller shelves at the front of the shop. Pausing to gaze at the book in her hand, she frowned and said, ‘Dreamt about who? Harry Potter?’
‘As if. I’m talking about Dougie, you dingbat.’
‘Oh. You mean you’re still talking about Dougie. Do the words 'not a hope in hell' mean anything to you?’
Honestly, just because Cheryl’s marriage had ended in a bad way; now forty and happily divorced, she was enjoying a man-free life. Doggedly, Lola said, ‘Failure is not an option.’
‘Flogging a dead horse?’ Cheryl persisted. ‘Chasing rainbows? Expecting a miracle?’
‘Don’t be such a pessimist. I dreamt I was rowing a boat down Portobello Road and I lost one of my oars, but all of a sudden Dougie swam up to me and jumped into the boat.’
‘And tipped you out?’
‘And rescued me! He showed me the hidden switch that turned on the engine.’ Lola felt herself growing misty- eyed at the memory. ‘And the next thing I knew, we were whizzing along like something out of a James Bond film, all through thestreets with people screaming and diving out of our way, and Dougie was sitting next to me with his
