Can You Keep A Secret?

I feel a hand on my shoulder, and give a fresh scream.

'Emma, calm down!' says Lissy. 'It's me! Jean-Paul's gone.'

I can't look up. I can't meet her eye.

'Lissy, I'm sorry,' I gabble, staring at the floor. 'I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that. I should

never have… your sex life is your own affair.'

'Emma, we weren't having sex, you dope!'

'You were! I saw you! You didn't have any clothes on.'

'We did have clothes on. Emma, look at me!'

'No!' I say in panic. 'I don't want to look at you!'

'Look at me!'

Apprehensively, I raise my head, and gradually my eyes focus on Lissy, standing in front of

me.

Oh. Oh… right. She's wearing a flesh-coloured leotard.

'Well what were you doing if you weren't having sex?' I say, almost accusingly. 'And why are

you wearing that?'

'We were dancing,' says Lissy, looking embarrassed.

'What?' I stare at her in utter bewilderment.

'We were dancing, OK? That's what we were doing!'

'Dancing? But… why were you dancing?'

This makes no sense at all. Lissy and a French guy called Jean-Paul dancing in her bedroom?

I feel like I've landed in the middle of some weird dream.

'I've joined this group,' says Lissy after a pause.

'Oh my God. Not a cult-'

'No, not a cult. It's just…' She bites her lip. 'It's some lawyers who've got together and formed

a… a dance group.'

A dance group?

For a few moments I can't quite speak. Now that my shock's died down, I have this horrible

feeling that I might possibly be about to laugh.

'You've joined a group of… dancing lawyers.'

'Yes.' Lissy nods.

An image pops into my head of a bunch of portly barristers dancing around in their wigs and I

can't help it, I give a snort of laughter.

'You see!' cries Lissy. 'That's why I didn't tell you. I knew you'd laugh!'

'I'm sorry!' I say. 'I'm sorry! I'm not laughing. I think it's really great!' Another hysterical

giggle bursts from me. 'It's just… I don't know. Somehow the idea of dancing lawyers…'

'We're not all lawyers,' she says defensively. There are a couple of merchant bankers, too, and

a judge… Emma, stop laughing!'

'I'm sorry,' I say helplessly. 'Lissy, I'm not laughing at you, honestly.' I take a deep breath and

try desperately to clamp my lips together. But all I can see is merchant bankers dressed in

tutus, clutching their briefcases, dancing to Swan Lake. A judge leaping across the stage,

robes flying.

'It's not funny!' Lissy's saying. 'It's just a few like-minded professionals who want to express

themselves through dance. What's wrong with that?'

'I'm sorry,' I say again, wiping my eyes and trying to regain control of myself. 'Nothing's

wrong with it. I think it's brilliant. So… are you having a show, or anything?'

'It's in three weeks. That's why we've been doing extra practices.'

'Three weeks?' I stare at her, my laughter melting away. 'Weren't you going to tell me?'

'I… I hadn't decided,' she says, scuffing her dancing shoe on the floor. 'I was embarrassed.'

'Don't be embarrassed!' I say in dismay. 'Lissy, I'm sorry I laughed. I think it's brilliant. And

I'm going to come and watch. I'll sit right in the front row…'

'Not the front row. You'll put me off.'

'I'll sit in the middle, then. Or at the back. Wherever you want me.' I give her a curious look.

'Lissy, I never knew you could dance.'

'Oh, I can't,' she says at once. 'I'm crap. It's just a bit of fun. D'you want a coffee?'

As I follow Lissy into the kitchen, she gives me a raised-eyebrow look. 'So, you've got a bit of

a nerve, accusing me of having sex. Where were you last night?'

'With Jack,' I admit with a dreamy smile. 'Having sex. All night.'

'I knew it!'

'Oh God, Lissy. I'm completely in love with him.'

'In love?' She flicks on the kettle. 'Emma, are you sure? You've only known him about five

minutes.'

'That doesn't matter! We're already complete soul-mates. There's no need to pretend with him

… or try to be something I'm not… and the sex is amazing… He's everything I never had

with Connor. Everything. And he's interested in me. You know, he asks me questions all the

time, and he seems really genuinely fascinated by the answers.'

I spread my arms with a blissful smile and sink down onto a chair. 'You know, Lissy, all my

life I had this feeling that something wonderful was about to happen to me. I always just…

knew it, deep down inside. And now it has.'

'So where is he now?' says Lissy, shaking coffee into the cafetiere.

'He's going away for a bit. He's going to brainstorm some new concept with a creative team.'

'What?'

'I dunno. He didn't say. It'll be really intense and he probably won't be able to phone me. But

he's going to email every day,' I add happily.

'Biscuit?' says Lissy, opening the tin.

'Oh, er… yes. Thanks.' I take a digestive and give it a thoughtful nibble. 'You know, I've got

this whole new theory about relationships. It's so simple. Everyone in the world should be

more honest with each other. Everyone should share! Men and women should share, families

should share, world leaders should share!'

'Hmm.' Lissy looks at me silently for a few moments. 'Emma, did Jack ever tell you why he

had to go rushing off in the middle of the night that time?'

'No,' I say in surprise. 'But it's his business.'

'Did he ever tell you what all those phone calls were about on your first date?'

'Well… no.'

'Has he told you anything about himself other than the bare minimum?'

'He's told me plenty!' I say defensively. 'Lissy, what's your problem?'

'I don't have a problem,' she says mildly. 'I'm just wondering… is it you who's doing all the

sharing?'

'What?'

'Is he sharing himself with you?' She pours hot water onto the coffee. 'Or are you just sharing

yourself with him?'

'We're sharing with each other,' I say, looking away and fiddling with a fridge magnet.

Which is true, I tell myself firmly. Jack's shared loads with me! I mean, he's told me…

He's told me all about…

Well, anyway. He probably just hasn't been in the mood for talking very much. Is that a