‘Umm, Kerry,’ I said. ‘It’s not exactly cheap and cheerful, is it?’
Kerry grinned at us. ‘I’m treating us all, remember? I’m getting Luke’s staff discount too, so it’s not as bad as it looks.’
I winced. Zoe gave a small smile. ‘If you insist. I’d like this black pasta stuff, please.’
It was the most expensive thing on the menu. I noticed Kerry flinch, just a little, but she didn’t say anything. I sought out the plainest, cheapest pasta on the list.
Luke was hovering, notebook in hand.
‘And a bottle of your finest red wine,’ Zoe said to him and he laughed.
‘No can do, ladies. Try again.’ He looked at me. ‘Hi again. Anna, right?’
I felt like my tongue was glued down. ‘Yeah, hi. Plain tomato pasta, please. Actually – I’m not all that hungry. Do you do half-portions?’
Zoe pursed her lips. ‘Anna, Kerry’s treating us. Don’t be so rude. A few minutes ago you told me you were starving.’
Kerry smiled at me. ‘It’s fine, you have whatever you want.’
Luke looked at his sister. ‘You’re paying for all of this?’
Kerry shifted in her seat. ‘It’s Zoe’s birthday.’
‘I can pay for myself,’ I chipped in.
‘No,’ said Kerry and she gave her brother a glare. ‘I promised.’
Zoe pressed her lips together as if she wanted to laugh.
Luke took our orders and went off to the kitchen to bring us some iced water.
I wasn’t lying. The combination of the menu prices and seeing Luke again had kind of killed my appetite. And I could feel Zoe watching me.
The food was really good, though, and Luke brought us a free plate of warm bread and green olives to go with it. When he smiled at me, very directly, I went a bit hot in the face. As soon as he’d gone, though, Zoe dropped her fork into her bowl of pasta, with a loud clatter. Black-ish sauce like ink spots splattered onto the table cloth. Kerry jumped and checked her white top.
‘Say it ain’t so, Anna. Tell me there’s nothing going on between you and the bread boy.’
‘That’s my brother,’ said Kerry. ‘He’s called Luke.’
Zoe closed her eyes. ‘I know that. So what?’
Kerry shrugged and looked down at her plate. I knew how she felt. Sometimes Zoe could be a bit scary. She was so much worse to Kerry than to anyone else, though.
‘’Course there’s nothing going on,’ I said. ‘I met him once before, that’s all. Kerry, this food is amazing. I love this place.’
‘Well, I don’t,’ Zoe said, pushing her bowl away. ‘It’s pretentious. It’s just Presto Pasta with tacky faux-goth decor. And it’s over-priced.’
‘That shouldn’t matter, seeing as how you’re not paying,’ said a voice beside us and we looked round to see Luke next to the table. He’d even brought a little cake, lit with a sparkler. ‘Kerry organised this for you,’ he said.
Zoe looked at it as if it was a dog turd with a candle in it, pushed back her chair and stood up. ‘And it’s staffed by morons.’ She turned to me. ‘I think we have a gig to go on to.’
I cringed. ‘Give me a minute,’ I said.
‘See you outside then.’ Zoe strode to the door.
I didn’t know where to look or what to say. ‘Kerry, I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s the matter with her. I thought it was all lovely, honest, I did.’
Luke started picking up the plates and piling them up into one hand. Kerry was still sitting staring into her half-eaten food. ‘I thought she’d really like it,’ she said, almost in a whisper.
I reached across the table and squeezed her hand. ‘I know. It was nice of you. She’s just... it’s not you. It’s her.’
She looked up. ‘Where are you going to now?’
I ran my hands through my hair. It was so hot in this place. ‘Just a gig. A couple of college goth bands, that’s all. We – we didn’t think you’d like that sort of thing.’
‘You never asked, though.’
I could tell from the thickness of her voice that Kerry was close to crying, and I desperately wanted to stop her. ‘We should’ve done. We will next time.’
Kerry must’ve known I was lying about that. She glanced at her watch. ‘It’s nearly ten o’clock. What time does it start?’
I shrugged. ‘It goes on till late.’
‘Did Zoe’s mother say she could go, then?’ Kerry asked, sniffing.
‘No, of course not. We’re supposed to be somewhere else for the night. Don’t tell anyone, for god’s sake.’ I dug into my bag. ‘Here.’ I pulled out some money. ‘I don’t want you to have to pay for this.’
Kerry shook her head. I dropped the notes on the table and stood up. As I was scurrying out, I passed Luke on his way to another table. I stopped and looked up at him. ‘I’m really sorry,’ I said. ‘We never meant to upset Kerry. I feel awful.’
‘It wasn’t you, it was your spooky mate,’ Luke said. ‘But you could’ve asked Kerry along to the gig with you. She’s quite –’ He glanced over to make sure she wasn’t watching. ‘She gets lonely, that’s all. I want her to have a friend. Friends.’
‘I know,’ I said. My insides felt heavy, as if something was pulling me down.
Outside, it was darker than it should have been, because it had barely got light all day. There was a smell of rain in the air and a deep grey sky without stars. Zoe was shivering. ‘I thought you were never coming. I thought you must’ve stayed for dessert. Cake and jelly with Kerry and her sad sibling.’
‘Sorry.’
We started walking, fast, towards the university bar where the gig was being held. I took a big, inward breath. ‘Zoe, did you have to be like that with Kerry? She was trying
