He took a sip of his coffee and swallowed it, and his eyes swung to mine again, studying me. Then his lips widened into a grin.
‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘It does, actually. Listen, tomorrow I’m seeing a friend in London who wants to meet Jessica. We’ll be gone a couple of days.’
‘Okay,’ I said. ‘Shall I continue with the script in the meantime?’
‘Let’s take a break. You’ve worked hard, between that and nursing me. We’ll continue when I get back, okay?’
‘No problem,’ I said, and decided to invite Jack and Emma over in the meantime. I hadn’t seen Emma since Luke had arrived. I wondered who the friend in London was.
*
The next day I saw Luke and Jessica off with a hamper of food for their trip, my hand already on my mobile.
‘Hello?’ Emma said.
‘Em? It’s me.’
‘Well, hello, Me,’ she said. ‘What’s up?’
‘How about dinner tonight at mine? I’ll call Jack.’
‘What about your superstar?’
‘He’s gone away until tomorrow night.’
‘Cool. Have you noticed that you actually haven’t introduced us?’
I slapped my hand against my forehead. ‘I haven’t? Jesus, Em, I’m so sorry – you’re right! I’ll do it when they get back. Chanel will love Jessica, I can assure you.’
‘Well, actually, Chanel is a bit jealous at the moment. Chloe hasn’t called her for ages. And we only live next door.’
‘I know, I know… we’re horrible friends, Em, I’m mortified.’
‘Well, then you’ll have to make up for it by having a dinner in honour of your old friends.’
‘I will. See you later, then?’
‘Laters,’ she promised. ‘But I don’t know about Chanel. She’s pretty pissed off at the moment.’
‘I’ll send Chloe over immediately to apologise,’ I promised.
*
‘Did you hear?’ Em said as she eased herself into her favourite chair that evening. ‘Old Audrey is getting married.’
I stopped in mid-stir. ‘Audrey Audrey? The spinster?’
‘The very one. Jesus, you have to wonder what’s happening to the world if eighty-year-old women are getting married and we’re not.’
‘Oh, I already gave in that department.’ I laughed, handing her a mug of coffee. It seemed that Luke had got me hooked on it.
‘Ooh, that’s hot. But Nina, wouldn’t you want someone to keep you warm at night? The trouble is finding someone worth it. If you found someone, wouldn’t you risk it all over again?’
I smiled as I buried my nose into my own mug. I knew my friend. This was not about me, but about her own love life. She was on the mooch, if not already just about to close in on someone. Her expression, not mine, because Em always saw love as a game, a conquest, a prize to be awarded to the most valiant.
‘Em, it’s just not for me. I’m just too busy for a bloke.’ Besides, I was closed for business. My parts were weary, not to say dead. No more production chain for me.
‘Nina, I can’t keep it to myself any longer. I’ve got news myself!’
‘Please don’t tell me you and Jack have both found someone. Then I’ll be the odd one out.’
She stopped smiling. ‘Why would you say that?’
I shrugged. ‘I have heard rumours that he’s seeing someone.’
She put her mug down slowly. ‘Did they… say who?’
I shrugged. ‘No, but did you think that we’d be Three’s Company forever?’
‘No, but—’
‘Come on, let’s have it, then. What’s your news?’
‘I’m moving to Truro, lock, stock and wedding samples!’
I gasped. ‘Noooo, why?’
‘Because it’ll be easier getting my own clients. I don’t want to work for someone else forever. I want to be my own boss, like you.’
‘I’m so proud of you, you’ve finally done it. Your own business!’
‘Thanks, luv. Jack’s promised to help me move.’
‘I’ll help, too.’
‘No, you won’t. You’re busy enough as it is. I can hardly still believe it! My own schedule, my own terms, my own clients! And I’m crapping myself!’
‘Nonsense, Em! You’ll be absolutely brilliant. You already are! I’d let you organise my wedding in less than a heartbeat!’
‘Well, maybe I might, one day.’
‘Fat chance. I’m so happy for you and Chanel, but miserable for me and Chloe. Who am I going to talk to in the evenings?’
‘I’ll only be half an hour away, you silly sausage. In any case, Jack’s still around. He’ll die before he leaves Crooked Hill.’
‘But you’ll come over during the weekends and stuff?’
She pursed her lips. ‘That’s the thing, Nina. A lot of my clients only have time to meet up on weekends.’
‘Jesus, Em. Then it really is the end of an era. But a start to a better one for you and Chanel. So we need to celebrate your career move! I’ve got a cheapola bottle of champers around here somewhere – is that all right?’
‘Did you invite Jack?’ she asked. ‘Is he coming?’
‘When does he not come over?’ I said.
Come to think of it, it was true. Our girl talk was always limited, always secondary to the practical conversations we had with Jack, such as: My tap is leaking; what can I use to fix it? or Can you bring over a bottle of your best cider?
Poor bloke, we were his closest friends. And now he was losing one of us. I’d have to make sure he didn’t feel too lonely, now that his oldest friend was going.
There was a knock on the door – Jack’s knock. ‘You can stop slagging me off, you two. I can hear you all the way down the lane!’ he warned us as he came in.
‘Jack!’ I called, throwing my arms around his neck. ‘I’ve missed you! And so has Em here, haven’t you?’
They exchanged glances and she coughed. ‘Nah, not really. How are you, mate?’ she asked, clapping him on the back.
‘Ow. I hate it when you do that, Em!’
I looked between the two of them. ‘Is there something wrong? What have I missed?’
Emma’s eyes widened. ‘Missed? Nothing, why would you say that?’
I shrugged. ‘You just look like you’ve quarrelled, is all.’
‘Nonsense,’ Jack said. ‘And throw that shit away,’ he said, pulling out a bottle of
