friend’s house. She’s coming here at the same time. Her name’s Rachel, and she’s going to be staying here with her family – two kids, a little boy and a teenage girl. So if you see some strangers in the block that’s who they’ll be.’
‘Sure,’ Lily said, taking a sip of her tea. ‘Any friends of yours are friends of mine, sweetheart. Tell them if they need anything, Lily’s here. You know how I like a bit of young company.’
Laurie took her tea and warmed her hands with it. Lily’s flat wasn’t as well heated as her own, and with the temperature outside near zero, the kitchen was cold.
‘And you?’ Lily said, slowly, her eyes drifting over Laurie’s face and body. ‘Are you OK? I mean, you know I’m not one for meddling, but you look a little skinny. And tired.’
‘I haven’t been sleeping that well,’ Laurie said distantly.
‘Is it our friend upstairs?’
‘That’s part of it,’ she said.
‘Jay’s not gone and broken your heart?’
‘It’s not like that, Lily,’ Laurie sighed.
‘So you’ve broken his?’
‘Jay and I just didn’t work out, that’s all.’
She’d rerun that evening a hundred times in her mind since it happened, trying to make sense of it. After the night on her roof terrace she and Jay had gone on a few dates as summer turned to autumn, and there had been more kisses, just as addictive as the ones on that first night. On their third date, they’d gone to Capelli’s, their neighbourhood pizzeria – they’d been there plenty of times before with friends, but this time, just the two of them, had been different. It had felt intimate and romantic.
‘Come to mine on Friday,’ Jay said, as they walked home. Laurie was playfully kicking up leaves, her hand in his. ‘Let me cook for you.’
Laurie only hesitated for a second. ‘Yes, sure,’ she said, sounding her usual confident self. But inside she was less sure, and as they walked back to the flat she fell silent. Just a couple of weeks ago she and Jay had been friends, and now, where were they heading? Why was it all getting so serious? She knew what a cosy night in at Jay’s would mean, and a voice in her head nagged at her. Things were changing too quickly. She wasn’t ready yet.
Jay kissed her goodbye outside his front door. ‘See you this Friday, then,’ he said, smiling, and letting go of her hands reluctantly. ‘Seven p.m. OK?’
‘Great,’ Laurie nodded, pushing her doubts aside. ‘See you then.’
At 6.30 p.m. that Friday Laurie had put down the phone on her final call of the day. Sales for the Sinaloa boots were pleasingly high. It had been a good day all round, she had finished and sent some proposals for expanding the new Navajo range to the New York office and received instant approval. She glanced at the clock as she got up to leave – she would be a little late for dinner at Jay’s, but she’d pick up some nice wine to make up for it.
Danny cornered her at the door, a flustered expression on his face. ‘Laurie, sorry about this, but it’s an emergency. The presentation for our shareholders’ meeting is in terrible shape. You couldn’t help us knock it together, could you?’
An hour and a half later, Laurie’s eyes were sore. She had put together the presentation easily, but time had flown – when she saved the polished presentation on to the computer she saw it was 8 p.m., and she still had a long tube ride ahead of her.
‘Nightmare at work,’ she said, as Jay opened the door to her just before nine. She paused for no more than a second to take in his appearance – indigo jeans and a red and black checked shirt – nice. ‘I’d just finished this phone call and …’
She stopped talking as she picked up on the delicate smells of herbs and spices and … burned food.
‘Ah, I’m too late for dinner, aren’t I?’ she said, biting her lip.
‘Kind of,’ Jay said, stepping back and motioning for her to step into the hall. ‘But come in.’
‘We can
‘Sure,’ Lily said, taking a sip of her tea. ‘Any friends of yours are friends of mine, sweetheart. Tell them if they need anything, Lily’s here. You know how I like a bit of young company.’
Laurie took her tea and warmed her hands with it. Lily’s flat wasn’t as well heated as her own, and with the temperature outside near zero, the kitchen was cold.
‘And you?’ Lily said, slowly, her eyes drifting over Laurie’s face and body. ‘Are you OK? I mean, you know I’m not one for meddling, but you look a little skinny. And tired.’
‘I haven’t been sleeping that well,’ Laurie said distantly.
‘Is it our friend upstairs?’
‘That’s part of it,’ she said.
‘Jay’s not gone and broken your heart?’
‘It’s not like that, Lily,’ Laurie sighed.
‘So you’ve broken his?’
‘Jay and I just didn’t work out, that’s all.’
She’d rerun that evening a hundred times in her mind since it happened, trying to make sense of it. After the night on her roof terrace she and Jay had gone on a few dates as summer turned to autumn, and there had been more kisses, just as addictive as the ones on that first night. On their third date, they’d gone to Capelli’s, their neighbourhood pizzeria – they’d been there plenty of times before with friends, but this time, just the two of them, had been different. It had felt intimate and romantic.
‘Come to mine on Friday,’ Jay said, as they walked home. Laurie was playfully kicking up leaves, her hand in his. ‘Let me cook for you.’
Laurie only hesitated for a second. ‘Yes, sure,’ she said, sounding her usual confident self. But inside she was less sure, and as they walked back to the flat she fell silent. Just a couple of weeks ago she and Jay had been friends, and now, where were they heading? Why was it all getting so serious? She knew what a cosy night in at Jay’s would mean, and a voice in her head nagged at her. Things were changing too quickly. She wasn’t ready yet.
Jay kissed her goodbye outside his front door. ‘See you this Friday, then,’ he said, smiling, and letting go of her hands reluctantly. ‘Seven p.m. OK?’
‘Great,’ Laurie nodded, pushing her doubts aside. ‘See you then.’
At 6.30 p.m. that Friday Laurie had put down the phone on her final call of the day. Sales for the Sinaloa boots were pleasingly high. It had been a good day all round, she had finished and sent some proposals for expanding the new Navajo range to the New York office and received instant approval. She glanced at the clock as she got up to leave – she would be a little late for dinner at Jay’s, but she’d pick up some nice wine to make up for it.
Danny cornered her at the door, a flustered expression on his face. ‘Laurie, sorry about this, but it’s an emergency. The presentation for our shareholders’ meeting is in terrible shape. You couldn’t help us knock it together, could you?’
An hour and a half later, Laurie’s eyes were sore. She had put together the presentation easily, but time had flown – when she saved the polished presentation on to the computer she saw it was 8 p.m., and she still had a long tube ride ahead of her.
‘Nightmare at work,’ she said, as Jay opened the door to her just before nine. She paused for no more than a second to take in his appearance – indigo jeans and a red and black checked shirt – nice. ‘I’d just finished this phone call and …’
She stopped talking as she picked up on the delicate smells of herbs and spices and … burned food.
‘Ah, I’m too late for dinner, aren’t I?’ she said, biting her lip.
‘Kind of,’ Jay said, stepping back and motioning for her to step into the hall. ‘But come in.’
‘We can
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