come in at that second. She was sure Nell had been about to tell her more about Gareth and what had happened between them. Now the moment had gone. ‘You do it, Lise,’ she said. ‘I always get nervous it’s going to spurt everywhere.’
‘Said the actress to the bishop,’ Nell drawled, sitting up and opening her eyes. ‘Oh God, what am I going to do without sex?’ she moaned suddenly. ‘That’s the worst thing about breaking up with someone, those single nights with nobody to put their arms around you.’
‘Nell, it’s only been a week,’ Josie reminded her. ‘You might even be able to patch things up, you never know.’
‘Nah,’ Nell said, shaking her head. ‘No, I won’t. It’s over, that one.’
‘Sex is the easy part anyway, if you ask me,’ Lisa said, pulling the champagne cork out with a flourish. A thin wisp of vapour spiralled into the air, then vanished as she began pouring. ‘Getting the buggers to stay around the next morning, that’s the tricky bit.’
‘Sex isn’t everything,’ Josie put in. ‘If you must know, I’m really looking forward to sleeping on my own tonight, without Pete trying to pull my knickers off as soon as the lights go out.’
‘Oh, don’t, you’re making me feel worse,’ Nell groaned, taking the glass that Lisa was holding out. ‘Smug cow.’
‘I’m not being smug!’ Josie replied. ‘OK, so I’ve got it when I want it, but most of the time I don’t want it.’ She took the second glass of champagne from Lisa, and stared at the vertical lines of tiny bubbles rushing up to the surface, one after another. ‘And then I feel bad for not wanting it, like I’m letting him down, when I’m just so knackered all I want to do is shut my eyes.’ She leaned forward conspiratorially. ‘Once I even pretended I thought I’d caught nits off the boys to keep him away from me.’
‘Evil!’ Nell laughed, spluttering as she took a sip.
A small frown appeared between Lisa’s eyebrows. ‘I don’t get that,’ she confessed. ‘You’re married to him – but you never want to sleep with him?’ She gave a small hiccup. ‘Don’t you worry that he’ll just go off with someone else?’
Josie shook her head. ‘Absolutely not,’ she said firmly. ‘He’s not like that. No way.’ She took a mouthful of bubbles, enjoying the sensation of them fizzing on her tongue. ‘Anyway, I’m not saying I never want to sleep with him,’ she went on. ‘Sometimes I do really fancy him. It’s just . . .’ The sentence hung in the air, unfinished. It’s just that I only fancy him at certain times of the month, that’s all. Like, when he can make me pregnant. ‘Are we going to have a toast with this bubbly or what?’ she demanded, not wanting to discuss it any more.
‘Course,’ Nell said, raising her glass. ‘Cheers, ladies. Here’s to me forgetting all about Gareth and meeting somebody fabulous soon.’
‘Cheers,’ Lisa added. ‘Amen to that. And here’s to me meeting—’ Her BlackBerry started beeping urgently, and she rolled her eyes. ‘Sorry, guys, I’d better just get that.’
‘It’s almost midnight!’ Josie said in surprise. ‘Who’s going to be emailing you now?’
Lisa checked the screen. ‘Just another work thing from the States,’ she said, her fingers flashing over the keyboard. ‘I’ll be two minutes.’
‘Are you not allowed to have a life?’ Nell asked, exchanging raised-eyebrow glances with Josie. ‘Can’t you just tell them to sod off?’ She laughed. ‘You were right, I’d be sacked from your job within the hour, Lise,’ she said. ‘Me and my bad attitude. I couldn’t be doing with all that prisoner-of-my-own-technology stuff.’
Lisa pressed a button to send off her message and picked up her glass again. ‘Dahling, I’m so essential to their business, they can’t manage without me, even at weekends,’ she replied. ‘And don’t worry, I’m billing them for every minute. In fact, they just bought us another
‘Said the actress to the bishop,’ Nell drawled, sitting up and opening her eyes. ‘Oh God, what am I going to do without sex?’ she moaned suddenly. ‘That’s the worst thing about breaking up with someone, those single nights with nobody to put their arms around you.’
‘Nell, it’s only been a week,’ Josie reminded her. ‘You might even be able to patch things up, you never know.’
‘Nah,’ Nell said, shaking her head. ‘No, I won’t. It’s over, that one.’
‘Sex is the easy part anyway, if you ask me,’ Lisa said, pulling the champagne cork out with a flourish. A thin wisp of vapour spiralled into the air, then vanished as she began pouring. ‘Getting the buggers to stay around the next morning, that’s the tricky bit.’
‘Sex isn’t everything,’ Josie put in. ‘If you must know, I’m really looking forward to sleeping on my own tonight, without Pete trying to pull my knickers off as soon as the lights go out.’
‘Oh, don’t, you’re making me feel worse,’ Nell groaned, taking the glass that Lisa was holding out. ‘Smug cow.’
‘I’m not being smug!’ Josie replied. ‘OK, so I’ve got it when I want it, but most of the time I don’t want it.’ She took the second glass of champagne from Lisa, and stared at the vertical lines of tiny bubbles rushing up to the surface, one after another. ‘And then I feel bad for not wanting it, like I’m letting him down, when I’m just so knackered all I want to do is shut my eyes.’ She leaned forward conspiratorially. ‘Once I even pretended I thought I’d caught nits off the boys to keep him away from me.’
‘Evil!’ Nell laughed, spluttering as she took a sip.
A small frown appeared between Lisa’s eyebrows. ‘I don’t get that,’ she confessed. ‘You’re married to him – but you never want to sleep with him?’ She gave a small hiccup. ‘Don’t you worry that he’ll just go off with someone else?’
Josie shook her head. ‘Absolutely not,’ she said firmly. ‘He’s not like that. No way.’ She took a mouthful of bubbles, enjoying the sensation of them fizzing on her tongue. ‘Anyway, I’m not saying I never want to sleep with him,’ she went on. ‘Sometimes I do really fancy him. It’s just . . .’ The sentence hung in the air, unfinished. It’s just that I only fancy him at certain times of the month, that’s all. Like, when he can make me pregnant. ‘Are we going to have a toast with this bubbly or what?’ she demanded, not wanting to discuss it any more.
‘Course,’ Nell said, raising her glass. ‘Cheers, ladies. Here’s to me forgetting all about Gareth and meeting somebody fabulous soon.’
‘Cheers,’ Lisa added. ‘Amen to that. And here’s to me meeting—’ Her BlackBerry started beeping urgently, and she rolled her eyes. ‘Sorry, guys, I’d better just get that.’
‘It’s almost midnight!’ Josie said in surprise. ‘Who’s going to be emailing you now?’
Lisa checked the screen. ‘Just another work thing from the States,’ she said, her fingers flashing over the keyboard. ‘I’ll be two minutes.’
‘Are you not allowed to have a life?’ Nell asked, exchanging raised-eyebrow glances with Josie. ‘Can’t you just tell them to sod off?’ She laughed. ‘You were right, I’d be sacked from your job within the hour, Lise,’ she said. ‘Me and my bad attitude. I couldn’t be doing with all that prisoner-of-my-own-technology stuff.’
Lisa pressed a button to send off her message and picked up her glass again. ‘Dahling, I’m so essential to their business, they can’t manage without me, even at weekends,’ she replied. ‘And don’t worry, I’m billing them for every minute. In fact, they just bought us another
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