Page 17 of Between Us
He had known when he was self-importantly banging out emails in their bedroom, then, and told her to go downstairs without him. He had actively chosen to withhold it for a moment with the group than tell his girlfriend, alone.
Nothing was about the two of them, any more.Champagne problems.
‘Actual Hollywood people. Joe! This is the coolest thing,’ Gina said, shaking her head, making a proud mum disbelief face.
‘Oh my God – what are you going towear?!’ Anita said.
Everyone guffawed at the idea Joe’s choice of shirt was crucial and Roisin was grateful for their guilelessness puncturing the lingering tension from Dev’s air miles talk.
‘What do you actually say, in a meeting like that?’ Meredith said.
‘To be honest, it’s what my agent calls a kind oflet’s get a look at youthing. If they’re going to do business developing your idea and involving you to some extent, they want tocheck you’re not intolerable. So not a lot, really. Don’t suggestively tongue the cutlery and laugh in the wrong places.’
‘Are you having dinner?’ Dev said.
‘Brunch. But I’ve already been warned, no one actually eats it.’
‘You order something and then look at it? Or you don’t order?’ Gina said.
‘They say, “bring all the things for the table” and everyone ignores it and drinks black coffee.’
‘Not called La La Land for nothing,’ Dev said, nodding. ‘Away with the fairies. Land of the lotus lickers.’
‘Fairly sure it’s “eaters”,’ Joe said.
‘Destabilise the power dynamic by demanding the Chateau Marmont waiter brings you a large chilled banana milkshake with a half banana garnish,’ Matt said. ‘It’s the kind of place where they’d have to do it.’
‘Is it at Chateau Marmont?’ Anita said.
‘That was a guess,’ Matt said.
‘Actually, yes,’ Joe said, and Roisin could sense Joe’s irritation at Matt stealing even one rumble of this thunder.
‘What time do you have to go on Sunday?’ Roisin said. She knew it was a boring scold’s question. A fun girlfriend should be cooing, but she couldn’t bring herself.
‘Taxi’s coming at quarter to seven,’ Joe said.
Dev, overhearing, made a pained noise. ‘We’ll say ta-rah to you on Saturday night if that’s OK, mate.’
‘Absolutely!’ Joe said, addressing the table. ‘I don’t expect anyone to get up to see me off.’
Anyone?Roisin thought.What am I, the dog we don’t have’s mother?
‘I think what you’ve achieved is so incredible, Joe,’ Gina said. ‘I remember when we used to donate our fully stamped café loyalty cards to you so you could have a free drink while you worked. Now look at you!’
‘Still appreciate it,’ Joe said. ‘Might be flying business on Virgin Atlantic day after tomorrow but in my heart I’m Diddy B forever.’
‘Diddy B!’ Gina cried, in warmth at their shared nickname for Didsbury.
Joe gazed back at her with real fondness.
Roisin loved Gina, too. But in that moment, without jealousy, she thought:Joe, you get on so well with Gina because she is sweetly pretty and built like Jessica Rabbit, and an unabashed Joe fangirl. She worships you and asks nothing of you.
Maybe Roisin should let herself off the hook regarding Joe losing interest in her – maybe he was always going to do that with any partner who couldn’t remodel herself into Joe’s adoring foil. He used to like a challenge.
‘Is it time yet?’ Anita said to Dev. ‘For the surprise.’
Dev nodded, and Anita jumped from her chair and scuttled off into the hallway as everyone watched, perplexed.
