‘It is,’ I grin back. ‘She’s been over to the flat almost every day these last couple of weeks, catching up on everything. It’s like old times, like nothing’s really changed.’
‘I think that is the test of a true friendship,’ Sofia says grandly. ‘If you can go without seeing one another for a long time, but when you do, everything is how it was.’ I nod heartily even though she can’t see me do it.
Beside me, my phone rings. It’s Katie from work. I stare at it, a feeling of fear squirming through my stomach.
‘Are you not going to answer?’ Louise asks gently and I shake my head. I can’t face talking to Katie right now. There have been two massive events at the Norris in the last few weeks that I’ve totally ignored. My poor assistant has been doing everything and I know she wants to talk about an upcoming fiftieth birthday party we haven’t even begun to prep for. We need to discuss budget, caterers, how many waiting staff we’ll need, what the colour scheme is – all thelittle details I’m usually buzzing with around a big event. But my head is too busy already; too full of Alistair and Paul and Alex – not to mention all the other exes I’ve yet to see.
‘I can’t concentrate on the office at the moment,’ I tell the room, guilt pulsing through my voice. Katie can figure it out for now; she’s great and I’m sure she can cope.
A silence descends before Bibi turns to our host and asks, ‘How are things going withyourmission, Sofia? With Ivan downstairs, I mean?’
‘Ooh, maybe we should invite him up here?’ I suggest hopefully. ‘He can join in our power cut club. It could be quite romantic for you guys, sitting in the darkness. And then we could bugger off if you start snogging!’
‘I don’t think there’s any point,’ Sofia sighs. ‘I tried the other night. I invited him up here for tea – I am a shameless hussy! – and he said no! Very nicely, but still no.’
‘Hmmm, errr…’ Louise makes a slightly strangled noise in the dark and I feel the rest of us turn in her direction.
‘What?’ Bibi sounds accusing.
‘Huh?’ Louise sounds guilty. ‘Um, oh nothing! Well… no, nothing!’
Beside me on the settee, Sofia leans in. ‘Darling Louise, what? Just say it. Don’t worry, I have heard it all, it is impossible to shock me.’
‘Ohhh I don’t want to say!’ she wails and we wait, giving her a moment. ‘OK, fine. Um, I’m really sorry, Sofia, but I’m pretty sure Ivan has a girlfriend.’
‘What?’ I gasp.
‘I was chatting to him out the front the other day,’ she begins hesitantly. ‘He’s really warmed up to me at last.’ Half in a whisper she adds an aside to me: ‘I made a new batch of biscuits and made sure he got them this time.’ Her voice returns to a normal volume as she continues. ‘Anyway, as we said goodbye, he said he was off to take care of his darling Pearl.’
‘Maybe it’s his cat,’ I suggest a bit lamely.
‘It could be!’ Bibi jumps in. ‘Thereisa cat that hangs around in the garden, I’ve seen it. A brownish one?’
‘Yes, I’ve seen it too!’ I join in enthusiastically. ‘Pearl is definitely Ivan’s cat.’
There is a long, sad silence and, at last, Sofia sighs. ‘You’re all terribly sweet, but I’d know if there was a cat living in this house. I’m so allergic, I’d be sneezing even walking past his door.’
‘Or maybe he has a literal pearl!’ Louise offers half-heartedly. ‘He might have a very expensive pearl in his jewellery collection that he loves to polish at night?’
‘That sounds very euphemistic,’ Bibi mutters but no one laughs.
‘Well!’ Sofia claps her hands. ‘Girlfriend or no, he does not seem interested.C’est la vie.’
We fall into sympathetic silence once more.
‘At least Esther is falling in love!’ Sofia tries to bring the mood back up. ‘With Paul, is it? Or Alistair?’ She giggles. ‘It is good to have options.’
‘Alistair’s my favourite,’ Louise crows from the corner, herface barely visible in the low light. ‘He was Esty’s first love and I want them to be together sooo much.’
I look down, feeling shy. ‘He has a girlfriend, Lou,’ I scold lightly. ‘And I did throw up all over him, if you remember.’
There is a traumatized silence as Lou and Bibi relive it. ‘But’– I breathe in dramatically – ‘he did finally message me this morning, and there was no mention of vomit. He wants to grab a coffee soon.’ I sigh loudly. ‘I don’t know, I think he’s just enjoying being friends again. Maybe I’m just some sad ego boost for him. The first love who dumped him all those years ago, returning to beg for another chance while he’s madly in love with someone else.’ I pause. ‘Or maybe he reallydoeswant to be mates.’
‘Pfft.’ Sofia waves her hand. ‘Youhavefriends, you don’t need more friends.’
‘Good point, no more friends,’ Bibi says archly. She’s not totally over her paranoia or jealousy then. She continues the briefing. ‘Then there is Paul, but he’s still away on his dumb work trip. Who is next then, Esther? If it was in order, after Paul came Idris, right?’ She glances at Sofia. ‘That was her serious boyfriend. They were together for three years.’
‘Ooof.’ I cover my eyes with hot hands. ‘I’m not ready for Idris yet, I don’t think.’
