‘Lol?’Katie calls from the sitting room.She’s the only person who stills calls me Lol.It was my nickname in school but, unsurprisingly, it faded from use once people started using LOL as an acronym.I like that Katie still calls me Lol, though.It makes me feel … I dunno.Known.‘Everything okay?’
‘I’m fine!’I call back.‘Sorry.I just dropped my ‘I’ve been fired’ box.’
I leave it there and go into the sitting room, where Katie and her wife Jeanne are curled up on the couch.
‘You weren’t fired,’ says Jeanne.‘You were just … restructured.Here, have some wine.’
‘I shouldn’t …’ I say, but she’s already pouring me a glass of Brouilly.‘Oh, all right then.Thanks.’
I take the glass and plonk myself down in a comfortable armchair.Katie and Jeanne’s house is so nice.They’re practically my only friends who own their own home.Last year I hoped me and Dave might be able to buy something soon … But I won’t think about that now.I won’t think about him at all.I won’t even think about the fact that, as of today, I’m officially unemployed.I’ll just remember how lucky I am to have friends who, without hesitation, offered me a room as soon as I told them that Dave and I had broken up.I feel tears come to my eyes.I love Katie.And I love Jeanne too.I’m lucky my best friend got together with someone so cool.And French.Her calm practicality perfectly balances Katie’s energy.I look at them fondly, Katie with her bleached blonde bob and oversized sweatshirt with ‘Meuf’ emblazoned across the front, Jeanne snuggled next to her in a cobweb-grey cashmere cardigan, her braids tied up in a bun (it’s such a French cliché but she really is more stylish than anyone else I know).
‘Are you all right?’says Katie suspiciously.‘You look like you might be sick any minute.Don’t throw up all over that chair.’
‘How dare you!’I say.‘I was just thinking how great you both are.Though I’m not thinking that anymore.’
‘Good to hear,’ says Katie.‘Because if you had puked onthe chair I’d have made you spend your redundancy money on another one.’
‘Ooh, my redundancy money!’I’m definitely a bit tipsy.‘That reminds me.The payment should have gone through today!’
‘You’re rich!’cries Katie.
‘Well, not very rich,’ I say.‘But slightly richer than I was this morning.Actually, I wonder how much it is after tax?’I reach for my phone and open the bank app.At least, that’s what I meant to do.But a combination of several drinks and general distraction means I hit the Gmail icon instead.
And that’s when I see it.
‘Oh my God.’I drop the phone in my lap.
‘What?’says Jeanne.‘Oh no, have you been scammed?Is all your money gone?’
I pick the phone up again and stare at the screen.No, I wasn’t seeing things.
‘It’s not the bank,’ I say.‘I got an email from Tadhg.’
‘Tadhg who?’says Katie.Then it dawns on her.‘ThatTadhg?’
‘That Tadhg,’ I say, without taking my eyes off my phone.
‘What’s the subject line?’says Katie.
‘“Our song”,’ I say.
‘Maybe it’s a promotional thing,’ suggests Jeanne.‘Maybe that’s the name of his new album.’
‘Jeanne,’ says Katie, ‘do you really think Laura is signed up to Tadhg Hennessy’s email list?’She looks at me.‘You’re not, are you?’
‘No!’I say.
‘So why is he emailing you?’she says.
‘I have no idea!’I stare at the unread email.The sender is listed as Tadhg Hennessy.Could it actually be him?And if it is, what do I want it to say?Laura, I was young and stupid, you are the love of my life?Laura, I know it’s been sixteen years since we saw each other but I still hate you for what happened that night?Laura, just a heads-up, my new album is all about how much I still hate you?It could be anything.
Maybe I did just end up on his record company’s mailing list.
‘Read it!’says Katie impatiently.
Katie, Sarah and, at this stage, Jeanne are the only people I’ve ever talked to properly about Tadhg.They’re the only people who know exactly what happened between us.
I take a deep breath.‘Fine.’
