‘What?’ Libby’s startled voice responded. ‘That’s only three years older than us.’
‘How is that even possible?’ Kira asked. ‘You’re a consultant.’
‘No, I – I’m not,’ Millie said, stiffening in her seat but letting the feel of Libby next to her and the fur under her fingers calm her nerves. ‘I just do the consultant on-calls and reporting. I’m supervised.’
‘What year are you in your training?’
‘I’ve just started my fourth year of my radiology specialty training.’
‘But … but that means you’ve been qualified for five years,’ Kira said, her eyebrows drawing together in confusion. ‘You would have been …’
‘Twenty-one,’ Millie said. ‘I was twenty-one when I qualified. I started medical school at sixteen.’
‘Jesus, so you did your A-levels early, huh?’
‘Yes.’ Millie decided not to admit that she had actually done her A-levels at thirteen,thendone a chemistry degree at Oxford, before she was accepted to medical school. She was well aware that this made her a freak. Going to school and university with kids five years her senior had not been easy. And she didn’t want these women to look at her the same way everyone did back then. Libby’s hand slid down from Millie’s arm to her hand and gave her a squeeze. It was then Millie remembered a conversation they had had a few weeks ago with Rosie:
‘Did you hear how cool Millie is? She can do any sum you ask her.’
‘Thatiscool, darling,’ Libby muttered.
‘If only all children felt like you, Rosie, I might have had friends at school,’ Millie said, smiling down at Rosie as she pulled her mass of brunette strands into the sleek knot she always wore, then carefully straightened a couple of items on her desk so they were back in perfect alignment.
‘What do you mean?’ Rosie asked. ‘Why didn’t you have friends?’
‘Oh … I …’ Millie froze, her eyes still focused on the desk. ‘Well, I am a bit …different, Rosie.’
‘You’re agooddifferent,’ Rosie told her, and Millie glanced at her briefly, flashing a small smile.
‘I’m glad you think so. But at school they didn’t think it was a good different.’
‘That’s stupid!’ Rosie shouted in affronted disbelief.
Millie smiled and squatted down in front of the small tower of rage that was Libby’s daughter. ‘Most of the time I wasn’t even with children the same age as me, so friends … well, making friends was tricky. Not everyone has a gift for this. Now, you – you are twice gifted: you can make friendsandyou can do maths.’
Millie took a deep breath, then turned her hand in Libby’s to close her fingers around the other woman’s. When she caught her eye Libby looked startled for a moment but then she smiled so wide it looked almost painful.
‘Right,’ Libby said, turning to the rest of the group. ‘It’s late and we haven’t even got to the book yet. I propose we make the book club a weekly thing – every Tuesday night. What do you say?’ Everyone, including to Millie’s surprise Eleanor, agreed.
‘How often do you normally meet?’ Millie muttered under her breath to Libby. Libby paused for a moment and looked away.
‘We’ll do it at my place next,’ Tara chipped in, bouncing in her chair. ‘I’m going to set up a bonfire of all Mark’s stuff. You guys can help me burn him out of my life.’ To Millie’s shock Tara stood up from her chair, skirted the coffee table and squatted down in front of the sofa, before pulling Millie in for a tight hug. Millie stiffened for a moment, until Tara muttered in her ear.
‘Thanks, babe. Thanks for making me feel … like I matter.’ Millie’s hand that wasn’t held in Libby’s came up to give Tara an awkward pat on the back, after which Tara pulled back slightly, smiled right into her confused face and gave her a loud kiss on the cheek. ‘Right, I’m outta here, bitches. Got a double shift tomorrow. Need my Zs if I’m gonna be able to shake my ta-tas to stimulate this country’s economy.’
‘Well, with that last boob job you’ll certainly be stimulating something,’ said Claire, moving across the room to drag Tara away from Millie. ‘Good to meet you, hun,’ Claire threw over her shoulder as she pulled Tara to the door. Millie looked up and Claire met her gaze for a minute. To her surprise it was soft and warm. Up until then Claire had struck her as anything but. She winked at Millie and mouthedthank you, before turning the corner into the corridor.
‘Woah! Loverboy and his sidekick Dick Doc,’ Millie heard Claire shout after the front door opened, and frowned in confusion. She had started to feel safe. Not relaxed, not comfortable, but safe.
‘Ladies,’ the deep voice sounded from the doorway, sweeping her feeling of safety away. ‘Always a pleasure, despite the adopted use of Kira’s infantile nicknames.’
‘Oh, you smooth-talking son-of-a-bitch,’ Millie heard Claire reply. ‘If my toast was buttered on the other side I would eat you for breakfast. Tara, put your tongue in: you’re driving me home.’ Heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor and Millie flew into action, tearing her hand out of Libby’s and grabbing her bag from the floor. The dog she’d been stroking for the last hour, however, had other ideas: Beauty’s big body trapped Millie’s legs next to the sofa and her heavy head remained in her lap.
‘I’ve got to g –’
‘Hey there, fellow book lovers.’ Pav’s large frame filled the living room and Millie flinched. ‘So, what great literary works are up for debate today? Hit me.’
‘Don’t tempt me, Willy Fiddler,’ Kira shot back as he flopped down into the seat next to her and poked her in the ribs.
