Sarah’s expression didn’t change. ‘No. Why, do you?’
‘No, I don’t think so. But I worry that I will.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, you’re my best friend over here, and I thought we’d always stay in touch, even if I go back to London, but now it’s more complicated than that, isn’t it? When we decide to put a stop to this, do you think we’ll be able to be friends?’
Sarah appeared to think this over. ‘I think so. I hope so. The way I see it, this works while it makes both of us happy. If it stops making you happy, just tell me. And I’ll do the same.’
‘Would it bother you, if I was seeing someone else?’ Anna asked.
‘No,’ Sarah replied without a pause. ‘You know it wouldn’t. Are you?’
Anna wanted to tell her. She wanted to say that sometimes when she stayed late at work, she and David were waiting for everyone to leave so they could have sex in his office with the door locked. She wanted to say that what had started out with hotels she could never afford to stay in had taken its inevitable tumble and landed with hasty kisses in the lift that left her wanting. She wanted to say that she had got into something that had promised to be fun and light and had ended up being terrifying.That she loved David in a way she’d never loved anyone, and she wasn’t sure he loved her at all.
‘No,’ she said instead. ‘There’s this guy I met, he asked me out. That’s all.’
‘Do you want to tell me about him?’
‘No.’
There was a pause, and when Sarah spoke again she said something Anna would never have expected.
‘Why do I feel like you’re going to tell me you’re moving home?’
In her saddest moments, when David had left her feeling abandoned and worthless, Anna thought about going back to London. Pretending it had never happened. Letting herself heal in a city that was too far away for him to persuade her to change her mind.
‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘I don’t have any plans to leave at the moment.’
Sarah smiled, but looked like she wasn’t quite convinced. ‘Let’s get the check.’
Anna stood up to leave, and then she heard someone call her name, and when she turned, she saw James. Jamie. Nia’s boyfriend, Jamie.
‘Hey,’ he called, moving between tables to reach her. ‘What are the chances? I told Nia she should tell you I was coming to the States, but she said you never leave New York.’
Anna was confused. It was like being in a dream, where you see someone in a place where they shouldn’t be. Jamie, with his London accent, in a restaurant in the middle of Boston, on her first ever trip there. She realised she hadn’t said anything, and that Sarah was looking at her a little strangely, waiting for her to introduce them.
‘God, sorry,’ she said, coming back to life. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I’m here for work.’
Sarah cleared her throat and Anna realised she’d been standing there, too shocked to speak, for a long moment. She gathered herself.
‘This is my friend, Sarah. Sarah, this is Nia’s boyfriend, Jamie.’
Jamie grinned. ‘Hi, Sarah.’
‘So, work trip,’ Anna said.
‘Yes, just having lunch with clients. I’d better get back to them, actually. But do you fancy grabbing dinner later?’ He pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to her. ‘No problem if you want it to be just girls. Just text me and let me know, okay? I know Nia would love it if I came home with all your news.’
And then he was gone, and Anna and Sarah were making their way out into the bright sunshine, and Sarah was giving Anna a funny look.
‘That was weird, right?’ Anna asked.
‘So weird.’ There was something in Sarah’s voice that Anna hadn’t heard before. Something sharp and jagged. It was something Anna didn’t want to look too closely into.
Sarah pulled a map from her bag and began to direct them. They were heading for the Freedom Trail. Other than discussing their route, they didn’t talk. It was over an hour before Sarah brought Jamie up again.
