‘Maybe,’ she replied. With a satisfied smile, Katy finally picked uphermenu.
Her friend’s sudden silence on the matter told Annabel that was all she was going to get on the Oliver front, for now. Not that she minded as such, Katy would reveal all when she was good and ready. On the plus side, it meant they might actually be able to eatatlast.
‘I saw Rebecca today,’saidKaty.
Or maybe not,thought Annabel, as her stomach started to seriouslyrumble.
‘She told me about the other day’sincident.’
As much as her friend tried to sound matter of fact, Annabel felt a lecturecomingon.
‘I’m sure she did,’ she said. She wondered if she should be good and order the beetroot salad or be greedy and go for a hearty rump steak. ‘And howwasshe?’
‘How do youthink?’
Annabel stopped reading and recalled events She might have been too high on adrenaline at the time to take in Rebecca’s words, but that hadn’t stopped her seeing the fury written all over her sister’s face. ‘Still mad at me, nodoubt?’
‘Well what do you expect? She could have killed you. Imagine, her own flesh andblood.’
Annabel rolled her eyes. Talk about melodramatic. Although she should’ve known Katy would take Rebecca’s side. She’d been doing that a lot lately. ‘She’s the one who came hurtling round the corner, when everyone knows pedestrians have rightofway.’
‘Pedestrians?’ said Katy. ‘Annabel, you weren’t on foot. You were in the middle of the road on askateboard.’
Annabel let out a child-like giggle. ‘I know and you should have seen me, I was like the wind. Honestly, it was somuchfun.’
‘Your poor sister didn’t think so. And what if it had turned out for theworse?’
Annabel still didn’t see what all the fuss was about. As far as she was concerned, everyone was so serious these days. Anyone would think she had no right to enjoy herself. ‘But it didn’t, did it?’ she said, refusing to see anything but thefunnyside.
‘I don’t know what’s so amusing,’ said Katy. ‘There’s a reason they build skate parks, you know. Anyway, Rebecca thinks you’ve changed lately and after hearing about what you’ve been up to, I’m starting toagree.’
Annabel began to lose her appetite. ‘I’ve changed? Have you noticed what’s happened to her? She seems so worked up all the time, definitely more than usual and as much as she blames me for whatever’s going on, there has to be moretoit.’
‘Then you should talk to her,’ said Katy. ‘Find out what’sgoingon.’
‘You think I haven’ttried?’
‘Then tryagain.’
Annabel knew she was right. Things were getting so strained between the two of them, someone had to do something. ‘I will,’ she said, although she didn’t exactly look forward to the prospect. Rebecca had been so furious on that skateboarding night that she’d stormed off in yet another huff. The likelihood of which meant she still had plenty to say on the subject. And as well as trying to get to the bottom of her sister’s problems, the porn magazine issue still hadn’t been resolved. It was safe to say that when the two of them did finally sit down together, they were going to have one hell of aconversation.
The waiter began to hover and Annabel signalled that they weren’t yet ready to order. She returned her attention tothemenu.
‘You’re sleeping with him, aren’t you?’saidKaty.
Annabel stopped reading again. What on earth was her friend talking about now? ‘Excuse me?’shesaid.
‘Dan. You’re sleepingwithhim.’
Annabel stared at her friend incredulous. ‘I most certainly am not,’ she said. Fed up with having to defend her actions when it came to her sister, she shouldn’t have to do the same with her bestfriend.
‘I just can’t believe you didn’t tell me,’saidKaty.
Annabel bristled. ‘I didn’t tell you, because there’s nothing to tell.’ To say she thought tonight was going to be fun, things weren’t quite panning outthatway.
‘But that doesn’t mean you don’t want to though,doesit?’
The evening of their almost kiss popped into Annabel’s head; his strong hands, firm chest and tempting lips. She tried to re-focus on what to have for dinner but felt herselfflushred.
