‘I knew it!’ said Katy. ‘I knew there was something going on the minute you suggested wecomehere.’
Annabel looked around the restaurant. ‘What’s this place got to do with anything?’ As far as she could recall, this was the first time she’d ever stepped foot throughthedoor.
‘Not the place itself,’ said Katy. ‘The fact that we’re hereatall.’
Annabel still couldn’tfollow.
‘Yes, we might meet for lunch, but when was the last time we did anything of anevening?’
Now her friend really was talking rubbish. ‘A few weeks ago, actually,’ said Annabel. ‘When I first met Dan,remember?’
‘Oh, you know what I mean. That was for a specificreason.’
‘What, so the two of us catching up over a nice meal isn’t reason enough?’ Annabel made a mental note to never invite her friend out to dinner again. Especially if this is what she got for hertrouble.
‘No, as a matter of fact,’ said Katy. ‘It isn’t. I mean, can you even remember when we last did something like this? Because I can, it was beforeTomdied.’
Annabel set her menu down. Was her friend trying to spoil the night? This might be the first time in a while that they’d visited a restaurant of an evening, but that didn’t mean she could come over allpsychologiston her. As for Dan, he really was just a sperm donor, nothing more, nothing less. Granted, a sperm donor who happened to be introducing a bit of fun into her life and yes, there’d been a bit of confusion along the way. But what she and Dan got up to was no one else’s business. As far as Annabel was concerned, business separate to the rest of her life; it was everyone else trying to mergethetwo.
‘I’m not saying you shouldn’t have a relationship with Dan,’ Katycarriedon.
‘Which we’re not,’ saidAnnabel.
‘God knows it’s about time you got back into thedatinggame.’
‘We’re notdating.’
‘And it’s obvious that you liketheman.’
Annabel gave up. Her friend was clearly away with the fairies. Yes, she liked Dan. He brought out a side of her she’d long since forgotten about. In the silliest of ways imaginable she was enjoying herself again and it felt good, like she was re-joining the land of the living. Admittedly, there was no denying Dan was easy on the eye, but that didn’t mean she was ready to betray her husband. Surely her inability to even kiss himprovedthat?
Her mind began to wander as she thought about the kindness Dan had shown. He had so much to deal with at the moment, yet he still found time to think of her. As soon as it was over she’d forgotten about their Bucket List conversation, but he hadn’t. She wondered what man did that. What man put his own worries to one side to think of someone like her? Annabel smiled.Dan,that’swho.
‘I just want you to be careful,’ said Katy. ‘I don’t want yougettinghurt.’
‘Hurt?’ she replied. ‘Katy, you don’t know what you’re talking about.’ If anything, Annabel felt confident of the complete opposite. Dan didn’t just turn up with his skateboard that night, he re-affirmed his commitment to her pregnancy plan. Something he did again a few days later, when they’d gone through the rigmarole of a pregnancy test. ‘In fact, you’re concerns are so misplaced,’ she said. ‘I’m even planning ashoppingtrip.’
‘Ashoppingtrip?’
‘Yes. Obviously not for anything extravagant like a pram or a cotjustyet.’
Katy looked horrified. ‘I should think not,’shesaid.
The expression on her friends face was priceless, but Annabel didn’t care. She knew baby shopping was supposed to be a no, no until after she was pregnant, but how else could she prove to Katy that she was worrying overnothing.
‘But a few baby grows and scratch mittens, wouldn’t go amiss,’ she carried on. ‘You know the kind of things I mean, all the stuff that’s too cute to resist.’ While Katy continued to look at her like she’d lost the plot, Annabel began to imagine the rows and rows of teensie-weensie baby clothes to choose from. Now she’d given herself permission to buy, she actually felt quite excited at the prospect. ‘You’re welcome to come with me,’ she added. ‘It’ll begreatfun.’
‘Annabel, I think you need to back up a bit,’ said Katy. Rather than being put at ease, her fears were clearlygrowing.
‘Why?’ she asked. ‘I’m going to need these things sooner or later, so I may as well getthemnow.’
Katy indicated to something over Annabel’s shoulder and Annabel turned, wondering what she was looking at. She spotted Dan, she felt her spirits lift. Now her friend could find out for herself what a great guyhewas.
She waved in an attempt to catch his attention, but he didn’t see her and, disappointed, she had no choice but to watch him continue on his way, completely oblivious to her presence. Tempted to call out his name, she suddenly felt her heart sink. No wonder he hadn’t noticed her, taking a seat at another table he already had company.Not just any company though, thought Annabel. She noticed his dinner date, a long haired and, by the looks of it, a long legged, blonde, she suddenly found herself lost forwords.
‘That’s why,’saidKaty.
15
