‘I know what it is,’ said her friend. She dumped her bag on the counter top, at the same time sighing as if something terrible had just dawned on her. ‘You’ve gone and found yourself another sperm donor,haven’tyou?’
‘Jesus, Annabel,’ saidRebecca.
Their joint disappointment was more thanevident.
Annabel laughed at the mere suggestion. The two of them couldn’t be more off the mark if they’d tried. ‘Of course I haven’t,’ she said. ‘Why would Idothat?’
‘Doh!’ replied Katy. ‘Why did you do it the first timearound?’
Annabel shook her head. Surely they knew that if anyone had well and truly learned their lesson on that score, itwasher.
‘Well you’re up to something,’ said her sister. As usual, she refused to give up. ‘And it’s only a matter of time before we findoutwhat.’
‘I assure you,’ said Annabel. ‘I am up tonothing.’
Looking at the two of them, it wasn’t that Annabel didn’t want to share her news. These were her closest confidents and she’d been dying to say something for days. In fact, she’d almost let recent events slip on more than one occasion and she knew full well how pleased for her they’d be were she to tell them what wasgoingon.
But they’d also be equally devastated if something went wrong and Annabel knew first-hand how life could be perfect one minute, only to be turned on its head in the next. As far as she was concerned, why put them through that if she didn’t have to? She didn’t know how things were going to quite pan out herself just yet. Plus, there was the added bonus of having a little secret for a while. It seemed to make things more special somehow. However, despite standing firm, it seemed that her sister and best friend were as determined to uncover the truth as she was tohideit.
‘Well if you’re going to be like that,’ said Rebecca. ‘You leave us no choice.’ Rebecca took her coat off and rolled her sleeves up, she turned to Katy. ‘Let’s look at the evidence shall we,’shesaid.
Annabel knew what was coming next. It was a game they’d been playing since childhood. As kids, one of them, usually Rebecca because she’d always been aLittle Miss Bossy Boots, would set clues to a puzzle and taking on the persona of a couple of amateur sleuths, it was up to the others to try and solve it. Of course, as they grew older their game extended into real life situations. The mere whiff of a juicy secret in one and the other two would immediately come over allMiss MarpleorHercule Poirot. And this, it appeared, was one of thosetimes.
After observing them get into character, Annabel decided to let them have their fun. She knew they’d find out soon enough anyway, even if she didn’t plan on making it easy for them. She watched on as her sister began by wiping a finger across the kitchen counter and theninspectingit.
‘Firstly,’ said Rebecca. ‘The place is spotless.’ Her sister had adopted a rather posh and somewhat exaggerated English accent; she glanced around the room once more. ‘Not a speck of dust in sight, no magazines lying around, and definitely no take-away boxes poking out of the bin.’ She strode over to the cooker and, after picking up the oven glove, opened its door to check the pot inside. ‘Secondly,’ she continued. She took in the chunks of beef, carrots, and celery sticks, all sitting in a rich, simmering gravy. ‘You’re cooking.’ Her sister calmly replaced the casserole dish lid and closed the oven door again, before swiftly turning to face Annabel. ‘You never cook,’ she added. ‘A fried egg sandwich is more yourthing.’
Katy stepped forward, more than happy to pick up the baton. ‘Thirdly,’ said her friend. ‘The lady is looking pretty darn hot herself.’ She raised her arm, ready to address Annabel’s appearance from head to toe. ‘Notice the French elegance of thechignon du cou,’ she said to Rebecca. ‘The way the hair wraps around itself, the odd wisp creating a sense ofromance.’
While Rebecca sagely nodded her head in agreement, Annabel couldn’t help but shake hers. The woman sounded more like a cheesy fashion show host than any insightful detective she’d ever readabout.
‘Then we have the little black wrap dress,’ her friend carried on. ‘Figure hugging in a sexy sort of way, yet, at the same time, casual enough so as to create the illusion of effortlessness. And, of course, moving on, we have the kitten heels.’ She paused, looking Annabel directly in the eye. ‘Need wecontinue?’
Annabel looked from her friend to her sister. As investigative double acts went, these two were no Sherlock Holmes and DoctorWatson.
What they were, however, was impossible and Annabel realised that if she didn’t reveal all, they were likely to never give up; or more to the point, leave. ‘Alright, alright,’ she said. She steeled herself ready for the barrage of questions no doubt about to ensue. ‘If you must know, Dan’s cominground.’
Annabel took in their astonishedfaces.
‘Really?’saidKaty.
‘Since when?’ askedRebecca.
Back to being themselves, the posh accents suddenly became a thing ofthepast.
‘Since we’ve been talking,’ Annabelreplied.
The two of them looked at each otherconfused.
‘Talking about what?’ asked hersister.
‘What do you mean, about what? What do you think?’ repliedAnnabel.
‘So this means the baby thing’s back on again, does it?’ asked her friend. ‘Because first it is, then it isn’t. Honestly, I can’tkeepup.’
Annabel felt herself blush. Surely she didn’t have to spell it out. ‘No, Katy, the baby thing is notbackon.’
She waited for her friend to realise the significance of what she’d just said, finally, the penny seemedtodrop.
