“Liv has a new boyfriend? Since when?”
Mel nodded. “Oh, yes.”
Something in Mel’s eyes told Hannah there was more to come on the subject.
“He texted, so she went to give him a call.”
“Really?” Hannah’s surprise intensified. The Liv she knew liked to keep her men dangling. “Things must be serious. Who is he? How did they meet?”
“I thought my ears were burning,” Liv said, a glint in her eye as she appeared at the table. She gave Hannah a hug and sat down. “That’s what happens when you skive off work. You miss out on all the juicy gossip.”
“Excuse me, I’m on holiday leave.”
“Hannah, holidays involve sun, sea, and sand.” Liv picked up her glass and drank a mouthful of wine. “Not slobbing around at home in your pyjamas all day.”
Hannah pictured herself earlier that afternoon, feet up on the sofa, stuffing biscuit after consoling biscuit into her mouth. “Have you been spying on me?”
“For what it’s worth, I think you should cancel your break and come back to work,” Mel said.
Admittedly, the idea had crossed Hannah’s mind. But after all the gloating she’d done about making the most of being a lady of leisure for a change, despite the rant she’d just had she wasn’t about to turn thoughts into action.
“You know they’ve put Francesca on our team,” Mel continued. “And that we’re stuck with her until you do?”
“Don’t remind me,” Liv said. “If that woman tells me I’m not reaching my target one more time, I swear I’ll swing for her.”
Working at a banking call centre wasn’t exactly the best job in the world, especially in a department like Hannah’s. Life had a habit of throwing curveballs; curveballs that changed people’s circumstances and dealing with customers who could no longer meet their financial obligations could be emotionally draining. Like Hannah, Mel and Liv cared more about what they could do to help customers than they did the number of calls they took in an hour. Hannah grimaced. Then there was Francesca. Image conscious and ambitious, she was determined to climb the ranks and be it a customer or colleague, she didn’t care who she stamped on to get there.
“Enough about her,” Hannah said. “We’re here to enjoy ourselves.” She turned her attention to Liv. “I’m more interested in this new man of yours.”
Liv’s face lit up as she prepared to tell all, while Mel sucked in her lips as if trying not to laugh.
Hannah looked from one woman to the other, curious.
“His name’s Quentin,” Liv said, ready to rhyme off her new beau’s attributes. “He’s the same age as me and lives local to here. He works for a non-profit. And he’s so handsome, you wouldn’t believe.”
Considering Liv’s prior partners, Hannah didn’t doubt that for one second.
Mel let out a chuckle. “And… what else is he?”
Hannah took in Mel’s hilarity and wondering what lay behind it, her interest piqued.
Liv smirked. “He’s a vegan.”
“No!” Hannah put a hand against her chest. “But you’re a–”
“Farmer’s daughter,” Liv said, before Hannah could finish.
“Add to that the fact that she doesn’t only eat steak, she orders it blue.” Mel’s glee continued. “It’s a match made in heaven, wouldn’t you say?”
“So where did you meet him?” From what Hannah had just heard she doubted Liv and Quentin ran in the same circles.
“At the supermarket,” Liv said.
Mel further giggled. “Ah, but when at the supermarket?”
“You mean there’s more?”
“Oh, yes,” Mel said.
