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“He fell asleep on me! And he doesn’t care enough to apologize to me for it.”
Alex gives me an amused look. “It’s not that he doesn’t care.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“Aroha… He’s liked you for years, and he finally gets a chance to get intimate with you, and he blows it like a champion. He’s mortified.”
My eyebrows rise. “Really? He told you that?”
“He doesn’t have to. I know him well enough. He’s finding this whole wedding excruciating.”
My jaw sags. “Because of me?”
“Of course, because of you. He likes you a lot, and now he’s ruined your friendship as well as embarrassing himself. He’s really upset.”
I glance across at him and inhale as I see him watching me over Juliette’s shoulder. He quickly looks away, but not before I see the sadness on his face.
“It’s up to you,” Alex says, “and I understand why you said what you said. I’ve no doubt he deserved it. But he’s one of the good guys. It might be worth cutting him some slack.”
I look back at Alex and smile. “Are you turning into a matchmaker now you’re almost an old married man?”
“I’ve been dating Missie for a week.”
“Aw, come on. I can see how happy you are.” I grin. “Alex is in luuurv.”
“Yeah, all right,” he says good-naturedly.
I laugh and let him spin me around, and it’s not long before the song ends.
Alex goes back to Missie. I think about what Alex said and debate whether to talk to James, but I can’t see him now. I need to visit the bathroom, so I decide I’ll do that first, and then I’ll hunt him down and, if nothing else, apologize for what I said in front of his friends, and hopefully clear a few things up.
I go up to the house and find the bathroom. I’m just washing my hands when I feel my phone buzz in my purse where it’s hanging on my hip. Taking it out, I see the name Patsy on the screen. It’s my boss from the beauty salon. Smiling, I answer the call.
“Hey, Patsy.”
“Hello, Aroha.”
“Happy New Year.”
“Ah… yes. Same to you. Um, Aroha, do you have a minute?”
“Yes, of course. Is everything all right?”
“Not really. I’m so sorry to do this to you, but Alan and I have been discussing the business, and… well… we’ve been making a loss for a while, and I don’t think that’s going to change anytime soon. So we’re going to have to let you go.”
I’m having trouble breathing. I’m losing my job? Now?
“Please take this as your official two weeks’ notice. As you know, we’re closed until the fourteenth of January anyway, so you can take that time to find alternative employment. Redundancy pay is usually a week’s pay for every year worked. You’ve only been with us six months, but we’ll still give you a week’s pay as compensation. It’s the best we can do. I’m so sorry to do this to you, especially at this time of year.”
I’m in shock, and bitterly disappointed. But I was the last to join, and therefore no doubt the first they’re letting go.
“We might even have to close eventually,” Patsy says. “It’s hard at the moment. Everyone’s struggling.”
She lives in a three-bedroom house in Avonside, and she drives a brand-new Rover. Her kids have ballet lessons and violin lessons, and her husband bought her a huge diamond solitaire for their tenth wedding anniversary. I don’t think she quite understands what it means to be struggling. But what’s the point in telling her that?
“Well, thank you for letting me know,” I say, doing my best not to let my panic filter through.
“Thank you for your hard work, Aroha. I’m happy to provide a glowing reference for you.”
