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“So, how did the date with Tim go?”
Great.
“He dumped me.” No point in lying, Lydia reasoned.
“Twat,” Cathy huffed. “I swear, men are all the same. See a stunning body and that’s it. As soon as things get serious, they cut and run.” Lydia wasn’t going to disagree. Most of her ex-partners were honest enough to admit Lydia’s body was the first thing they saw. But in the end, her curves weren’t enough.
“I’m over it. Time to focus on me.” And it was true. Lydia had to focus on herself now. She had another doctor’s appointment on Monday, and she was determined to get him to listen.
“Good for you, honey. Do you want to have lunch together? I’m in the blue zone today.”
“Green zone for me,” Lydia replied.
“Want to swap? I know you like the dinosaurs.” Grinning, Lydia bumped Cathy’s shoulder. “Yeah, thanks.” Lydia had worked for The Natural History Museum in London for six years. As a visitor assistant, Lydia spent her days chatting with the public, directing them to parts of the museum, and answering questions. The salary wasn’t great, but it was enough, especially with the money willed to her by her grandad. Technically, she didn’t need to work, but that wasn’t an option. Lydia needed a regular job, with regular hours and people to socialise with.
Fe, on the other hand, took full advantage of her large inheritance and became a stay-at-home mother of three. Triplets on the first try. Fe’s husband was a computer nerd and earned a very tidy sum. They were set for life. Their house was enormous, and their car was flashy. It baffled Fe that her sister still lived in a tiny rundown flat, but as Lydia explained, it was her home. It had been for nearly 15 years.
What Lydia didn’t tell Fe was that her heart was set on buying a house with a partner. Creating a family and settling down. A flash of hurt seized Lydia’s lungs, making her gasp slightly.
“You alright, love?” Cathy placed a hand gently on Lydia’s thigh, bringing her back to their conversation.
“Yeah, fine. Sorry, zoned out. Anyway, I’d love to have lunch. Harrison is in the red zone today. We should invite him, too.”
“Didn’t we just have a conversation about how boring he is?”
“Yes, and we also said we would coax him out of his shell.”
“Fine, but if I fall asleep when he talks, that’s on you.”
The pair nattered for the rest of the journey. Cathy filled Lydia in on her latest piece of ass—her words, not Lydia’s. Lydia told Cathy she needed to stop watching so much American TV. Cathy was from Wales, where nobody was referred to as a piece of ass. It wasn’t the British way. Cathy invited Lydia over for a girls’ night on the following weekend, which Lydia happily accepted. Truth be told, Cathy just wanted to see Monty, but that was fine.
Before long, the bus stopped. Lydia and Cathy began the five-minute walk to the museum. The sun peeked out from behind menacing looking clouds. Lydia prayed the heavens would remain closed until they were safely inside.
“Tea?” Cathy shouted from the breakroom. Lydia stuffed her coat and bag in her locker, popping her phone in her pocket. On silent, of course. She didn’t want another rimming from Norris, the world’s most unreasonable boss. Lydia loved everything and everyone at the museum aside from him, and that was because he was constantly on her case. And not just hers, everyone’s. Nobody did their job well enough for Norris. He was just an impossible man to please. Miserable with his life, and on a mission to bring everyone down with him.
“Just a small one. We haven’t got much time.”
“Hobnob?”
Lydia glanced down at her belly. She’d been eating healthy for months, cutting out sugar and processed food, and still her weight fluctuated. She may as well enjoy a bloody biscuit. “Sure, are they chocolate?”
“Don’t insult me,” Cathy tutted.
The break room door squeaked open. Harrison shuffled in; his gaze averted to the floor. “Morning.” His mumbling was an issue. Especially when he had to communicate clearly to the masses as a day job.
“Harrison, good morning. Ready for a fun day?” Lydia spoke clearly, hoping her upbeat tone would rub off on him.
“Sure, I like the red zone. Full of cool stuff.”
“Indeed, it is,” Lydia replied enthusiastically. “So, how’re you finding it? Enjoying the work so far?”
“Yeah.”
“And getting on with people?”
“Yeah.” Good grief, he was hard work. Lydia disagreed with Cathy’s assessment of the young man. He wasn’t boring, but painfully shy. Possibly even suffering from a form of social anxiety. Lydia noticed the way he fisted his shirt as they conversed.
“Well, we’re happy to have you. Do you want to have lunch with Cathy and me today?” Harrison’s eyes flitted to Cathy, and Lydia had to suppress a grin. His eyes made a beeline for Cathy’s very shapely arse. No wonder the kid was a nervous wreck. He had a crush.
