‘I know. But Iusedto want to be a teacher.’
‘Since when?’
‘Since I was little.’
‘We both wanted to be teachers,’ Elise said. ‘I wanted to teach English and drama but Sarah wanted primary school.’
I nodded. ‘College released me for work experience after my exams finished and I hated it. As soon as I got my A level results, I went through clearing. I thought business studies would help keep my options open.’
‘Can’t imagine you as a teacher,’ Clare muttered. She held out her glass. ‘I need a top up.’
‘The bottle’s empty.’
‘Drink.’
I sighed and headed for the kitchen to reluctantly open a third bottle. I returned to a heated debate.
‘It’s lucky guesses,’ snapped Clare.
‘It isn’t. It’s a gift,’ Elise insisted.
‘Bollocks.’
‘That’s intelligent, Clare.’
‘It’s more intelligent than some charlatan pretending she can predict the future.’
‘Just because you don’t understand something, it doesn’t mean it isn’t true,’ Elise retaliated.
‘And a few lucky guesses don’t mean it’s true either. Plus she said Sarah wanted to be a teacher when Sarah obviously didn’t want to be one so it’s not even accurate.’
‘She said Sarah wasplanningto become a teacher which, at the time, she was.’
‘You’re just trying to fit things to?—’
They both stopped when I coughed loudly. Elise muttered ‘sorry’ and Clare just looked at me with sad eyes. Without a word, I topped up Clare’s glass then pressed play again.
‘You’re the sort of person who’ll always work hard and make sure theydo their best in their career. You won’t become a teacher, but you’ll still go to university. After graduating, you’ll stay in the city where you studied, then move to London with work a few years later. After many years of the same career in the same company, your auntie will offer you an opportunity, out of the blue, to make a fresh start and make a career out of something you love. It will be something completely different to what you’re used to and will enable you to use the creativity that your job stifled. The opportunity will be presented to you when you’ve reached a crossroads in your life and, even though you’re desperate for a change, you’ll feel like you shouldn’t take it. It will excite you and scare you at the same time. You’ll doubt you can do it, but you should know that you have what it takes to be an amazing success at it.’
There was a short pause and I realised that my heart was thumping rapidly. This had to be the weirdest thing ever, listening to someone summarise my life – though at the time, it had been predictions.
‘Let’s move on to the other subject you wanted to discuss. Men, was it? You haven’t had much success with men so far but remember you’re still very young. University will be an awakening for you with many intelligent, interesting men. A friend will become very special and you’ll be together throughout university.’
I pressed stop and was about to say his name when someone beat me to it.
‘Andy,’ Clare said. She looked surprised as if she hadn’t meant to say it aloud. She quickly added, ‘I only said that because you were about to and not because I believe in anything she’s saying. Another lucky guess. Lots of relationships start with friendship.’
Nice back-pedalling, Clare.She was right, though. It had to be Andy. Feeling warm and fuzzy as I always did when I thought about him, I pressed play again.
‘It will be an intense and passionate relationship. You’ll both think you’ve found The One and that you’ll always be together, but it will end after university. It will be very hard getting over him, but, over the years, the hurt will lessen and you’ll strike up a friendship again. You’ll often wonder about trying again, Sarah, but the timing will never quite work.’
‘That’s definitely Andy and that’s frighteningly accurate,’ I whispered. I felt a bit shaky and sat on my hands to steady them. Itcouldn’t be a more accurate summary of Andy and me if I’d written it myself. ‘You can’t just say that’s a lucky guess, Clare, surely?’
‘Hasn’t everyone had a first love that they always wonder “what if…?” about? That’s basically all your woman there is saying.’
‘I disagree,’ Elise said.
‘You would.’
