‘And to you, and thanks for the message on New Year’s Eve. I’d just had the most awful proposition. I can’t tell you how glad I was to be reminded that that hideous year was over!’
‘What was the proposition?’
I told him and he shook his head.
‘Would you have said yes if it had been a few minutes earlier?’
‘Actually, no. Not in a million years. It might have been a year to say yes, but I still have standards. Thankfully, though, I could say no with absolute certainty and belief, because I, my friend, have come up with my own plan for this year.’
‘Is that so?’ Seb looked amused, settling back in his chair and crossing his arms across his broad chest, the scar on his forearm tracing a pale line through the dark hair, a silvery trail that ended just past his elbow.
‘Yep!’
‘Do I get to hear this magnificent plan?’
‘You do! In fact, you are the very first person I’m telling, so I hope you’re feeling suitably honoured.’
‘Of course. Come on then, don’t keep me in suspense. Out with it.’
‘After a year of going on dates I didn’t want to, terrifying myself doing adventure activities I wouldn’t ordinarily have done if you’d paid me, and shelling out to go on a holiday to see a level of drunkenness and behaviour I couldn’t quite believe instead of a nice, relaxing hotel in some quiet corner of the Med, I am drawing a huge, thick line under it all.’
‘And how exactly are you planning to do that?’
‘Because I am declaring this to be The Year of Saying No!’ Having now put my mug down, I threw my hands out in a dramatic gesture that even Jess would have been proud of.
2
When I looked back at the screen, Seb had an inscrutable expression on his face.
‘What?’ I asked.
‘What?’
‘Your face. Don’t you think it’s a good idea? You’ve spent the last year hearing about every awful date, knee-wobble inducing activity and never ending round of parties when you know that, for the most part, I’d have happily been sat on my sofa in my pyjamas with a good book. Surely you don’t disagree that this is a much, much better idea?’
He made the slightest of gestures with his head, which, frankly, could have meant anything.
‘I take it you do disagree then.’
‘I didn’t say that.’
‘You didn’t say anything, but your lack of enthusiasm speaks volumes.’
He shrugged.
‘Right. That makes all the difference.’
He glanced at something out of my vision, then looked back. ‘It just seems like a bit of an extreme reaction. I mean, I know you didn’t enjoy a lot of the things you tried last year, but at least you tried them. You do spend a lot of time on your own. Sometimes it’s good to open yourself up to opportunities, no matter how uncomfortable they might feel to start with.’
‘I’m hardly a hermit.’
Seb gave me a look that suggested he had his doubts about that.
‘I’m not!’
‘You do like staying in.’
‘So?’
