“Where’s Nick?” I ask looking around the very few people who are here already, most of which seem to be bar staff. “In fact, where is everyone else?” I cough. “I thought Hannah would be here early too.”
Aisha returns to what she was doing, which was hanging some bunting around a long table half covered in food and drinks. “She and Sally are running late. Stuck at home waiting on the delivery of their new bed apparently, but she texted about ten minutes ago that they were on their way.”
I flinch. “That was something I could have lived without knowing.”
“What did you want me to do? Lie?”
“Yes. Absolutely you could have lied. You could have told me they were busy fighting and there was a good chance Hannah would show up newly single.” I give my sister a contemptuous half-hearted grin.
“But that would be some hardcore lying, which my Cancer ass is just not capable of, and then you would have got even pissier than usual when they did rock up together still thoroughly loved-up.”
“What do you mean, even pissier than usual?”
Aisha pops an eyebrow at me. “Don’t act the fool. It doesn’t suit you.”
I sigh, loudly enough so my sister can hear. “What do you need me to do?”
“Take the clingfilm off the food, will you? People will start arriving in the next twenty minutes so I guess it’s time.”
“So where is Nick? And Mum and Dad?”
“They’ve all gone to get the cake and the rest of the food. You know Nick’s aunt is a caterer so she’s doing it for free, bless her. Mum and Dad wanted to go and thank her personally.”
“More like check out the competition,” I say as I unwrap a huge plate of our mother’s samosas. I inhale their warm spiced smell with my eyes closed.
“And is your Charlie bloke still coming?” Aisha asks from the other end of the table.
I tut. “I guess so. He said he would.” I think back to the brief texts we sent this morning. Well, my texts were brief at least.
And then half an hour later.
My groan had practically rattled the foundations of my building.
And mercifully, that had been it. I don’t know why I’d still kept checking my phone while I was getting ready, almost disappointed when I didn’t see more messages from Charlie, but I put it down to my general low-level anxiety about tonight and seeing Hannah.
“Hey, bitches!”
Shit.
I turn slowly, realising how very not ready for seeing my ex I am after having a week so busy and well, fun, that there was just no time to think about her.
“Hannah!” Aisha speeds towards her best friend. While they hug, I can’t help but give Sally, Hannah’s new girlfriend, a slow and assessing look.
Fuck, she’s stunning. She’s tall with broad shoulders and has willowy limbs that probably hung off her frame awkwardly as a teen, but they now move elegantly as she comes to stand behind Aisha and Hannah. And then there’s her face. A Roman nose is the most dominant of her strong features, but it doesn’t take away from her high cheekbones and a chin that I want to say is protruding or unbecoming, but that would be an absolute lie. Instead, it looks strong and commanding. She’s wearing a smart palazzo pantsuit in powder blue and her long blonde hair has a middle parting and falls poker straight down her back. Physically and aesthetically, she couldn’t be more opposite to me and I don’t know why this annoys me when it should ultimately help me move on.
“You must be Mina,” Sally says when her eyes clock me standing in the background staring at her. She walks towards me, her hand outstretched and a genuine smile on her face.
