“Definitely just here as friends,” I say, and because I apparently want it to sting a little bit more, I throw another spoonful of salt over it as I add, “Well, more work colleagues really.”
“Listen, it’s not that I think Mina’s a bitch. I am absolutely not saying that. It’s just Mina can be a bit… intense. Not in a bad way.” Nick holds up the palm of his free hand. “Just a bit, I don’t know, grumpy about things. And Aisha, she’s sort of the opposite. She gets enthusiastic about anything and everything. Like, you wouldn’t believe how many messages she sent me when Boots had a BOGOF offer on her favourite make-up brand, or the GIFs she sends me when one of her Instagram Reels gets more than a thousand views. So I guess sometimes they just clash a bit.”
I look at Nick, wondering if he meant to say all that to me or if he maybe regrets his bluntness, but he shows signs of neither and is still looking pensively at Aisha and Mina who are now sharing a hug.
While I don’t know how long Nick and Aisha have been together, or how well Nick and Mina get on, what he’s saying isn’t quite adding up. “You know, personally, I’m probably more like Aisha than I am Mina, but just because she’s not sending a million enthusiastic texts about things that happen in her life, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t care. She just shows it in a different way. I mean, isn’t it part of the whole toxic positivity thing that we expect everyone to be positive all the time?”
“Yeah, that’s true. I mean, Mina loves Aisha to death. She’s been amazing about the engagement. Did you see the henna she did on Aisha? It’s incredible.” Nick is smiling and that goes a long way to redeem him. “I guess it really is just not easy for her to be here with Hannah and Sally.”
“Yeah,” I say which is less than helpful but now we’re deep in this conversation – still talking about Mina behind her back – I want to extricate myself from it. “Either way, it looks like all’s well that ends well.” I nod at Aisha and Mina who are walking back towards us, hand in hand.
“Everything okay?” Nick is quicker than I am to ask.
Mina gives us a curt nod, her eyes downcast while Aisha launches into a full explanation, or rather, deflection.
“Of course! Everything’s perfect! It’s my engagement party and I have spent every evening of the last three weeks planning this. I didn’t create and carefully curate seven individual Pinterest boards for the occasion so I would have tears from my big sister before we’ve even cut the cake.”
“Wow, you have a cake,” I think out loud and rush to appease my surprise. “I mean, that’s good. It’s great. I love cake!”
“It’s even gluten-free, because some people don’t eat gluten but it’s still important to me that they can have their cake and eat it too,” Aisha says and she gives her sister a very obvious side-eye. I worry Mina will react with another scowl but instead she rocks her shoulder against her sister’s arm.
“Fuck you,” Mina mutters with the smallest of smiles.
“Glad to see everyone back to normal!” Nick declares. “Now, excuse me, the footie lads have just arrived and they’re heading straight for the food. If we want everyone else to have something to eat, I better go stop them.”
“I’ll come with you and shout louder at them so they actually listen,” Aisha says determinedly and I don’t doubt her for a second.
After they leave, I take a tentative step towards Mina.
“I’m only going to ask this once and then you can also shout loudly at me if I keep repeating the question,” I say when I have her eyes on mine.
“Okay,” Mina says uncertainly.
“Are you really alright?”
Her mouth twitches before she replies and I wonder if it’s because she wants to berate me for asking like she did earlier or if she possibly, maybe wants to smile. Ever the optimistic, I choose to believe it’s the latter. “I am really okay.”
“Because I know it’s got to be hard being here, with Hannah and her new girlfriend,” I say and I make the mistake of looking up and catching a glimpse of the couple in question. It’s a mistake because Mina follows my gaze and we both watch Hannah and Sally, who are sitting next to each other at one of the tables arranged along the far side of the room, kissing like their next breath is to be found in the depths of each other’s throats.
“For fucking fuck’s fucking sake,” Mina grits out and I feel like the world’s biggest idiot.
Chapter Fifteen
If You Can’t Say No
Mina
“Ineed a drink,” I say and I don’t wait for Charlie to reply as I march to the bar.
When I get there, I offer the briefest of smiles to a few of my sister’s friends I recognise and then quickly place my order with a member of the bar staff. When Charlie comes up and stands beside me, mirroring my position with his forearm resting on the bar, he watches as I am handed a glass of red wine. A very large glass of red wine.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” he asks as I take a sip before letting the glass even touch the bar. I hand over my bank card as I swallow the warm, thick liquid. It doesn’t taste as good as I imagined it would, but it is already doing what I need it to; offering a little warmth and numbing as it slides down my throat. I know I won’t feel this way for long should a migraine attack descend on me but right now, this instant mellowing inside my chest and throat feels worth the possible pain of an episode.
“Shut up, Atkinson,” I warn Charlie.
“Noted,” he says and remains silent while I use the pin machine to pay for my wine.
“Sorry,” I say to him once I’ve paid. “Did you want another drink?”
