‘If the roles were reversed, what would you expect Theo to do?’
Lydia put her empty glass down on the nearby counter. ‘That’s a silly question.’
‘No it isn’t. Sometimes the only way we can understand a situation is to put ourselves in different roles, so I’m asking you…if you were lying in that bed and your mum had just whisked you back up to Yorkshire not knowing whether you were going to stay in that state for the rest of your days, or maybe you’d die, or maybe there was some chance you’d come through in the end, would you expect Theo to wait for you?’
‘I can’t think about this now, not tonight.’ Lydia smiled at Sally, who was only trying to help. Glad of something else to think about she said, ‘Watch out, hotpants is coming our way.’
The girl in the white hotpants stalked right up to them and for a moment Lydia thought she may have heard her and Sally muttering about her outfit, but she threw her arms around Sally. ‘Sally Henderson! It really is you!’
Sally looked at this stranger and it took her a moment before she said, ‘I’m really sorry. You look familiar but…’
It turned out the girl was called Charlie and she knew Sally from dance lessons they’d taken in year seven, and they launched into chat about what they’d been doing since.
‘What have you got there?’ Lydia eyed the bucket Connor returned with, and the bottle poking out of the top of it.
‘Champagne. Moet & Chandon to be accurate.’ His eyes danced beneath a blond fringe that needed cutting, unless long and almost in your eyes was all the rage now. It was kind of daring and a little bit sexy. He put down three glasses he’d held between the fingers of his other hand. ‘Where’s your friend?’
Lydia looked around and realised Sally and Charlie had moved away from them. ‘She saw an old friend so she’s chatting, but she’ll be back. She has a knack for sniffing out a good glass of plonk.’
His cheeks dimpled when he smiled. ‘There you go.’ He handed her a glass and lifted up his own. ‘Cheers.’
‘What are we drinking to?’
‘Firstly, to my beautiful niece, and of course her mum and dad.’
‘Do you realise I’m on a night out and I’m about to toast my boss?’
‘Ah, sorry about that.’ He laughed, thought some more. ‘And also a toast to new friends. I didn’t think I’d be seeing you so soon.’
‘Me neither.’ She sipped her champagne, nervous all of a sudden.
Sally rejoined them when Charlie skittered off in the white hotpants to rejoin her friends and make their way to the pub on the next corner.
‘So, did you tell her?’ Lydia whispered.
‘No, I didn’t have the heart.’
‘What am I missing?’ Connor asked and they elaborated on the outfit that had caused them to comment.
‘I think I’ll catch them up,’ said Sally. ‘They’re going to the pub on the corner, that way,’ she pointed, ‘can’t remember what it’s called, but join me in there?’
‘Sure,’ said Lydia, not missing the subtle matchmaking manoeuvre.
Sally kissed Lydia on the cheek and quickly turned before her friend could stop her, skilfully weaved through the crowds, and left for the pub.
‘I’m sorry about that.’ She turned to Connor who looked amused by the whole situation. ‘You’ve bought a whole bottle too.’
‘Then we’d better drink up.’
As they progressed through the bottle, Lydia couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so much or quite so hard. They’d talked about anything and everything from Lydia’s first detention for swearing about a teacher in the hallway after he gave her a D grade in geography – turned out he was right behind her – to the time Connor had been dared to skinny-dip on a Cornwall beach and his mates had predictably stolen his clothes.
‘Surely you must’ve realised they were going to do it.’ She tipped back the dregs of her champagne.
‘I really didn’t! It was late in the evening, the sun had already set, and there was nobody around. I figured they’d have their fun and then throw the clothes to me but they scarpered. I ended up terrifying an elderly couple walking their dog and the woman was kind enough to donate her headscarf for me to cover my dignity.’
Lydia laughed so hard her tummy muscles hurt. ‘I can just imagine you with a piece of silk wrapped around your waist. I hope it wasn’t sheer!’
‘I’m glad you think it’s so funny. I had to pass several other people before I made it back to the car park and my mates in the car pissing themselves laughing.’ When Lydia looked at her watch, he said, ‘Do you want to walk over to the pub?’
