‘Painfully.’ I couldn’t help but smile back at her as I rubbed my temples. ‘Don’t be offended but I’m gonna turn the volume down on you – I was drinking cocktails last night.’
‘Oh, don’t show off. I was serving the alcohol, rather than indulging in it. Pimm’s on the terrace for the Wimbledon festivities.’
‘Strawberries and cream, too?’
‘Strawberries and cream. Strawberries on Victoria sponge, strawberries in the Pimm’s.Somany strawberries. I was slicing them for hours.’ She sniffed her fingers. ‘I don’t think that smell is ever going to go.’
‘There are worse things to smell of.’
‘True.’ She laughed. ‘So, you saw Stephen when you were out drinking these cocktails? Did he join you? What happened?’
‘Not much really. My text was probably a little over the top.’
‘You? Over the top?Never.’ She feigned a scandalised look and I poked my tongue out.
‘Yeah, yeah. We just said “hi” and I asked him if there were any hard feelings and he brushed it off likeIwas the one who should’ve been disappointed that we never hooked up.’
‘I see. He does have this way of bantering that leaves you wondering whether he really means it or not.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘I take it you’re not going to meet up for more reminiscing?’
‘That would be a no.’ I laughed and lifted my hair from the back of my neck. I’d left it wet after my shower, but it was already half dry and sticking to my skin.
‘That’s a shame. Nick should be doing some transatlantic flights next month. He was thinking of staying with Stephen for his stopover days.’
‘He should bring you. Surely you’d get discounted tickets as the pilot’s girlfriend? And if you stay with Stephen it’d be free accommodation. I could stomach his company if you all wanted to meet up.’ I was dying for Beth to come over on vacation so we could go out for cocktails. Actually, maybe not cocktails.
She smiled, but it was dimmer than usual, and she shook her head. ‘I mentioned it a couple of times, but he didn’t seem keen.’
I tilted my head. ‘How come?’
‘He didn’t really say. Just sort of changed the subject. Maybe he wants to spend some quality time with Stephen – brotherly bonding or something.’ She pulled one foot up to rest on her chair, so she was hugging her knee.
‘He’s missing his brother that much? I didn’t think they were close. Especially after what went down with you all.’
‘They were just going through a hard time when you saw them at Christmas. But…is it weird? Shouldn’t he want me to come with him on a romantic city break or am I being completely self-absorbed and jealous to think that?’
‘No. You’re never those things, honey. Is everything good with you and Nick generally?’
‘Yeah, they’re good,’ she said automatically and then her eyes went all misty as she drifted off into a daydream. ‘They’re really good.’
‘Excuse me, ugh, can’t deal with the lovey-dovey nausea.’ I grabbed my wastebasket and brought it into view, pretending to be sick into it.
‘Elle.’ She glared at me, but I could tell a laugh was threatening.
‘I’m kidding. You know I love you guys. I take credit for you getting together.’ I dropped the wire basket to the floor again. ‘So, you’re all happy and he just wants to spend some time with his brother. I guess it’s not that weird – it’s just hard for me to imagine needing to schedule in more time with one of my brothers or sisters. I can’t go to the grocery store without tripping over a sibling, y’know?’
She laughed. ‘And to be fair, Nick did say that Stephen is trying to find someone while he’s on this secondment. Nick wanted to see if he could help him while he was staying with him.’
‘What, find someone, like, “the one”?’ I raised my eyebrows.
‘Oh God,no. Stephen? Are you kidding?’ She waved a hand as though swiping the crazy idea away. ‘Someone their mum left money to in her will.’
‘Don’t the lawyers usually deal with that sort of thing?’
‘I don’t know.’ She pressed her lips together for a second and I sensed she wasn’t telling me everything. ‘Stephen decided he wanted to deal with it, but he hasn’t found the guy yet.’
‘What details do they have for him, then? Just a name? How do they know he lives in New York?’
She pointed at me. ‘Ha, look at you – your eyes just lit up, Nancy Drew. One whiff of a mystery and you want to get straight on it.’
