Chapter Twenty-Seven
‘You dirty stop-out!’ shrieked Claudia. Her reaction to Lucy’s dramatic update on her love life was so extreme that Lucy had to hold the telephone well away from her ear. It was Monday lunchtime and she had called Claudia the second her break had started to fill her in. After another late night with Rory she had struggled through the morning replaying memories of their weekend together to keep her going.
‘I know! Can you actually believe it?’ laughed Lucy. ‘He’s literally the most gorgeous man I’ve ever met in my life, so sexy, so awesome. I can’t wait for you to meet him!’
‘He sounds divine!’ said Claudia. ‘When is he going to get my seal of approval?’ she asked.
‘I’ll see if we can get a pub session together next weekend maybe,’ suggested Lucy. ‘It would be nice for him to meet you guys.’
‘Good plan,’ agreed Claudia. ‘It sounds like he absolutely knocks the socks of Alex. Irishandan architect… the dream!’
‘When I’m with him, I honestly can’t even remember who Alex is, he doesn’t even compare! It’s so weird, Clauds, I can’t describe it… I know we’ve only known each other for a short time but I feel like I’ve known him all my life,’ explained Lucy. ‘I’ve never felt like this about anyone before.’
‘You know that’s exactly how I felt when I met Dan?’ said Claudia. ‘It was the strangest thing, if I were to believe in something as horrendously naff as the notion of soulmates then that’s kind of what it felt like. As if you knew each other inside out right from the beginning.’
‘Exactly! It’s as if we just “get” each other,’ expanded Lucy. ‘We love all the same things, we laugh at the same jokes, we even have practically the same dog for Christ’s sake! Size excluded obviously!’
‘Oh, Luce, I’msohappy for you! Fingers crossed that you have finally met your Mr Right! Although, on second thoughts…’Claudia tailed off somewhat awkwardly.
‘Yes?’ asked Lucy.
‘Well, when are you going to find out the results of your last treatment? What if it worked?’ asked Claudia, raising the question that had been hovering like a rain cloud over Lucy’s head all day.
‘To be honest, I can’t even think about that right now,’ said Lucy, rubbing her forehead.
‘But you kind of have to, right?’ encouraged Claudia. ‘I mean, just imagine…’
‘I can’t even begin to imagine what I would do if I found out I was pregnant right now, the timing would be utterly insane. I’m sure I’m not pregnant, anyway. I can’t feel anything different within me, surely I would know?’
‘You still better check, Luce,’ said Claudia, the voice of reason. ‘It’s better to know, even if things have changed for you somewhat.’
‘I know. But it’s still too early to test yet.’
‘Did you use protection?’ asked Claudia.
‘Yes…’ said Lucy, holding her breath and wondering whether to come out with the truth of the matter. ‘Although on one occasion the condom split… but it was only for a second before he noticed and then we immediately dealt with it, so I’m sure it’s fine.’
‘What do you mean you’re sure it’s fine? What you are saying is that you had unprotected sex?’ asked Claudia in exasperation. ‘Did you get the morning after pill?’
‘No,’ said Lucy. ‘I’m sure the timing of my cycle was in my favour. I was supposed to be at my most fertile the weekend before this thankfully. And I have had two rounds of IUI which didn’t result in pregnancy so this is hardly likely to have done so…’
‘But you wouldn’t want to fall pregnant with a virtual stranger’s child!’ said Claudia.
‘Look, I’m sure nothing happened… anyway, it was an accident,’ said Lucy, as if that made it better.
‘Okay Luce, I’m not trying to be a pain in your arse here but I am after all the expert at avoiding impregnation, that’s all.’
‘I know, I know! God, life all seems way too complicated all of a sudden,’ groaned Lucy.
‘What is meant to be will be,’ Claudia reassured her.
‘Anyway I’ve been wittering on about Rory and myself for the last twenty minutes, how’s Dan? How’s work? Is the mega bitch still being bitchy?’ asked Lucy. Having changed to her favourite subject, Claudia nattered on happily for the rest of Lucy’s lunch break.
She had decided to eat her sandwich sitting on a bench in a nearby park, making the most of yet another sunny day. As she walked back to the office, her mind shifted back to Rory. He had left early that morning to take Rufus home and get ready for work. He was going to spend the day working partly in his office, and partly at Thurloe Crescent, where all of his architectural equipment was set up in one of the downstairs rooms overlooking the garden. Rory was at a work event that evening and though she would happily have seen him she was looking forward to having the evening to herself. She had made plans to see Rory on Tuesday. She missed him already and could hardly believe that she was falling for him so quickly; she hadn’t thought it was possible.
Lettie and Simon were fascinated by her account of what had happened that weekend. They gave each other knowing looks as she described Rory, hoping along with her that her turn might have finally come. She quickly hushed them, knowing that that kind of talk got her nowhere whilst secretly hoping they might be right. Even the usual Monday morning hello from Jack had failed to have its usual stomach churning effect on her.
In the afternoon, Tor had emailed her trying to get a date in the diary for lunch that weekend, so Lucy had also given her a call and filled her in on the new developments in her life.
