River laughs. ‘Very true. You’re funny too.’
I nod. ‘I suppose I did used to make Josie laugh a lot.’
‘Was Josie—’
Before River can finish the question my phone buzzes onthe tiled side, the vibrations making it shuffle perilously close to the edge of the jacuzzi.
‘Eek!’ I swipe it up quickly and look at the screen.
Gertie, I am starting to get worried at your lack of response? Please update me. I am your agent. I am here for you. All best, Bridget xx
Shit. She’s just going to keep on asking and she’s clearly getting stressed now. I exhale slowly. Gah. It’s time. I’m going to have to suck up my embarrassment and tell Bridget exactly how behind I am. My stomach tenses as I imagine having to actually admit to her that I haven’t written a word of the book. Will she shout at me? Chuck me as her client? Will she use her spare key to enter my house again and handcuff me to the desk until I get something, anything, written.
I quickly dry my hands on the rolled-up towel by my head.
Bridget,I start typing out.I’m afraid—
And then, before I can even finish the text, the jets of the jacuzzi suddenly clunk down and the bubbles come to a stop. At the same time, all the soft overhead lights in the spa switch off, and the room is plunged into darkness, the only light the flickering of the single scented candle burning by the exit of the spa, and the blue-ish glow of my phone screen.
‘Must be a power cut,’ River says, looking down at the now still water. ‘Huh. Without the bubbles we’re now just two near-strangers taking a sad public bath together.’
I laugh at the accuracy of his comment, but, to my horror, the jerky movement of my giggles causes my phone to slip out of my hands and into the dark water below.
‘Argh! Shit, my phone!’
I immediately reach down to scoop it up from the water, bundling it into the towel, my heart sinking as I see that the screen has gone black.
‘Nooooo. I think I’ve broken it.’
‘It might still work.’ River stands up with a splash, taking the swaddled phone from me and wading up the steps of the jacuzzi to safety. ‘We just need to get it completely dry,’ he says. ‘Let’s get some rice from the kitchen.’
Once we’ve slipped back into our robes the pair of us pad across to the hotel kitchen to see the chef, who gives us a bag of rice from a box specifically labelledPhone Rice. Which makes me feel slightly less of an idiot for taking my phone to the spa, or at the very least one of many idiots.
Once we’re back in the room and I’ve stuck my poor phone deep into the bag of rice, we place it in the centre of the coffee table like some sad ornament. We stare at it for a little bit, not saying anything.
‘Well, it’s not as good asMidsomer Murders,’ I deadpan. River laughs out loud then, a big honk of a laugh. I laugh too as his face creases up, eyes squeezed tightly shut.
I feel an unexpected lump form in my throat as I realise that the last person I made laugh that hard was Josie.
‘Hey,’ I say, nudging River. ‘You know when two people laugh together over something stupid it means they’re becoming friends?’
River narrows his eyes, mouth quirking upwards. ‘Friends? Nah. Not my style.’
‘Sometimes you don’t get a choice in the matter.’ I give him a determined nod. ‘Yep. I definitely think we’re becoming friends.’
River stands up and heads to the shower, turning back to look at me with a grin. He eventually shrugs a shoulder. ‘I suppose stranger things have happened.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
You’re AFRAID? You’re afraid of what, Gertie?? Oh my God. Where did you go? Are you okay? Is this why you haven’t been responding to me? I’m starting to worry that you’ve been taken!! Seriously though, do I need to call the police? Gertie? Please reply asap.
All best wishes,
Bridget
Text undelivered
By the time River and I arrive at the campfire party, it’s already in full swing. Tons of guests, including a few other authors I vaguely recognise from online or articles inThe Bookseller, are either gathered on deckchairs around a roaring fire or sitting at one of the candle-lit banquet tables, chomping on food made at a bustling barbecue station on the other side of the wooded clearing.
