‘Don’t be silly, Zoë. You just got here,’ said Alice. ‘Helen will go – white wine, right?’ Before I had time to answer, she turned to Annette. ‘Same again?’
Annette nodded and Helen jumped up. ‘I’ll get us a bottle,’ she said.
‘Is she old enough to get served?’ I asked, but no one seemed to hear.
Annette scooted closer to me. ‘Alice has told us so much about you,’ she said. ‘You’ve got the coolest job ever – and I bet you know loads of cool people. Do you know One Direction?’
I met Alice’s eye and she mouthed ‘Sorry’. Then she gave her friend a gentle nudge. ‘I’d hardly call One Direction cool.’
‘But you love them,’ protested Annette.
Alice squirmed. ‘I listen to them in the gym sometimes,’ she said.
‘Most of the time I’m stuck in the office or at boring meetings.’ I was only half lying. My job always looked more glamorous from the outside.
‘You don’t know the meaning of the word boring until you’ve worked in an accountant’s office,’ said Alice. ‘I’m so grateful I got out.’
Annette thumped the table with her fist, making me jump. ‘Tonight’s not about work,’ she decreed, ‘it’s about fun!’ She ducked under the table and started rummaging through a holdall.
Oh God, she was going to produce a tacky bridal veil, or worse, co-ordinating pink T-shirts with ‘hilarious’ slogans.
She reappeared, however, brandishing a ukulele. ‘Ta da!’
She held it out to me like it was Excalibur. ‘What am I supposed to do with it?’
‘Play it, silly,’ she replied. ‘It’s just like a guitar.’
I looked at it uncertainly. ‘It’s only got four strings.’
‘Even easier,’ said Annette, with the wisdom of the truly non-musical.
Before I could argue, a bloke appeared at our table. He was wearing a T-shirt that said ‘Ukes Not Nukes’. He handed us a sheaf of sheet music before moving off to the next table.
I flicked through the pages. The music was in tab form, which meant it showed you exactly where to put your fingers on the frets. No musical knowledge required.
*
A quarter of an hour later, with a full glass of wine in me, I was poised with the ukulele and all four of us were watching the screen in the corner to read the ticker-taping lyrics. The song that popped my uke cherry was ‘Over the Rainbow’, and against all odds it was surprisingly pretty. A hundred strangers in a room channelling their inner Judy Garland – while looking like George Formby.
I have to admit, it was fun. Annette, Alice and Helen were unexpectedly good singers, and once I got the hang of it, I made a pretty mean ukulele player.
By the time the break came I was breathless. The fingers on my left hand throbbed from pressing down on the strings, but I didn’t care. I was guarding the table while the Double-As went to the bar and Helen went to the loo. I took my phone out to check on my messages and emails.
My breath caught – I had three texts from Simon.
Had so much fun earlier. We need to do this again. Soon!!
I grinned. Those double exclamation marks were so Simon – all bouncing energy.
God, I’m sooooo bored in this meeting. Am losing will to live...
This second text was sent an hour after the first. But five minutes later he’d sent a third:
The only thing stopping me jumping out of the window is the possibility that you’ll have dinner with me tomorrow night. My fate rests in your hands...
A frisson ran through me. Was he was asking me out? Or was this just dinner with a mate? My thumb hovered over the keypad. What to respond? After a couple of moments I started typing:
That’ll teach you to not pack your parachute. Oh well, I suppose I’ve got no choice but to say yes.
