‘Yep, she definitely said fat.’ She frowned. ‘She also said he was nice, which is weird cos nice isn’t the word that springs to mind, either.’
Realisation was dawning, but not for my sheltered friend.
‘Vand, is there any chance she said he was “nice and fat”?’
She clicked her fingers. ‘Yes! That’s exactly it.’
I burst out laughing. ‘That is completely different.’
Vandi started to grin but then frowned. ‘I don’t get it. What are we laughing about?’
‘You’ll work it out, eventually.’
Too right I never let her live it down.
Chapter 46
Yan has organised a food tasting with his catering mate, Jamie. Tig liked him when they met at the Greek Food Fair, but he was there helping someone else, and she wants to taste his own food before she signs on the dotted line.
‘Not that she’s rolling in other options,’ mutters Yan when he recounts the story.
I’ve come, too, because Jamie was asking about me. He was at college with Yan, so I must have met him, but the name’s not familiar.
We’re meeting in his café in Palmer’s Green, which initially made Tig turn up her nose.
‘Acaffin north London?’ she’d exclaimed in horror.
Yan had to patiently explain – again – that we were a week from the wedding and good luck finding someone else if Jamie didn’t meet her exacting standards.
Turns out, Jamie’s place is more deli than café and wouldn’t look out of place on the Kings Road.
Tig’s eyes light up when we walk in. Jamie’s laid out a table with samples of lots of dishes. ‘Oh my God, look at all that Serrano ham. I love Serrano ham. It didn’t occur to me we could do cold starters … and wow, is that an olive tapenade with rosemary crostini?’
She gives Yan a massive hug. ‘Thank yousomuch.’
Yan gives her a quizzical look. ‘You do realiseIdidn’t prepare any of this.’
When she pulls back, she’s got tears in her eyes. ‘I know, but you’ve gone out of your way to set this up. I’ve been so stressed about it, but I knew I couldn’t kick up a fuss because I was the one adamant we could get a wedding organised in under three weeks.’
I feel bad that Yan and I were bitching about her before we got here.
She hugs Yan again, and I wrap my arms around both of them, leaving Theo standing to the side awkwardly, unsure what to do with himself.
‘Hello, Praxitelises,’ says a man behind me. ‘Or is the plural Praxiteli?’
I recognise the voice and freeze. Even before I turn round I know exactly who it is, except I thought his name was Jack or Jake when we met fifteen years ago at Yan’s fateful black-out party.
He shakes Theo’s hand, kisses Tig’s cheek, then envelops me in a huge hug. ‘Nella, darling!’
‘Hi, Jamie,’ I say shyly.
He’s dressed in chef’s whites and checkerboard pants.
I hold my breath, praying he doesn’t mention the last time we saw each other, specificallywhatI was doing andwhoI was doing it with.
‘I suggest we crack on before the mains get cold,’ he says, giving me a final air kiss.
I hang back while Tig and Theo follow him into the kitchen.
