‘It’s a mug’s game,’ Gil said.
Jo nudged her playfully. ‘Oh, come on, Gil. It’s just a bit of fun. You’re envious, really.’
She was right, of course. Gil was envious. She loved Jo as a friend, but did envy her privileged life. They’d met at medical school and even back then, everyone knew Jo had that something special that would make her one of the bestsurgeons. Most of the others hadn’t had Jo’s private school education or her parents’ financial support. It was deemed inevitable that Gil would marry a handsome man who would quickly climb the ladder of success. When you come from a poor background, as Gil did, and have had to work evening shifts as a waitress to get by, envy feels like a natural emotion.
‘Is his wife going too?’ Gil asked
‘No, it’s just him, Nic, me and Danny.’
At the sound of Nic’s name, Gil pulled a face. Jo had set her up with Nic, as a foursome, one evening when Jo was about five months pregnant with Joel.
‘It should be a nice evening,’ she’d said. ‘Nic is supposed to be a nice guy.’
When you’re in your mid-thirties and unattached, everyone seems to think it’s their duty to put that right. Gil had heard all the other comments that go with being an unmarried woman of her age.
‘She must be a lesbian,’ was one.
‘You’re too fussy,’ was her mother’s favourite.
‘You can’t wait forever,’ friends said. ‘The clock’s ticking’
No shit, thought Gil.
The foursome with Nic was a total flop. He never stopped bragging about himself, showed off in front of the waiters as if he were a celebrity and made a misogynistic remark to a waitress. Then, he offered to walk Gill home and immediately suggested they go to bed together. Gil told him she’d rather sleep with Hannibal Lecter, which ended any hope of romance. Joanna didn’t think much of Nic, either. So, Gil was surprised to hear that she was going to dinner with him.
‘I thought you didn’t like Nic,’ she said.
Jo pulled a face. ‘I don’t, but he’s done so much for us, Gil. He’s helped Danny a lot.’
‘Well, put a bet on at the casino for me,’ Gil said with a grin.
Jo then told her how great the builder was who was working on the new house. ‘It’s looking great, you must come and see it soon.’
Gil had thought of her own little flat and how it really could use some decorating, but she was always knackered at the end of the day, and never had the energy when she was on nights. ‘You need a man,’ her mother kept saying. Maybe she is right, Gil thought, if only for the decorating. But finding a man like Daniel Neal was pretty difficult, and Daniel was already taken.
***
‘Icla!’ Joel shouts, breaking into Gil’s thoughts. Gil looks up to see Nicola approaching across the grass. Joel calls her name again until Nicola looks up, concern in her eyes.
‘Hey, what are you doing out so late?’ she asks.
‘He’s with me,’ Gil says, rising from the bench.
‘Oh,’ Nicola replies. ‘Funny, I was hoping to see you.’
Gil’s pulse quickens. No doubt this is about Jo.
‘Do you know when Mrs Neal is coming home?’ Nicola asks. ‘Joel’s confused because she always phones him. I’ve texted and sent photos, but she never replies. That’s not like her.’
At this, Gil’s composure cracks. She leans back on the bench and covers her face. ‘Don’t let him see me like this,’ she whispers. ‘Give me a minute.’
Nicola nods and lifts Joel off the swing, then leads him to the seesaw to give Gil a moment alone. Gil dabs her eyes with a tissue, then digs in her bag for her foundation to hide the redness.
After a moment, Nicola returns and sits beside her. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she says softly. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you.’
Gil blows her nose. ‘It’s not you. It’s just… when you mentioned Jo, I… I don’t know what to do.’
She offers Nicola a cigarette. Nicola glances around. She is far enough away from her parents’ house – she knows how much they hate smoking – so she takes one gratefully and they smoke in silence, watching Joel play.
