Page 90 of Be More Capybara

Julia walked into the kitchen. ‘Everything ok?’

‘I’ve had a text from Helen.’

‘Ooh!’ Julia pulled up a chair next to him. ‘And?’

‘She wants to know when I’m back in Dashford.’

‘Did she say why?’

‘She wants to talk.’

‘That’s excellent.’ Julia leaned across to get a view of his screen and tutted. ‘You could make that response much more appealing. Assuming you want her back, of course.’

Nancy walked in. ‘Want who back?’

Julia looked up at her. ‘How would you feel if a man you loved responded to you like this?’ She pointed to Nigel’s phone.

Nigel moved the phone out of Julia’s eyeline. ‘Can I have some privacy here?’

Nancy was even more interested now. ‘Are we talking about Helen?’

Nigel sighed. ‘Yes, she’s just texted me.’

‘What did she say?’

‘She wants to talk.’

‘About why she broke up with you?’

‘I assume so.’

‘What are you going to say?’

Julia raised her eyebrows. ‘He’s responding with factual information about his whereabouts next week.’

‘Is that all?’ Nancy sounded exasperated.

Perhaps her matchmaking skills would be useful on this occasion. Nigel reluctantly handed over the phone.

Nancy thought for a second, then started typing.

Nigel was horrified. ‘You’re not sending that, are you?’

‘No, but this is what I would want to hear if I were Helen.’ She handed back the phone.

I've been an idiot. I want to talk too. I’m on the end of the phone when you're ready, whatever time it is.

‘That sounds desperate,’ he said.

‘You are desperate.’

‘Thank you, Mother dearest.’

‘You have been moping around the place since you got here,’ Julia said.

Nigel read the reply again. It was all true. Sod it. He pressed Send and put his head in his hands.

Helen’s response was almost immediate.