Page 94 of People Skills

‘I know when James is hitting on someone.’

‘Why do you care?’ I ask.

‘I’m just warning you.’

‘About what?’

‘James.’

‘I can handle myself. It may shock you, you might need to sit down when you hear this, but I have been flirted with before.’ And that’s not even counting you, I add in my mind.

‘I am well aware of that,’ he says.

‘You have enough on your plate here tonight. Don’t worry about me.’ I turn away, proud of myself for resisting the urge to snap, What were you and Lana talking about for four and a half minutes outside?

I start to walk back towards the table, when he touches my arm.

‘Charlotte. Wait. What I actually wanted to say is that I’m sorry about last night. You were right, I overreacted,’ he says. ‘And I know it’s awkward for you, with your job.’

‘Well, I’m sorry too,’ I say. ‘I should have told you earlier.’ And then, because it turns out I can’t resist, I add, ‘It looks like it’s turned out anyway. You and Lana seem happy to see each other.’

‘I wouldn’t say that,’ he says.

‘You were outside talking for a while.’ I can hear the accusation in my tone, and I want to bite it back, but I want to know what is going on between them even more.

‘About her dad—he’s been in hospital.’

‘Oh. I’m sorry to hear that,’ I say. What about the emails? I almost add, but, thank god, I stop myself. What is wrong with me? I remember how I used to feel when girls would flirt with Caleb at a book event, and I would watch across the room, and want to scream, He’s with me! I was so trapped in that situation, so suffocated by the way I was never allowed to show how I really felt, and now I feel like that all over again.

Except Xavier and I are not together, and I need to get a grip.

I walk back into the dining room, slip back into my seat and feel Lana’s eyes on me. She is tracking Xavier’s movements, watching how much time he spends talking to me. That’s it. I vow to stay out of his way. I don’t want to be the reason they don’t get back together, I don’t want to stand in anyone’s way. I have involved myself too much, and now I need to get uninvolved.

We are halfway through dessert when a blond man walks in, looking slightly wild-eyed.

‘Robbie,’ Hillary says. ‘You came after all.’ The aforementioned missing husband.

‘Ettie, what the hell?’ he says, looking at her.

‘What?’ Ettie says, calm and unfazed, but I can see a fighting spirit in her eyes. She’s ready for this.

‘Ettie has lost her mind,’ Robbie says.

‘Easy, son. Calling a pregnant woman crazy doesn’t go well in my experience,’ Graham says.

‘Well, I don’t know what else to call it,’ he says, rubbing his hands over his face. ‘She drove off and left me at the petrol station.’

Everyone turns to Ettie.

‘That’s not how it happened,’ she says. ‘Mum, how were the eggs cooked in this custard tart? I can’t have raw egg.’

‘That’s exactly how it happened. Etts, I waited forty-five minutes thinking you’d come back and get me. Then I spent a hundred and eighty dollars on an Uber.’ Robbie looks like a man on the brink.

‘What happened, sweetheart?’ Hillary says to Ettie.

‘What happened is Robbie wants to name the baby after his mother,’ Ettie says.

‘You want to call the baby Pam?’ Hillary says, her voice rising about ten octaves.