AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘I know – I was just thinking …’
‘Thinking …’
‘That I never imagined seeing you here.’
Chapter 31
‘This is wild! It’s actually you!’ Brody smiled so widely the faint lines around his eyes creased into crow’s feet.
He looked just how Helen remembered him: he had the same green eyes, the same slight stubble … she inched a step closer, the same woody, inviting smell. Unconsciously she tensed her tummy muscles, and rolled her shoulders back. She couldn’t stop smiling, for a while there was a long pause as she drank him in. Brody’s eyes wandered from her prom dress wings, to the glitter around her cheekbones, her navel …
‘I didn’t think I’d ever see you again …’ Did Helen actually feel that was true? Had she always secretly expected Brody to be too good for her? To have another better girlfriend? For her to just be a footnote in his life?
From Brody’s reaction it didn’t seem like he was stowing another girlfriend away somewhere. As his eyes lingered on her, she realised he hadn’t been looking at Alice that way. He was only looking at Helen.
‘I know I was going to message you after we met, but then …’ Brody’s words hung in the air.
‘Connex. I know. It was so …’ Devastating, unfair …
‘Random. I know, it was also funny. The one time I’d done the internet dating thing and that happened. It just showed me again that I’m not supposed to put my persona online …’
Helen chewed over Brody’s words. She wouldn’t have exactly described Connex’s server failure as ‘funny’, nor did she take it as a signal that all social media and online dating was bad, though maybe it was?
‘Hey, anyway you should meet Alice. She was the one who set up my original profile, so I have her to thank for matching with you …’
Helen’s heartbeat slowed. Alice was just a friend. He did want to match with her. He just didn’t like being online any more than was necessary because he’s smart, present,mature… and now they were finally meeting in the perfect way. In real life, by a bonfire, at a festival. It was romantic. There’s no way they’d lose touch again after this … Maybe even tonight … Helen caught her breath. She was imagining kissing Brody. Would he lean in tonight and kiss her? Would they finally be back together? Would she know everything was going to be okay as her lips pressed up against his?
‘Alice! Alice! Come here, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.’
Alice turned around wearing her glittering headdress. She was definitely the woman from the train, and definitely intimidatingly good-looking.
‘Alice this is Helen and …’
‘I’m Elle, I don’t think we’ve met?’ Elle held out her hand to Brody and Alice.
‘So nice to meet you!’ Alice’s arms were around Elle, and Elle was hugging her back.
‘Wow, an English person who likes to hug!’ Elle gasped, holding on to the embrace with Alice.
‘Of course babe! And you’re Helen?’ Alice leaned in to hug Helen, her headdress felt cool against the side of her head.
Alice changed when she spoke. It was hard to keep her cemented in Helen’s mind as some kind of Ice Queen when she smiled so much you could see her gums.
‘So how do you know this loser?’ Alice shoved Brody and then hugged from the side. A little like how Helen would hug Henry.
Helen noticed her mind rapidly updating the image of Alice she had in her head. From Instagram, Helen had imagined Alice to be the kind of stuck up, popular girl who would have invited everyone at school to their party except Helen and the kid with the lisp. Instead, she seemed really … nice?
Helen and Brody exchanged glances. He was definitely looking at her differently.
‘Well this is where I owe you some credit Alice, do you remember when you set me up with that Connex profile a couple of months back?’
‘Of course, I only used photos I’d taken of ya, because all of your ones …’ She touched Helen’s arm. ‘You wouldn’t have matched with him babe if you’d seen what he was going to use.’
Alice took a long swig from a flask and offered it to Helen. ‘Here you take it, I’ve had enough for now …’ The alcohol was strong and bitter, Alice clipped the flask onto Helen’s utility belt. Helen tentatively held the bottle in her hand.
‘Anyway, the day after, I matched with Helen. We had a really nice date …’ Brody looked sideways at Helen. ‘Well, I really liked it at least …’
I really liked it too, Helen mouthed silently.
