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Seconds pass.
With a sigh of relief, I put them back in the drawer and close it. Wow. This is great! I have no inclination to light up whatsoever. Yay! It looks like the treatment’s working.
Grabbing a towel, I go to the en-suite bathroom and take a shower to wake myself up. As I clean my teeth at the sink, I decide that perhaps Iwillgo to Jill’s birthday after all. It’s not often I’m in such good spirits and feel I should take advantage of it while it lasts.
Whistling a merry tune, I slip on my dressing gown and shuffle downstairs to make breakfast. In the kitchen, I put two slices of bread in the toaster and fill the kettle for tea. As the water boils, my father pops his head around the door. “You’re in a suspiciously good mood today.”
“Morning, Dad,” I coo. “Sleep well?”
“Like a log. Why are you so happy?”
“Oh, no reason. Just happy to be alive, I guess. Do you want a cup of tea?”
“Love one.”
Opening the kitchen cupboard, I take down another mug and place it on the sideboard. Then I tear open a packet of Tetley and plop the tea bags in. Neither of us takes sugar. As I pour the water, I make sure Dad doesn’t see my guilty expression. I haven’t had the heart to tell him about Nick because I know it will open a can of worms. He’ll want to know how much I’m paying for it, and that’s a discussion I don’t really want to have. Dad’s forever lecturing me about my bad money management. He thinks I need to grow up and stop indulging my hobbies. Each month, at least a quarter of my salary goes on film memorabilia, plus there’s always those random purchases that take my fancy,like the time I wasted two-hundred pounds on a crate of powdered diet shakes I couldn’t finish because they were so abysmal. And the time I bought a tooth-whitening kit that burned my gums and did no lightening whatsoever.
After I’ve added milk to the tea, I hand Dad his mug, and the two of us go into the living room to watch a morning cookery programme.
“Oi!” I shout as he cheekily swipes a piece of toast from my plate. “Make your own.”
“We’re family,and families are supposed to share.” He cackles wickedly and takes a few chomps out the slice. “So, what are your plans for today? Got anything fun planned?”
“A friend from work is having a birthday get-together in London Bridge, so I’ll probably drop by there later. Afterwards, I was thinking of meeting up with Ronan for a drink in Soho.”
“Ronan?” Dad raises his eyebrows. “Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in a while. Nice lad. What’s he up to these days?”
“Oh, nothing much. Just work and stuff.”
“What does he do again?”
“Ronan’s avisual merchandiserfor Hackney Couture. He works at their flagship store in Westfield.”
“What exactly isvisual merchandising?”
“Basically, he creates store displays to attract customers to the shop. You know, arranging mannequins and stuff.”
“So, it’s really a posh term for a window dresser?”
“Dad, stop being so condescending.”
“I am not!”
“Look, don’t knock him, okay? He’s out there doing his thing, getting to be creative, which is more than I do.”
“Don’t be like that. What about your crocheting?”
“Yeah, but it’s not quite the same, is it? Crocheting’s just a hobby for me. Ronan actually gets paid for what he does. He gets to be artistic in his day job.”
“Well, send him my regards. I always thought he was a top bloke.”
I couldn’t agree more. Ronan Hewitt is my oldest and dearest friend. We’ve known each other since our early twenties and supported each other through numerous ups and downs. Nobody ‘gets’ me the way Ronan does. Nobody makes me laugh the way Ronan does. He’s one in a million and over the years, I’ve found his friendship invaluable. Once upon a time, the two of us were inseparable, spending every weekend at the pub bemoaning our disastrous love lives. However, since turning thirty, our meetings have become less frequent, and we only occasionally speak on the phone. Still, he knows I love him to death, and no matter what happens, I know we have a bond that will never be broken.
“Another parcel arrived for you today,” Dad says, rolling his eyes. “This one’s from America.”
“Where did you put it?”
“I left it in the hall for you. But, honestly, don’t you think this is getting a bit tedious? You’ve got enough toys to fill three houses.”
