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“Oh no, nothing like that. He’s way older than me, weirdly under the thumb of his mother, and has a beer belly.”
“Beer belly…hubba-hubba…” said Maddie, wiggling both eyebrows in her classic party trick.
Kate threw a cushion at her and shared the last dribbles of wine between their glasses. “He’s been a good friend. In fact, he’s my only friend.”
“You need to get out more.”
“I know, and I will. Now that the house is sorted, I’ll have more time.”
“Has it cost a bomb?”
“No, not really. The boiler and bathroom were expensive, but I got all the furniture second hand. I’ve got enough cash left over to see me through a year if I’m careful, six months if I’m not.”
Kate had a talent for being thrifty. That’s what happened when you grew up the way she had, searching for food in the cupboards and only finding bottles of vodka. The school had known her situation and without the free school breakfasts and lunches, she probably would’ve starved. Kate still burned with the shame of relying on other people’s kindness and determined never to be in that position again.
“So, what are we doing tonight?” asked Maddie, chucking the last of her wine down her neck.
“I thought maybe we could go for a drink at the local, then come home and watch a film?”
“You’re serious, aren’t you? Bloody hell, Kate, doesn’t this town have any clubs?”
“Maddie, we’re thirty-year-old women. We’re too old for clubbing.”
“We’ll never be too old for clubbing, dear,” said Maddie, putting on her best old lady voice.
“I don’t even know if thereisa club.”
“That’s what our best friend Google’s for,” said Maddie, pulling out her phone.
*
“Seriously? That’s what you’re wearing?”
Maddie stood in front of Kate and did a twirl. “What’s wrong with it?”
Kate couldn’t find the words to describe how inappropriate Maddie’s outfit was. Sparkling sequined hot pants, a neon green boob tube, and three-inch stilettos. “Have you looked out of a window lately? It’s pouring with rain and blowing a gale.”
“So?”
“So maybe you should wear something a little more… practical.”
“Practical? Kate, we’re going to a club, not on a hike.”
Kate sighed, very much wishing she could choose the second of those options.
“Aren’t you going to get changed?” Maddie asked, wandering through to the kitchen and grabbing a beer from the fridge.
“What do you mean? I am changed.”
“You’re going like that?”
Maddie seemed just as horrified with Kate’s outfit as she had been with her friend’s ensemble. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”
“What’s wrong with it? You look like a nun!”
Kate moved over to the mirror. Until Maddie appeared like a glitter ball, she’d been pleased with how she looked. Admittedly, the black jeans had seen better days, but her cream floaty shirt was real silk, her best charity shop find to date. She’d managed to scrape her bobbed hair back into a ponytail, and had even gone to the trouble of applying eyeliner. “I like how I look.”
“OK, fine, I’m not going to argue with you on my first night here. Come on, let’s call a cab.”
