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“I know, I know. I’m just reminding you because it’s a special one.”
“She’s nineteen.”
“Yes, exactly. You do have a gift, don’t you? And you did pick from the list I gave you, didn’t you?”
“Yes, Mum. I’ll be there at three with bells on, and I’ll be bringing sapphire earrings.”
“You’re a good girl. And if you’re bringing Rachel, she’ll have to get something from the list, too.”
I flick my eyes to see Rachel through the glass wall of my office. She’s having an animated conversation through her headset. “Yes, she bought the bracelet to match the earrings.”
“Oh she is a good friend, isn’t she?”
She sure is.
“RACH, I’M HOME.” I dump my laptop and handbag on the small dining table and slip off my suit jacket.
As I’m pouring a glass of water, Rachel comes bounding into the kitchen, already out of her work clothes and in a pair of skinny jeans and killer heels. “Sure you don’t want to come to the cinema?”
I shake my head while taking a gulp of water. Having been in meetings for the last four hours, I can feel the water seep into my flesh. I lift my mouth from the glass with a gasp. “No, thank you. I’ve actually invited Clark over, since you’re headed out.”
She pauses in packing things into her burnt-orange handbag. “Wow. I thought you guys didn’t do staying in?”
I lean back against the kitchen worktop. “I know, I’m just tired today. Honestly, I’m not convinced he’s going to show up.”
She glances at her watch then perches on a breakfast stool. “Why wouldn’t he show? A night in, alone, with his girlfriend, on a Wednesday?”
“I’m not… we’re not… I’m not his girlfriend. I mean, it hasn’t even been two weeks.”
“Right, which for most people might be considered normal, but you two are inseparable. You’ve spent every night together since you met, and you’re cuckoo for each other.”
I don’t think I react, but Rachel says, “It bothers you.”
“The girlfriend thing? No.” I shake my head, trying to convince at least one of us that’s true. “It is too soon to label things, I guess.”
“Buuuuut…”
“But nothing… I… just… nothing. He might come over. Go, enjoy the movie.”
She cocks her head to one side with a scowl. “Okay.” She jumps down from the stool. “If you want to talk about it…”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” I tell her, forcing a smile. “Save me some pick ‘n’ mix. The strawberries.”
She blows me a kiss and heads out.
There isn’t anything to talk about. Clark and I were supposed to be going out to dinner, like we’ve done every night since we met. I was tired, so I asked him if we could stay in, grab a takeaway and watch trash TV. He didn’t say no. In fact, he didn’t say much for a minute or two. He just… went quiet. Then he told me he had stuff to finish at the office. “I was going to call you, actually, because I might have to miss dinner tonight,” he said.
“Oh, okay. Well, it can’t be helped.”
“Right.”
I was ready to leave it there. I’ve heard that same tone before, only I’ve never cared about the man using it as much as I already care about Clark.
“I’m heading out of the office now. I’ll speak to you later,” I told him, not wanting to seem needy or let on that this felt to me like stage one of a break up.
“Sure, I… Dayna? Dayna, are you still there?”
“Yep, I’m here.”
