Page 53 of Asking For a Friend

“First-class tickets?” I’m so surprised my eyebrows must have disappeared into my hair. God, how much must they have cost him? I’ve travelled business class before, but this is incredible.

“Happy Christmas, sweetheart.”

Eighteen months later

“Lando, we’re going to be late,” Hesketh calls up the stairs. A few months ago, we bought a house together. Neither of us was that attached to the ones we had. I needed more space for an office. I couldn’t keep working at the coffee shop. Not after the video of me singing. When a house on the same street as Sophie and Ellis’s came on the market, Hesketh was keen to snap it up. He loves Notting Hill, and I don’t care where I live as long as it’s with him. Sappy and mushy? Yes, very. But it’s true.

“I don’t think they will care,” I call back but head down the stairs. “Do you have to look so sexy and put together all the time? Can’t you just for once wear scruffy clothes? I always look like a tramp next to you,” I grumble until he kisses all the breath out of me.

“Let’s go.” He takes my hand, and we go out the front door and stroll the fifty yards down the street to Ellis and Sophie’s.

The door opens, and Ellis motions for us to come in. “Everyone is in the garden.”

I hand over the expensive gift. Ellis raises his eyebrows, but I shrug. “You know Hesketh. He loves buying gifts.” And after over a year and a half together, he still surprises me. But I’ve learnt how generous he is to everyone he loves.

We walk through the house that is so similar to our own, except ours isn’t full of toys and children’s books. Sophie is resting on the sofa with the newest member of the family lying on her chest.

She smiles, and I reach out with grabby hands for my godson. “Hand him over. You know the rules.” I grin and take the tiny bundle from her.

“Willingly. The little demon was awake nearly all night.”

“Don’t listen to mean old mummy, Teddy. Uncle Lando’s here now.” I kiss the soft skin on his forehead. Hesketh runs his hand down my back and wraps it around my waist, smiling down at the sleeping baby.

After my fix of baby-snuggling, I hand him back and go find the girls. “Uncle Lando!” They cry from the trampoline. I kick off my shoes and climb up with them. Hesketh says I’m a bigger kid than them, but he’s just jealous that they like me more.

After five minutes, we’re all hot and in need of a drink. “Come on, girls. Let’s go and raid the gin.”

“Uncle Lando, you know we’re only seven. We can’t have gin.” Esther tugs on my hand.

“Then how about a beer?”

“Stop corrupting my kids.” Ellis hands me a beer, and the girls run off to the kitchen.

“So, what’s the reason for all this?” I wave my hand around the garden, where more and more people file in. Including my friends. Scottie is with Dylan, and Connor and Thom have brought their current boyfriends.

“Does there need to be one? The weather’s great, and I wanted a barbecue. Plus, we wanted to show off Teddy.”

“Fair enough, but can you tell me why Hesketh is dressed up and was in such a rush to get here?”

“Nope, no clue. He’s your man. You should know.” He saunters off towards Sophie and Hesketh and says something to him. Hesketh jerks his head around and looks at me. His soft smile makes my heart swell. I didn’t think it was possible to keep falling more and more in love with someone, but he has me loving him harder every day. I walk towards them. The pull to be close to him is strong.

Esme comes running back to me with a serious look on her face, which means she’s probably got an inappropriate question to ask me. She swipes her hair from her sweaty forehead and sighs. “Mummy says you have to say yes.”

“Does she? Has she asked me a question?”

Another long-suffering sigh escapes her. “That’s what I said. You have to know the question first. Otherwise, you could be tricked. It’s like being asked if I’m ready for bed, and that’s always no. But if it’s for more ice cream or cake, then it’s always yes.”

“That’s very true, Esme. Perhaps you should ask her what the question is. You can come and tell me.”

“Okay.” She darts away to her mum. Sophie stiffens and shakes her head. Another conversation Esme shouldn’t have heard. Esme doesn’t come back but skips away to see her grandparents instead.

Bloody hell, Rory and Lais are here too. The two of them settled in the Cotswolds after their wedding at the beginning of last year. It’s been wonderful watching Hesketh reconnect and become friends with his brother. His parents weren’t quite as gracious in welcoming Rory back home, and their relationship is still frosty.

My relationship with my parents never recovered after the party, and I never gave it another thought. Not until a late-night hysterical call from my mother that my father had had a heart attack and died. It seemed that his much younger mistress expected a lot from him, enough to cause his heart to fail halfway through shagging her. My mother took his money and scarpered to Spain. I haven’t heard from her since.

Night falls, and Ellis lights the fire pit. Candles are glowing around the patio. I’m back to baby-cuddling. I adore this perfect little human.

“I want one of these,” I whisper to Hesketh.

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