Page 73 of The Dicktionary Club

That seemed to startle Zola. ‘No! I blocked him immediately. Fucking hell, I don’t want to think about him ever again! Look at the drama it’s caused.’

‘OK. Fair enough.’ Katy retreated, sinking back on the sofa and slurping her wine.

‘God! I just don’t know why I’d be so stupid.’ Zola sighed deeply. ‘I suppose I felt like I connected with Alvaro. He liked the same things as me. He had dreams, ambition, integrity – plus he was fucking gorgeous!’

‘It always helps.’ I raised an eyebrow and smiled warmly towards my friend.

‘But I didn’t want to hurt anyone, let alone my fiancé.’

The room fell quiet for a few sombre seconds.

‘And when I told Curtis he just kept saying, “Look at me, look into my eyes!”’ she said, expertly mimicking his manly tone.

A shudder ran through me, thinking of how uncomfortable Zola must have felt.

‘And what did you do?’ Katy asked.

Zola hummed. ‘I tried to look at him but I couldn’t. Fuck, I’d rather look into a solar eclipse without any sunglasses than see the pain I’ve caused that man.’

I squeezed her hand. ‘You’re human, Zo. You made a mistake, but it does sound like you’ve been unhappy.’

Zola’s face squirmed. ‘Relationships are difficult, you know.’

Katy nodded, encouraging her to go on.

‘He’s not a bad person,’ she said sadly. ‘He just doesn’t do anything with his life. Curtis has zero drive to better himself. Imake most of the money, and sometimes I begrudge him for it. He works one or two days a week, and I’m out working hard every day for what? To let him scratch his arse on a sofa? We should be saving for a wedding! Going on holidays! Planning our future!’

‘I get it, I do!’ I agreed. ‘Did you tell him that?’

Zola huffed. ‘Yeah. He said he’s found it hard up here, and he’s lost his purpose.’

The room felt silent, as a pang of guilt rippled through me for Curtis.

‘How was Andrea when I was out?’ Zola eventually asked.

Katy took another swig of Chardonnay. ‘Mmm.?.?. Totally fine. She didn’t even question anything.’

Zola’s shoulders seemed to drop slightly, looking a tiny bit relieved that she hadn’t lost her man and her job on the same day.

My phone pinged on the table, and I reached forward to grab it. I felt the colour drain from my face instantly.

‘Please tell me Curtis hasn’t messaged you, Ella. Is he asking where I am?’ Zola panicked, sounding as if another drama would send her over the edge.

‘No, it’s Philip Khan,’ I announced, reading his name on my screen.

‘Saying?’ Katy asked, bolting towards me.

I pushed her off, opened the message and began reading aloud:

‘How are you? I’m opening a new bar in Edinburgh on Friday. I’ll pick you up at seven.’

‘Wow!’ Zola managed a giggle.

‘The sheer confidence!’ Katy picked up a magazine from her coffee table and began fanning her face, then opened her legs widely, fanning her vagina.

We all laughed together, the first proper laugh we’d had inhours.

‘It’s the sheer arrogance, more like!’ I shook my head.

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