Page 42 of Play Our Song

“It’s a good way of stealing cars ‘cos it means you’re not stealing expensive new ones with fancy alarms and trackers and stuff. You’re stealing older ones that go under the radar. You’re only driving them as far as your chop shop and by the time they come out again, they’re unrecognizable,” said Sophie.

“Huh,” Jules said. “And Tilly thinks that your dad and Gio are involved in something like this?”

Sophie nodded.

“So she can’t date you,” guessed Jules. She sat back in her chair and drank some wine, finishing up quickly and topping everybody’s glasses up. “Are they?” she asked finally.

Sophie shook her head. “No. At least, I don’t think so.”

“They could be,” Cass said. “Would you know?”

“I think so,” said Sophie. “I mean, they’d be working nights, so I’d have to know, wouldn’t I. It’s just…”

“What?” prompted Amelia.

Sophie sighed. “There’s a bit more money floating around than there should be, I think. It could be nothing. It could be something. I’m not sure. But I do know that the garage isn’t being used as a chop shop.”

“Honestly,” said Cass. “Women. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them, not allowed to kill them.” She drank.

“I don’t want to kill her,” Sophie said, drinking again too. The wine was sticky on her lips and her legs were starting to feel heavy. “I want to date her.”

“Are you sure?” asked Amelia. “I mean, she’s just practically accused your family of being car thieves and then walked out on you. That doesn’t sound terribly romantic to me.”

“Pretty sure,” Sophie said. She closed her eyes for a second and could feel Tilly’s lips on hers, could feel the heat of her body. She opened her eyes again and looked for her wine. “She’s really attractive. And she’s smart.”

“And she thinks you’re part of some sort of criminal family. Like in The Sopranos,” Cass said. “Mind you, that sort of thing can work, can’t it? You know, warring clans and the like. It’s dead romantic.”

Jules turned to her sister and Cass. “The two of you have very odd ideas of what’s romantic and what’s not.”

“Give me a break,” Cass said. “I’m aromantic, I’m playing guessing games at all this stuff, but I’m trying to be helpful.”

“Fair,” Jules said. She sat back in her chair again, a thoughtful look on her face. “You really sure that you’re interested in this Tilly, even after this?”

Sophie nodded. “I know it’s weird. I know I probably shouldn’t be, but there’s something there. I can’t help having feelings for her, can I? It’s some sort of hormonal thing or something.”

“Or love at first sight,” Amelia said, raising her glass and drinking. This time she was the one that refilled the glasses.

“That happens,” Cass said wisely. “It’s in the films all the time.”

“I think it’s biological,” said Amelia. “Something to do with pheromones or something? I don’t remember. But it’s definitely a thing.”

“I’m not saying I’m in love with her,” Sophie said, drinking again. How would she know? Maybe she was. She thought about her a lot. She definitely wanted more of the kissing. And maybe some other stuff, too.

“Can you imagine the world without her in it?” asked Cass.

“What?” Sophie said. Her eyelids felt heavy. The wine was getting to her.

“That’s supposed to be the test, I think,” Cass replied. “Like, imagine the world without her in it and it gets all black and depressing and stuff and that means that you must be in love with her.”

“What?” Sophie said again.

“Ignore her,” said Amelia. “She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Do you feel all funny when she’s around? Like you can’t control your own body?”

Sophie thought about the number of times she’d bumped into Tilly. She definitely did seem clumsier when they were together. “Maybe?” she hazarded.

“Then you’re probably in love,” said Amelia. She grinned and poured more wine into Tilly’s beaker. “We should drink to that.”

“Drink to me being in love with a policewoman who thinks I’m a criminal? Police officer,” Sophie corrected herself.

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