Page 13 of Date with Destiny

‘No, this is the first of the fortune teller’s predictions coming true.’

Toni gasps dramatically and I eyeball Myfanwy. ‘Please don’t,’ I beg.

‘Sorry but it is! The first of the six prophecies was a heartbreak.’

‘My heart isn’t broken,’ I point out, my voice getting higher. ‘Because this isn’t a break-up, it’s just a break.’

Myfanwy ignores me. ‘There are three losses that come first, before the three gains, right?’ She doesn’t wait for confirmation. She knows the six predictions better than me by now. ‘Up first is a heartbreak. That’s what she said, isn’t it? Number one is a heartbreak. This is very clearly the first prediction coming true.’

‘No, it isn’t,’ I say in a level, steely voice.

Across from me, Toni looks anxious. ‘He’s called off your wedding. It’s surely costing you thousands. You really think you can forgive that?’

I swallow hard. ‘I have to accept that he’s a real person who has feelings I have to try to understand. That’s what a long-term relationship – a marriage – is all about. And at least he was honest. He needs more time – he needsthistime – to get his head around it all. It’s a lot. You know I was freaking out about the wedding, too. I had cold feet as well!’

Myfanwy looks annoyed. ‘You didn’t have cold feet about getting married, you had cold feet about the oversized event Celeste had foisted upon you.’

‘Well, exactly. I’m sure that’s how Daniel feels too.’

‘You haven’t heard from him?’ Toni gives me a sympathy head tilt and it makes me want to scream that I don’t need her pity. I’m fine. I’m fine because he’s coming back and it will all work out fine. They don’t get it and they won’t getit. But it doesn’t matter what they think or say becauseIget it. I know what Daniel and I have. I know that he’s not going to throw everything we have – five years together! – away. This isn’t over, no matter what anyone says. They just don’t understand yet, but they will. Give it a few weeks and everything will be back to normal. They’ll see.

Daniel and I will befine.

‘Look, can we just change the subject?’ I plead and Toni looks down in her lap, sadly. I know she’s just trying to help but all I want is to be left alone to get through thistemporarysituation. ‘Do either of you want any of that ice cream?’ I gesture over the counter at the sweaty gifts they brought.

‘Ohhhh,’ Myfanwy sighs. ‘Of course I do! I’d love some! I’d love some breakfast ice cream. Why do we only assign certain foods to the morning hours? Why am I not allowed pasta bake and ice cream at 8.50am?’ She sighs again. ‘But I have to be able to get into the next hideous air-hostess costume Celeste insists I wear.’

‘For the record, I thought you looked gorgeous in that costume,’ I comment and Toni nods enthusiastically.

‘Beautiful!’ she adds with enthusiasm, then her expression falters. ‘I can’t believe that was your hen do, Ginny, only a couple of weeks ago.’ I scowl as she shuffles closer. ‘Look, sorry, I know you don’t want to talk about it,’ she says in an urgent whisper. ‘But are you going to be OK, working in a jewellery store that specializes in engagement rings, when you’ve just been, y’know…’ she glances at Myfanwy anxiously ‘…jilted?’

Myfanwy looks thoughtful. ‘Maybe your work is something to do with that second prediction.’ Before I can stop her, she is listing the predictions again. ‘The first three are all losses, as we know. Firstly a heartbreak.’ She does an air tick with her finger. ‘You’ve had that—’

‘Not a heartbreak,’ I mutter but she ignores me.

‘Second in the losses is “An independence”.’ Myfanwy frowns, adding, ‘Whatever the hell that’s meant to mean. It could be your work, maybe?’ She looks to Toni. ‘You think?’

‘There’s not much independence at work with Celeste around,’ I interject moodily.

‘Hmm, that’s true,’ Toni confirms as Myfanwy moves onto the next prediction – the third and final loss. We don’t talk about this one very much because… well, because it’s too frightening. ‘And after you lose your independence, there’s going to be…’ She pales a little, glancing anxiously at Toni and me.

My sister finishes the third prediction for her in a whispered voice.

‘A death.’

CHAPTER SIX

It takes another twenty-four days for the reality to finally hit me. To hit me that Daniel has broken up with me. To hit me that I’m not getting married. To hit me that my partner has gone. For real. That he’s not coming back. That the life I had painted for myself in sweeping, technicolour, 4D high-def is never going to happen.

And unfortunately, it happens in the middle of an All Bar One on a Friday night.

I’m having cocktails with Myfanwy, Sonali and Toni. The first two are regaling us again with how much they secretly fancied each other all those years before they finally got together, while Toni frowns with bafflement that two people could like each other so much. I’ve never heard her speak with this kind of affection about Shawn.

As Myfanwy and Sonali get to the part we all know – because duh Toni and I were there – about when they first kissed at New Year’s Eve, two men in their thirties approach.

I automatically look down at my drink, wondering likeI always do, whether it’s worth eating the coffee beans decorating the top of my cocktail. I patiently await Myfanwy and Sonali’s dismissal, but when there is silence, I look up, realizing with some shock that the two men are focusing their pervy energy in my direction. It’s actuallymewho’s getting hit on. This never happens.

The man nearest to me clears his throat and repeats himself, ‘I said, “Can I get you another drink?”?’ He pauses, reviewing the cocktail before me. ‘What’s that, an expresso?’

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