Page 47 of Love at First Sight

‘Heya babes,’ Ali says, and it sounds like she’s in hair and make-up because there’s a blow-dryer in the background and she interrupts herself to say, ‘Can you start on my left side? I won’t be long.’

‘How’s … everything?’ I say, in about as general a manner as is possible.

‘Good, good,’ she says, and she doesn’t sound mad. My guilty conscious is real, though. Even though nothing happened! Apart from me wishing it had! ‘Listen, just a quick one. It’s about this weekend.’

‘Henry is so excited,’ I say. ‘He woke up missing you last night. He was fine, but if I was his mum I’d want to know that.’

‘Awww,’ she says. ‘Little love. You look after him so well for me. Which is why I’m calling, really. I know the idea was that you bring him down this weekend and Henry and I spend the time mostly together, but on the Saturday night I was wondering if you could take him so I can propose to Cal …’

I gulp. ‘What?’ I say. ‘You’re going to propose?’

‘I know,’ she says. ‘I know it’s fast. But fuckingThom! I just heard he’s going ahead with the wedding in six weeks. He rang to ask about Henry’s measurements for a best-man suit, if you can stomach that.’ She makes a gagging noise. ‘Anyway. If I get engaged this weekend we can do a cute registry-office thing when I’m back, get the headlines first, and everything will be settled and sorted. Maybe Calcan come over tomorrow and spend more time with Henry before it happens? I think that would be good. I’ll text him.’

‘Okay,’ I say, because it’s all Icansay. Ali is going to propose? I mean. Well. ‘It’s very fast, Ali …’ I try to keep some joviality to my voice so that a) she doesn’t get cross that I dare have an opinion and b) doesn’t hear my underlying sadness and disappointment.

‘When you know, you know, right?’ she says. ‘Listen, I’ve got to go. It’s hectic here, like it always is! But that’s cool then, for Saturday night. Gosh, there was something else, too, what was it …’

She clicks her fingers and I try not to cry. Cal isn’t mine. I have zero right to feel this way at all.

‘That’s it!’ she says. ‘Could you bring me the two white cotton dresses that should have come back from the cleaners? I think they’re on the back of the closet door. I want to look virginal – you know, bridal – when it happens. The mags are going tolovethat it’s a female-led proposal. Ooooooh! I’m so excited! Okay, I really am going now. I’ll send Henry a video later today! Bye!’

‘Mate,’ India says, when I fill her in on everything after the gym. I went hard today, bench-pressing a personal best of fifty-eight kilos, and I swear I could have done more. ‘You cannot get involved in this. I know you say they’re family but …’

I hold up a hand. ‘They are. And after last night with my dad, they’re the only family I’ve got. So that’s it. I’ve had my little mope about Cal, and now we move on. Anddon’t tell me you think I should look for another job,’ I say. ‘I love Henry with all my heart and that is non-negotiable. Especially with starting Stray Kids.’

India purses her lips like it’s a personal affront I’d dare suggest she can’t set boundaries on my behalf. ‘Fine,’ she says. ‘You and Henry can live happily ever after with Ali and her new husband you have a crush on.’

‘Crushes pass!’ I insist. ‘It just takes willpower and focus!’

India raises an eyebrow. ‘Yes,’ she says. ‘Willing yourself to get over a great guy so often works.’ I push her into the wall and tell her to piss off.

‘Anyway,’ India says. ‘Getting engaged after ten minutes to beat your ex-husband down the aisle? That’s insane. And if Cal says yes he’s as bonkers as her and they deserve each other, and you had a close shave. Honestly, man. Famous people. They’re nutjobs.’

‘I’m feeling like a bit of a nutjob myself,’ I reply.

After a Happy Café English fry-up as the yin to the gym’s yang, India and I pass the butcher’s, mostly because India has insisted we go by so she can get an eyeful of Leo and maybe encourage me to ask him out again. He’s been off my radar for a minute, what with Cal being very much back on it. Thing is, as cute as Leo is, I’m one of many choices he has, and I’m sick of always being second choice. Case in point: it’s been almost a week since we last spoke. Who goes a week without getting in touch if they’re genuinely interested? I’m not Leo’s top choice any more than I’m Cal’s, and that’s all there is to it.

Sure enough though, the lad is there, and as he looks at us through the window, pencil in his mouth and notebook in his hand, India says to me, ‘Jesus on a bike, Jessie. He’s … gorgeous.’

‘Hello,’ Leo says, as we enter, taking the pencil out of his mouth. He says it to India first, like he knows the way to a woman’s heart is through her friends, but then zones in on me. In spite of myself I grin back, finding that I simply can’t not. It’s Leo. He has that effect on everyone, no matter if he’s been texting or not.

‘India,’ India announces. ‘The best friend.’ She gestures in my direction.

‘Leo,’ he replies.

‘It’s nice to meet you,’ she says. ‘I hear you were the hero of the hour at the engagement party?’

Leo shrugs. ‘I fear I got your best friend drunk. I believe the shots were my idea.’

‘Oh, she’s strong-willed, this one. Doesn’t do anything she’s not a hundred per cent sure about.’

Leo arches an eyebrow at me. ‘Good to know,’ he says, and I bite at the inside of my cheek.

‘Has she told you about Stray Kids?’ India asks. ‘It’s her new business, launching in a few weeks.’ She pulls something up on her phone and hands it to him. ‘Here,’ she says. ‘Cool, huh? We’re recruiting locals to help. You up for it?’

I feel my cheeks flush. I had no idea India was going to say this. Leo narrows his eyes as he takes the phone and scrolls.

‘This is awesome,’ he concludes when he’s done. I intercept the phone, because I’m not sure what exactly India has shown him. I look down to see my face with a blurb about Stray Kids, and a link to a newsletter sign-up for more information, coming soon.

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