Page 74 of The Friend Zone Experiment

Renee smiled. “Thanks, but I’ve got plans for the evening.”

Su Khoon raised his eyebrows. “If you’re managing to squeeze in dates even now, I take my hat off to you.”

“No,” said Renee. “I’m going to go for a walk on Oxford Street, look in the shops, and choose one really nice thing to buy for myself.”

She couldn’t have said anything better calculated to endear her to Su Khoon, short ofI’m withdrawing from the Chahaya leadership race and will help you sabotage Da Ge.It was exactly what he expected of a woman.

“Spending the money before you earn it, huh?” he said tolerantly. “Don’t break the bank.”

“I’m making no promises,” said Renee. “See you tomorrow morning.”

She took a bus instead of a cab. She wasn’t in a hurry.

Su Khoon’s joke had made her thoughtful. She was struck by his convenient amnesia about his bad behaviour. It was something she’d seen in both her brothers before, but it never failed to astound her. Of the two of them, Su Khoon was much likelier to be having a date tonight—if booty calls counted.

Shewas staying off men, at least as romantic prospects. But friends were a different matter. After all, men formed half the world’s population. It would be unreasonable of her to decide friendship with any man was out of the question.

And it would be nice to hang out with a friend this evening. She wasn’t nervous about the next day—presentations played to her strengths—but she was keyed up, vibrating with energy, with nowhere to put it. A good gossip over a good dinner was just what she needed.

She took out her phone and texted Ket Siong.

Hey, what are you up to? Free for dinner tonight? I know it’s super last minute but feel like going out on the town x

Thexslipped into the message by accident. Renee textedxs to all kinds of people. It was one of the British social conventions she was trying to master, like asking people how they were without expecting a real answer, and paying for rounds at the pub.

But Ket Siong was not British, and had made no concession to the pressure to assimilate, so far as she could see.

Before she could get properly launched on tormenting herself over thatx,however, Ket Siong replied.

What time? Just finished a class in Soho, so I could come meet you.

Renee’s heart rate kicked up a notch. Her original plan had been to get off around Bond Street and walk past the designer shops there, peeking in at the windows, before proceeding to Liberty. But she didn’t want to keep Ket Siong hanging around.

I’m heading in that direction right now. Going to stop by Liberty. Where do you want to eat? I can meet you at whatever restaurant?

Ket Siong didn’t message again, but he would at some point.

Renee got off the bus when it was approaching Regent Street. She walked up along its grand arc, untroubled for once by the tourists and shoppers clogging the broad pavements. She felt young, free, and unburdened, with an evening full of possibility ahead of her.

She’d buy a Diptyque candle. That would be a real treat. Renee didn’t mind splashing out on dresses or shoes or makeup, but she generally drew the line at candles: “You’re literally burning your money.”

“You are paying for the scent,” Nathalie argued. “And the flex.”

Renee would indulge in the flex on this one occasion, and then… she wondered what restaurant Ket Siong would suggest. There was a branch of the ramen chain she liked round the corner from Liberty. She used to patronise the very first outlet when they had opened years ago near Tottenham Court Road, dragging Ket Siong there to wait in the queues.

For the first time, with a pricking of her conscience, it occurred to Renee to wonder if Ket Siong had been able to afford all those restaurants she’d taken him to. He’d never said anything, but his family wasn’t that well-off. Presumably that was why he’d had to end his studies at the Royal Academy of Music prematurely.

She had tried to pay for him sometimes, back in the day, but he hadn’t liked it. He never got shitty about it—just shook his head, with that affectionate half smile. That was what she’d liked about Ket Siong. No matter what she did—sobbed at him for an hour about her family; hassled him about his janky old shoes—he’d never seemed to mind. She didn’t have to be on all the time with him, or dress a certain way, or pretend to be anything or anyone but herself.

She was glad they were able to be friends now. That was what really mattered, after all. Look at Nathalie. Their friendship had outlasted all of Renee’s romantic liaisons to date, and it was certainly healthier than her relationship with her family.

Don’t usemeto justify this thing with Ket,said an inner voice that sounded remarkably like Nathalie.I told you I do not approve. Have sex with him, or block him. Don’t do this weird in-between thing where you’re secretly in love with him but you’re pretending it is nothing.

“I amnotin love with him,” muttered Renee rebelliously. She glanced down at her phone to check how much time she had before Liberty closed, and heard someone call her name.

She knew who it was before she turned. Her heart sped up, warmth flooding the back of her neck.

“Hey,” she said.

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