Page 6 of The Riviera House Swap

‘Yep, you’d definitely have to go through the baby bit too.’

‘Very funny.’ Nina said, smiling and shaking her head.

‘Then you were saying how you might as well book into an old people’s home now,’ said Bess, ‘because surely if the next forty years were the same as the previous, there really wasn’t anything to stick around for.’

Nina nodded. ‘Yes. Yes. Well,’ she said. ‘That’s theotherother thing. What makes me think that I’m going to get anything right in the next forty years, I?—’

She was interrupted by a tap on her shoulder. She tutted loudly – what was it now?

‘Do you mind?’ she said, with the haughty pride that comes with several red wines and two hours of ranting. ‘I was just in the middle of something.’

‘Nina!’ Bess warned.

Turning, she was faced with a young man dressed in a black shirt. In his hands, he carried a cake, pink and formed into the number ‘40’. Red faced, he put it down on the table between them and lit the candles (there were only ten, Nina noticed) with a lighter. Then two other bar staff came and stood by his side. None of them smiled.

‘I…’ began Nina, as Bess looked at her with a smile-grimace combination.

‘Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to youuuuu. Happy birthday to youuuuuu! Happy birthday to you!’ the staff sung dutifully, with Bess and Sal joining in rather more quietly. Then, they disappeared without a glance, leaving the rather soggy-looking cake melting slightly on the table.

‘Oh,’ said Nina.

‘Sorry,’ Bess said. ‘It seemed like a good idea at the time.’

‘No. Oh don’t apologise!’ Nina said. ‘It’s a lovely thing. I’ve ruined it with my… well, you know.’

‘It’s not ruined! It still looks delicious!’ Sal said, with a fixed grin.

‘Yummy!’ Bess said.

‘No,’ Nina said, sadly. ‘I’ve ruined it. Like I ruin everything.’

‘Still, you should probably blow the candles out,’ Sal said, nodding towards the practical inferno between them on the table.

‘Make a wish!’ Bess said brightly as Nina obliged, puffing out the candles in three goes.

They sat for a moment, all contemplating the slightly smoking, icing-covered lump in front of them, before Nina looked up, her eyes swimming with tears.

She had transitioned to the next stage of drunkenness. Tearful sentimentality.

‘I’m lucky to have you,’ she said. ‘I suppose,’ she wiped her eye, ‘at least I’ve got the friendship bit right.’

‘That’s the spirit,’ said Bess, pulling part of the4off the cake and popping it into her mouth.

They were silent for a minute.

‘Another wine?’ Sal asked, brightly, brandishing the bottle they’d bought to share.

‘Oh God, why not,’ said Nina. ‘I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?’ Then, paused, thinking about the evening so far. Even in her drunken state, she could see that alcohol hadn’t exactly helped her to have a happy night. ‘Maybe not, actually,’ she said, covering the glass with her hand, too late for Sal to react. Sal tipped the bottle to pour a generous glass and the wine flowed freely over Nina’s hand, across the slightly sticky surface of the wooden table and wetly onto the floor, covering Nina’s shoes. Her new shoes.

‘Oh, Nina. I’m sorry!’

‘It’s my fault,’ Nina said, looking at the shoes mournfully. ‘It’s just, I changed my mind about the wine. I suddenly thoughtmaybe I should live life more – what do they say? – mindfully. Cautiously. I gave it all up for love. I took a risk and married Rory. And look where it got me.’ She shook her head darkly as she cleaned up the wine with her sleeve. ‘No. New me. New resolution. I’m not taking any chances. From now on, everything I do will be carefully planned and executed. No more giving into fate. No more throwing caution to the wind. And no… well,lesswine.’

Bess and Sal looked at one another.

‘What?’ Nina said.

‘Well,’ Bess said, nodding slightly at Sal, ‘it’s just… you’re not exactly a risk-taker, Nina.’

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