Page 65 of Just Like That

I watch Hayley’s face brighten along with several others in the room and I feel the need to dampen down the expectations a bit. I don’t want everyone’s hopes getting sky high and then plummeting in an earth-shattering way if we don’t pull this off. Even if we do get the turnout, our fundraising goal – a.k.a. the sum we need to stay open beyond the next five weeks or so – is pretty huge. It really is a gamble whether we’ll make it.

‘OK, everyone, I’m sorry to be the misery guts here, but I want you to stay realistic.’ I flatten my palms on the table and look round its occupants. ‘It might work out or it might not. Let’s just focus on putting everything into tomorrow, yeah? We’ve got huge numbers showing interest in the event online, which is brilliant, but we need those people to actually turn up and pay entry. And we need to make a lot more money through our activities, food sales and by boosting the animal sponsorship scheme. So, make sure you come with your A-game tomorrow and be ready to sell your hearts out.’

‘Yeah! Wooooo!’ hoots Amelia from the TV screen, so close up that we get a view of her tonsils. ‘Wish I could be there. Go and smash it.’

‘We will.’ I laugh, as Amelia gets up from her seat and does a premature victory dance, much to the amusement of the project team – especially as all we can see now are her boobs jiggling around while she does it.

Stealing a glance at Nick, to see what he thinks of my bonkers best friend, he simply shakes his head with bewilderment. But I’ll take that. He obviously doesn’t find her offensive like some (boring and unimaginative) people do.

Suddenly aware that it must be getting late, I look at my watch and see it’s gone eight p.m.

‘OK, everyone. Let’s call it a night. You need some proper sleep before this thing, so shall we meet at eight a.m. tomorrow?’

There are a couple of groans round the table.

‘I know, I know. It’s early for a Saturday. But this is it. One last push.’

‘You can have a lie-in tomorrow, or a lie-in every day when we close for good.’ Nick aims some pointed looks around the table and the groaners quickly buck up their attitudes.

‘That was a bit harsh… but true, I guess,’ I say to him once Lauren and the rest of the project team have filed out of the office.

‘They needed to hear it.’ He makes no apology for his words, then wanders around the table and takes me by the waist, kissing me tenderly.

Closing my eyes, I let the loveliness of the moment wash over me, feeling lighter all of a sudden. However, this lightness is quickly replaced by the desire I’ve been struggling to resist since Nick and I got together, and we start to get a bit carried away.

‘Um… I’m still here, you two,’ Amelia’s voice unexpectedly interrupts us and we pull apart, colouring with embarrassment.

‘Shit, sorry, Meels.’ I make my way over to the screen. ‘I totally forgot we were catching up after the meeting.’

‘That’s OK, sugar mouse.’ Her lips curl up angelically. ‘I mean I’m game for a threesome, especially with this sexy big cat –raaar, by the way, Nick – but I feel I’ll be at a disadvantage here.’

‘Amelia,’ I scold her and pirouette round to see Nick’s reaction.

‘Ahem… maybe I should head on.’ He quickly heads for the door.

‘OK, but wait for me before you leave for the night?’ I call after him. ‘I’ll only be a few minutes.’

Giving me an awkward over the shoulder thumbs-up, he then disappears out the office so fast you’d think his arse was on fire. I turn back to Amelia.

‘Really?’ I cock my head to the side in judgement. ‘You couldn’t have waited a little bit longer before introducing him to that side of you?’

‘Girl, chill.’ She giggles away to herself silently, making me think for a moment that we’ve lost sound. ‘He’s going to have to get used to me at some point, isn’t he?’

I realise this is not a rhetorical question.

‘I hope so.’ I rub my forehead exhaustedly. ‘It’s still early days. We haven’t even… you know.’

‘What, why? You’ve been staying at a hotel for three weeks. It’s pretty much the law that you have to “do it” in a hotel room.’

‘It’s a studio apartment, not a hotel room.’

‘That’s irrelevant. Is it you or him that’s dodging the deed, because that could mean—’

‘It’s nothing that needs to be analysed,’ I interrupt her runaway train diatribe. ‘We’ve barely had time to sleep or eat in the last three weeks, never mind get down and dirty.’

‘That sounds like complete tree bark.’ Amelia’s face turns suspicious. ‘What are you not telling me, Jess?’

‘Nothing… seriously… let’s just leave it and chat through these final couple of points about tomorrow.’

---