Page 38 of When We Were Friends
‘Must have been scary,’ said Paige.
Tiff swallowed. ‘I’ve never told a soul before. Anyone but you guys would call me an idiot and say I got what I deserved. It’s like we’ve flashed back to the 2000s for a second.’
Morgan glowed inside.
‘How about you, Morgan?’ asked Paige.
‘What? Oh…’ She sipped her coffee. ‘I developed a frozen shoulder once, that was extremely painful. The man I was seeing, Den, got me through it, doing a lot of the housework, giving me massages after a day on the till. Apart from that, I can only remember the times Olly has been poorly. He caught chicken pox at nursery and broke his arm at primary school, falling off a climbing frame. That’s another reason he wants to find his father. Little things over the years, like his bad hay fever and double-jointed thumb… he’s wanted to know if he’s inherited certain conditions.’
Tiff’s agent rang. She cut off the call and put away her phone.
‘Could that have been a certain Joe?’ asked Emily and playfully pushed Tiff’s shoulder. ‘You ignored a couple of calls last night.’
‘That was my agent,’ she said, ears turning red. ‘Honestly, Joe is a friend, that’s all. He’s a drama teacher so we’ve got lots in common. He came over for takeout the other week as his oven wasn’t working.’ Dimples appeared. ‘He almost left when he saw the tin of pineapple. Joe is a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to pizza.’
‘That always was your favourite,’ said Paige. ‘Are you sure his oven was broken?’
‘Yes, there’s no case to solve here,’ she said sharply and bit into a croissant.
Paige and Emily exchanged glances.
‘Look, sorry,’ said Tiff. ‘I do actually sometimes feel a spark between me and Joe but I don’t want to get involved.’
‘Why not?’ asked Morgan. For the first time, she stopped looking at her phone. ‘You date other guys. See him casually, have a bit of fun.’
‘I’d be worried it wouldn’t stop there.’
‘Isn’t that a risk with all the men you see?’ said Emily.
‘No. The two I’m seeing at the moment, Carter and Marlon, both travel with work. I date who is nearest when I’m free. They understand the arrangement, that I want to keep things simple.’
‘Do they know about each other?’ asked Paige. ‘Dating more than one guy sounds anything but straightforward.’
‘No, but they wouldn’t care.’
‘How can you be so sure?’ asked Morgan.
Tiff exhaled. ‘You’re all as bad as my parents, especially Mum. It’s not enough that I’ve got the career she always wanted for me. Now she drops hints about a wedding and grandchildren.’
‘Perhaps she just wants you to be happy, like she is with your dad?’ said Paige. ‘To have a companion, someone to lean on.’
‘I totally understand where Tiff’s coming from,’ said Morgan. ‘My mum still hasn’t recovered from the fact I turned down Den’s proposal.’
‘A wedding isnevergoing to happen,’ said Tiff.
‘Why?’ pushed Emily.
She sighed. ‘Jeez, one reason I love my job is that it’s so much easier talking if the words are already learnt. Okay. You asked for it… after what happened with Hugo, after what happened withyou four… the trust went and has never found its way back. That summer, I couldn’t eat, I was so unhappy, felt so worthless, I lost two stone. In fact, Mum worried I was anorexic.’ She gave a wry smile. ‘I thought she’d be happy. The casting director at my drama club certainly was. Then I got into drama school on the back of talent, but also a low BMI and cheekbones.’
‘I’m sorry,’ said Emily.
Morgan and Paige nodded.
‘Have you got any photos of Carter and Marlon?’ asked Morgan, a glint of mischief in her eye. ‘Those names sound… glamorous.’
Perspiration appeared on Tiff’s forehead as if she’d been cast in an action movie and asked to do her own stunts. ‘They may be fake names. Who cares?’
Confusion spread across the others’ faces.
