Page 51 of Wish You Were Here
‘I agree,’ says Jemma. ‘Maybe dinner? I know a great little Indian in Brixton.’
‘Sounds perfect!’ says Abigail, and then before I know it, I am going on a double date with Simon, Abigail and Jemma. We are a foursome. A couple of couples. After about thirty minutes, Abigail leaves because she needs to go back to her own flat because it has been days and her plants need watering, and Jemma wanders off to take a shower.
‘How’s it going?’ says Simon. ‘With you and Jemma?’
‘It’s going well, I think.’
‘You think? You don’t sound so sure, mate.’
‘No, I am. Jemma is brilliant. It’s just … I haven’t told her about Saskia yet.’
‘Oh, right. Why?’
‘I don’t know. That’s the thing. It isn’t even that big of a deal, right?’
‘Right.’
‘But for some reason, every time I try to tell her about it, I don’t, and now it’s become this secret I’m keeping from her, and the longer I go without telling her, the weirder it becomes.’
‘That’s quite the pickle you’ve got yourself into there, mate. Can I offer you some friendly flatmate advice?’ I nod. ‘Just tell her. Jemma is great, you’ve only just got together, and like you said, it’s not even that big of a deal. I’m sure she’ll be fine with it.’
‘You’re right. Thanks, mate.’
‘No problem. Oh, before I forget, I’m having a viewing party at the flat for the release of my next video.’
‘A viewing party?’
‘It’s the first in a new series, so I thought it would be fun to have a little party to celebrate.’
‘We’ll be there. I have been meaning to ask about you and Abs. How’s it going?’
I look at Simon, and he smiles at me.
‘It’s great, really great.’
‘Is it …?’
‘Is it what, Ben?’
‘You know, the Big L?’ I ask, and I’m not sure what I’m expecting because I’m sort of half-joking, half-serious, but Simon takes a moment before he looks at me and says with a completely straight face, so I know he isn’t messing about.
‘You know, I think it might be.’
‘Wow.’
‘I know,’ says Simon, before he stands up. ‘Right, I have to go.’
‘Where?’
‘Yoga.’
‘You do yoga? I didn’t know you did yoga.’
‘There’s a lot about me you don’t know,’ says Simon with a mischievous smile.
‘Like?’ I say before he leaves the room. He stops, looks at me and then says.
‘When I was sixteen, I had my own radio show.’
