Page 67 of Strictly Friends
‘She’s right, and you couldn’t,’ Fi said firmly.
Fi’s flesh-coloured bandage dress clung tightly to her tiny, curvaceous frame and if the two rounds of drinks already sent to their table in the wine bar was anything to go by, the pricey outfit was well on the way to paying for itself.
Ruby tore her gaze away from Fi’s cleavage and the wardrobe malfunction just waiting to happen and picked up her third cocktail.
‘I’m only telling you what Auntie Pearl said because I’m over the whole Griffin thing,’ she said, after taking a long sip and carefully setting the glass down. She hiccupped gently, slightly regretting knocking back the strong drinks after only a salad lunch several hours ago.
‘You might be, but the rest of us aren’t. Your relationship lasted longer than both my marriages combined.’
‘Well, he’s moved on and it’s all water under the bridge now.’
Even to her own ears her speech sounded slurred, and Fi pointed to Ruby’s glass with a wicked grin. ‘I’d go easy on that Sex on the Beach if I were you. Whoops, sorry, is it too soon?’ she cackled.
Ruby flushed. ‘Fi!Ididn’thave—’ She broke off with a sigh of relief as Priya returned from her trip to the ladies. ‘Thank God you’re back. Fi’s doing my head in.’
Fi was still creased up laughing and Priya sat down and looked from her to Ruby uncertainly.
‘What’s going on?’
‘Ignore her,’ Ruby snapped. ‘It’s probably her dress cutting off the oxygen supply to her brain.’
Fi wiped her eyes with the paper napkin under her glass and shook her head, still chuckling. ‘Sorry, Priya, love, I just cracked myself up over something I said about Griffin.’
Priya’s brow cleared. ‘Oh!Are we allowed to talk about him now?’
‘Yes!’ said Fi.
‘No!’ Ruby growled.
Clearly preferring Fi’s response, Priya clapped her hands together. ‘Oh good, because I still can’t get over how awesome that launch was. You missed an incredible evening, Rubes! There was loads of champagne and this lovely man with long dreadlocks – he was a musician who’d worked with trauma kids in war-torn countries, isn’t that right, Fi? – gave this amazing speech.’
‘And he wasn’t bad-looking either,’ added Fi.
‘Are you okay there, Rubes?’ Priya asked sympathetically. ‘You look awful.’
Ruby nodded, too tipsy to take offence, especially when her brain felt anaesthetised after a sleepless night replaying Auntie Pearl’s warning on an endless loop.
‘There’s only one person I know who can put that look on your face, so why don’t you just face the truth?’ Fi sighed.
Ruby felt her cheeks burn. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘I think she means Griffin,’ Priya said helpfully.
‘She knows exactly who I mean, love.’ Fi shook her head resignedly and took a sip of her drink.
‘What are you going to do about Griffin, Rubes?’ Priya asked gently. ‘When Fi and I walked into the launch event, I saw his face. It was so obvious he was hoping you’d come with us, because he looked totally crushed.’
‘There’s nothingtodo,’ Ruby replied, sounding wretched. ‘Griffin’s moved on and so have I, so there’s nothing more to say.’
She sat in boot-faced silence cradling her drink and after a few moments Fi put down her glass and said decisively, ‘Okay, we’ll stop talking about you-know-who.’
‘Good.’
‘On one condition...’
Ruby looked suspicious. ‘What?’
‘If you’ve really moved on, prove it by going on a date with Barry.’
