Page 100 of The Happy Hour
‘Ash did more than me.’ Jess may have led him there, but it had been his patience, his understanding of how to approach the situation that had encouraged Felicity to face her hoarding. ‘But I’m so happy that she’s confident enough to buy the mirror, and that she came up with this house sale idea, and that she’s... you know, made friends with Spade.’
Wendy smiled. ‘The most unlikely couple, and yet, somehow, perfect for each other.’
‘I agree.’
‘Also, Enzo’s doing so much better now. His stall’s flourishing, so he’s sorted until Carolina feels up to working again. The Market Misfits are a hit, and Lola’s raised her profile exponentially, which means all your projects are done, just as you’re in need of distractions.’
‘I don’t need anything.’
‘I beg to differ,’ Wendy said gently. ‘Ash doesn’t strike me as the kind of person you get over easily.’
Jess’s laugh was hollow. ‘Thanks for that.’
‘No point in sugar-coating things, is there?’
‘No,’ Jess admitted. ‘There isn’t.’
‘The best movement is forward movement,’ Wendy went on. ‘I know it’s only a small thing, but if you help me redesign the shop for autumn, then at least you’ll be focused on that. It may not have worked out with Ash, but you have a whole lorry-load of people who care about you. Don’t forget that, Jess.’
‘Of course not,’ Jess said quietly, and she knew her boss was right. It was better to focus on the positives, the things shecoulddo, instead of the ones she had no control over.
‘Sometimes, life is too sucky for words,’ Lola said. ‘I’m so fucking sorry, Jess. He’s an idiot.’
‘An idiot in hot guy’s clothing,’ Malik added, carrying three cups of tea into the living room. ‘He sure pretended well, didn’t he?’
‘Did you even meet him?’ Jess asked. ‘Thank you for the tea.’
‘Nope,’ Malik said. ‘But Lola’s told me all about him. What a fakey McFakemeister.’ He pushed his glasses up his nose. ‘You don’t need him, Jess.’
‘Thanks, Malik.’
‘And, if you want to take your mind off it, I have three thousand steps left to do. We could jiggle in front of Sunday night’sAntique’s Roadshow? Or a Bryan Adams playlist?’
‘How could anyone resist such an invite?’ Lola widened her eyes comically.
‘You want to me to go mess about in my office?’ Malik pointed at the closed door.
‘That would be amazing.’
He kissed Lola on the lips, then sauntered off whistling ‘Heaven’, leaving Jess and Lola alone.
‘However you want to deal with it,’ Lola said. ‘I’m here, OK? I get the feeling Ash is going to be a mountain to get over, not a molehill.’
‘I’ll be fine,’ Jess said quietly. Why did people keep pointing that out? She was right in the middle of finding out how hard he was to forget.
Lola wafted a cushion at her, but didn’t hit her because she was holding a full mug. ‘I know you’re acting like you didn’t really care, but I know you did.’
Jess stared at the milky surface of her tea, then squeezed her eyes closed. ‘I did care,’ she admitted. ‘I still do. But everything he said was true. It’s for the best.’
‘Whosebest, though?’
‘Best for both of us.’ Except that, the more time that had passed since their discussion on the bench, the less it made sense. They both understood what they’d done to cause the fractures in their relationship, so didn’t that mean they could have a go at fixing them?
‘I don’t get it,’ Lola said.
‘Can you help me with something else?’ Jess asked, because she didn’t want to go round in circles.
‘Anything.’
