Page 58 of Never Too Late
‘Thanks.’
‘I mean it in the nicest possible way.’
‘Of course.’
‘How’s your face?’
‘A little sore, but better than yesterday.’ Without the dulling aid of alcohol, my face was in a battle of wills with my head as to which hurt the most. Right now, my head was definitely winning.
‘At least it doesn’t look any worse.’
‘That’s something then.’ I finished the glass of water and pushed myself up from the sofa. ‘You know what, I think I will go back to bed and see if I can get a bit more sleep then perhaps we can go and have some lunch together if you’re free and you can tell me all about last night and what you’re working on next.’
‘That sounds great, Mum.’ The tetchiness between us had evaporated and I was glad of it.
‘Do you want to choose a café in the meantime? Maybe one on your list you want to try or near somewhere you want to film?’
‘Any preferences?’
‘Nope. Wherever you like.’
‘OK. I’ve got a few ideas. I’ll do a bit more research while you’re getting some rest.’
‘Perfect. I’ll see you in a bit.’ I headed back into the bedroom, pulled the heavy curtains across and climbed into bed, sinking into the soft mattress. I closed my eyes and Tomas’s handsome face drifted into view, the smile that had won me so many years ago still the same. Still as handsome. But I was different person now, I told myself. Romantic relationships with Tomas were a thing of the past. Hopefully, we could be friends now, for Gabby’s sake at least. So why had my stomach done that long-forgotten flutter every time he’d looked at me?
My head thumped and I shuffled over onto my side and snuggled down into the duvet. Within a few minutes, I was asleep.
23
Sasha had put a poll on her channels, asking her followers if there was anywhere they wanted her to visit on their behalf and had been flooded with suggestions, many of them linked to the Netflix seriesEmily in Paris. So, after I’d had a nap, a shower and brushed my hair, I was feeling a little more on the human side. Pulling one of my comfy secret pyjama dresses from the wardrobe, I slipped it on, did my best with some concealer and foundation to hide the worst of the bruising and went back out into the living room.
Sash looked up from her laptop. ‘You look better. How do you feel?’
‘More like a resident of this planet, which is something.’
‘Good start.’
‘Did you find somewhere you wanted to go?’
‘Yes. It’s one of the places fromEmily in Paristhat got a lot of votes. Is that OK with you?’
‘Absolutely. So long as it has strong coffee and good food, I’ll be happy.’
‘I’m pretty sure that’s a given here.’
I scrunched my nose. ‘There’s definitely a few places aimed specifically at tourists which don’t always have the best cuisine but I reckon we can avoid them.’
‘I’d love to go to some of the places you used to go to.’
‘As would I. And now I’m back in touch with Gabby, she’ll probably remember some that I don’t, as well as being able to tell us whether they’re still there or not.’
‘That’s true.’ There was hesitancy in her voice.
‘I can’t wait for you to meet her,’ I added. ‘Obviously, she already loves you from how I was gushing about you last night and I’m sure you’ll love her too. Most people do!’
‘Including Ashok by the sounds.’
‘That’s probably a bit strong but he did seem keen. As did she.’
