Page 105 of The Truth About You and Me
She taps her bottom lip thoughtfully. ‘Do I get to have multicoloured Post-its?’
I shrug. ‘It’s up to you, you’ll be in charge.’
‘Can I do my speed date with a book night?’
‘Again. It’s up to you.’
She lifts her chin and puts out her hand. ‘Then I accept.’ She shakes my hand then laughs. ‘Oh come here you great baboon!’
‘Baboo—?’ But my question is lost as she’s pulled me into a hug and I’ve currently got a mouthful of her hair.
‘Right. What time is it?’
‘Almost five.’
I grab my coat. ‘I’ll be off then, things to do, places to go, people to see…’
‘Um, Jack? On the subject of people to see…’
‘Hmmm?’
‘I saw Maggie. Last week. At Flicks.’
The mention of her name is like a gut punch. My fingers stumble over the buttons of my jacket.
Nell scratches the top of her head. ‘She looks good. Although her date was a bit weird.’
My stomach hits the floor.
‘Date?’
‘Yeah, short bloke, red in the face… manic smile?’ She shakes her head. ‘The vacuum, you dummy, but you should see your face.’
‘Very funny. How did she…’
‘She’s fine.’
‘Good. That’s good.’
‘Good?’
‘What do you want me to say, Nell? She ended it, and…’
‘Look, all I’m saying is she, well… she’s still single and so are you and… It’s just that you’re doing so much better and maybe it was simply about timing, you know?’
‘You mean if I didn’t have my head up my arse when I was with her?’
‘I wouldn’t put it quite like that but?—’
‘Yes, you would.’
‘You’re right. Yes, I would.’
‘I can’t, Nell. She made it clear that she doesn’t want to see me.’
‘I know. And usually I would be one hundred per cent in the girl’s corner and not encourage you in any way to, you know, go against a woman’s clear wishes, but I am also a woman who dates women…’
‘So what are you saying? I should rock up to the cinema with a bunch of roses and beg her to go out with me?’
