Page 50 of The Truth About You and Me
‘It’s not cute.’ I dip my head under the counter, looking for my spare battery pack. ‘It’s turned cold outside. I’m being practical.’
‘Readers!’ Nell turns, gathering the attention of the book club. ‘Jack’s on a date!’ I fire a furious look at Nell. ‘And he’s given her his jacket!’
‘Jesus Christ,’ I mutter under my breath as the book club members rush to the window, all trying to see Maggie.
The comments from the book clubbers fire quickly. ‘Oh, she’s pretty! Invite her in. What’s her name?’ Nell deftly answers and allows me to ignore the questions as I shoulder my bag, grab the flask and push my way through the throng, Nell following me to the door.
‘What are you doing?’ I ask.
‘You don’t think I’m going to miss meeting her, do you?’
‘Well. Yes. I’ve told you,’ I say pulling her aside. ‘She has a phobia.’
‘Right, right. Germs.’
‘I mean it, Nell. You. Can. Not. Touch. Her.’ The excitement behind Nell’s eyes dims.
‘Understood,’ she replies. Her mouth opens as if she wants to say something more. I open the door, but Nell follows me, the book club clutching around the doorway.
‘Go back inside,’ I say.
‘Not in a million years.’ Her eyes are challenging. ‘I’ll keep my distance,’ she says voice lifting in innocence. ‘I don’t hugeveryoneI meet.’
‘You do though.’
‘I’ll be on my best behaviour. No touching. I swear to Captain Birdseye.’ She salutes.
God help me.
23
MAGGIE
What amIdoing? I take a seat on the bench opposite the shop.
The bell rings above the door and I’m hit deep in my solar plexus at how beautiful he is, such a cliché. He’s looking along the street. The open door frames him in a lozenge of warm light, wind ruffling his hair. A smile stretches across his face as I turn my head.
Oh, who am I kidding? I was never going to walk away from him. I’ll tell him I can hear thoughts at the end of the night. Who knows? Maybe he won’t think I’m insane and leg it as far as he can from me.
The moment is broken as a woman steps by his side. Nell, I gather. I stand and cross the road. Jack moves slightly in front of her as though he’s ready to tackle her to the ground if he has to.
‘You must be Nell?’ I ask.
‘And you are the woman who has made this miserable pillock slightly more bearable.’
I pause before replying. ‘Miserable?’ I question, a touch defensively.
‘I should clarify that he’s only miserable around me. I’m sure around you he is a positively bouncing beam of rainbowy unicorn farts.’
I laugh. I like her.
‘Great,’ Jack interrupts. ‘So now you’ve both met, Nell, you can go back inside and?—’
A group of people are now on the kerb. Various ages, genders, all relaxed yet excited at the spectacle that is me.
Jack gestures to the group chatting under their breath. ‘Maggie, this is the Friday night book club gang, and they were goingback inside.’
They chatter in one stream of noise like a gaggle of geese flying overhead.
