Page 56 of Special Delivery
Another message buzzed:PS Got your number from Mary.
Poppy bit her cheek to stifle a reluctant smile.Mary!
‘Spam?’ asked Henry, as she put the phone facedown on the table.
‘No, a friend,’ said Poppy. ‘Need to save his number.’
‘His?’ asked Henry.
‘Yeah, this guy I know is obsessed withThe Blockand wants me to watch it with him.’
‘The Block, like the TV show?’
Poppy nodded. Was Henry prying?
‘Sounds like a very lame attempt at getting you to hang out with him, if you ask me.’
‘Oh, it’s not like that at all,’ Poppy said in a rush. ‘We’re hardly even friends; he’s just random like that. We spent Easter together and somehow we got talking aboutThe Blockand he said I should watch it. As I said, he’s a bit random.’
Henry’s brow creased. ‘So you’re not really friends, but you spent Easter together and now you’re pretty much making plans to Netflix and chill?’
‘Yes … and no,’ said Poppy, feeling her neck redden. ‘It’s just a dumb show. And he’s clearly not interested in me, so it’s nothing like that … if that’s what you’re thinking.’Jesus, how did this conversation end up here?!
‘Is he gay?’
‘No—well, I’m not sure, but I don’t think so. But then again, maybe. Why?’
‘Then how do you know he’s not interested?’
‘Well, he clearly isn’t,’ said Poppy. ‘I’m too, you know …’ She gestured at Maeve, who was watching the whole exchange, fascinated. ‘He wouldn’t be interested in me … in this. That would be ridiculous.’
Henry levelled his gaze at her with disconcerting force. ‘Poppy, you’re single and attractive, and believe me, men aren’t always good blokes—no matter how much crap reality TV they watch. Just be careful, okay?’
‘I’m not … you’re being …’ Poppy trailed off as the waitress arrived with their coffees.
Henry stood up and grabbed his takeaway cup. ‘I’m being a friend,’ he said. ‘You need to watch out for yourself, Pops.’
Poppy watched him weave his way to the door through the throng of white-jeaned women. Henry was being ridiculous.Jameswasa good guy. Like, sure, he could be dickishly robotic sometimes, and on first impression he’d appeared devoid of basic social skills, but she knew him better now. He wasn’t an arrogant, unfeeling prick. Underneath that coolly self-confident exterior, he was a guy who twirled his cousins around a campfire dancefloor just to make them laugh. Andbesides, even if he was an infuriating robot man at times, what did it matter? He had no interest in her beyond sharing his love of Scott Cam.
Andalso, thought Poppy frowning angrily into her mug, Henry had no right to be soannoyingabout who she hung out with. He was still in his engagement love bubble with Willa. Why should he care about who she was spending time with? He hadn’t shown much interest in the last ten years.
That’s because you didn’t let him, squeaked a voice in her head.
What did ‘be careful’ mean, anyway? Be careful of what? Men in general? Bad reality TV? Getting carried away, getting hurt? She wasn’t likely to fall in love, for god’s sake. There were certain babies who would get in the way of that, and it wasn’t as though anyone would be seeking her out for some torrid one-night-only-style bedroom action. Lord knows, the nursing bras would turn off even the keenest bloke. James was a single guy with great shoulders and great hair in a town of single women. If he wanted a steamy night in Orange, there were much younger, hotter prospects on the Royal Hotel dancefloor every Saturday night who came with much less baggage and much better grooming.
Everyone could settle down. James had no interest in her—he had made that clear enough at the dam when he’d prettymuch cricked his neck trying to get away from her after their dance. Henry had nothing to worry about and therefore she had no need tobe careful. Her nights were free to spend as she pleased (minus the breastfeeding, obviously).
She texted back:Sounds good. But can we do it at mine so I don’t have to organise a babysitter?
See? She had just invited a handsome guy over to her house with no pretext other than watching crappy TV. She would not overanalyse this invitation; it could be read as intended, and if it wasn’t, then, whatever. She was Zen; she was not overthinking this.
A text buzzed back instantly.
Sounds great. J x
Poppy shoved her phone in the nappy bag and stood up to go. It was great she wasn’t overthinking things or that ‘x’ could have really messed her up.
CHAPTER 26
