Page 81 of Special Delivery
James seemed startled. ‘Poppy, I didn’t mean to upset you.’
Poppy’s veins hardened with resolution. ‘What are we even doing?’ She waved her hand between them. ‘What is this?’
‘We’re …’ James seemed lost for words. ‘We’re whatever you want to be. We’re friends?’
‘James,’ she hissed. ‘I almost had sex with you in a stable. I donotdo that with my friends.’
‘Stay.’ He grabbed her hand, his long fingers wrapping around hers.
Her skin buzzed where he touched her but Poppy knew she couldn’t do what he asked. There were some things you could gloss over and laugh off, but someone telling you that you werenothing? That was too much.
She wrenched her hand away. ‘I can’t do this, James. If calling me your friend with benefits means you get to enjoy commitment-free sex for a few months before you leave without a trace, then count me out. I’m not going to hook up with you to fill a void before you skip off to Melbourne and I never see you again. I’m not a space filler and I don’t want to be that kind of friend.’
‘Poppy, that’s not how I think of you. I literally just found out about Melbourne thirty seconds ago. And I applied ages ago,long before anything happened between us. I have no idea what’s going on; I still need to process everything. But I thought you’d be happy for me?’
‘I am happy for you,’ Poppy lied through gritted teeth. ‘But I can’t do this. I’m going home.’
James stood up. ‘No, this is your night out. I’ll go home.’
‘No, you should celebrate, James. I’ll go home.’
‘This is stupid. We should both stay.’ He put his hand on her shoulder and Poppy felt the weight of his gaze on her. His hand slid down to hold hers. ‘Stay with me, Poppy.’
Poppy couldn’t pull her eyes away and she knew that was where the danger lay. He could turn her brain to mush. She needed to be strong. She shook her head.
‘Then I’m going home.’ James put his near-full beer on the table. ‘You stay and have fun with Dani. I hope you have a great night, Poppy. Cut a rug for me.’
Poppy jerked out of her trance like cold water had been poured over her. ‘Fine,’ she muttered. ‘Perfect.’
James turned and weaved through the crowd towards the door, the strobe lights of the dancefloor flickering over his shoulders. Poppy waited for it, but he didn’t look back.
Shell-shocked and on the verge of tears, she turned to the heaving dancefloor. Dani and April were in the centre, sweaty and breathless. Poppy downed her drink and marched towards them.
Dani squealed when she saw her. ‘Hooray! You’ve come to your senses! Here, we saved you a space.’ She pulled Poppy towards her. ‘Where’s James?’ she yelled over the Black Eyed Peas.
‘Gone home,’ Poppy yelled back.
‘Boring!’ yelled Dani. ‘You okay? Need a drink?’
‘Drink!’
‘Let’s go then!’
The three women snaked their way to the bar.
‘We’re doing shots,’ announced Dani, flagging down the barman.
Poppy grimaced but April laughed. ‘When in Rome!’ she said, clapping Poppy on the back. Poppy wondered briefly if it had been a mistake—from a liver-health perspective—to introduce these two.
With the acidic taste of tequila, salt and lemon curdling in her mouth, Poppy let herself be led back to the steaming dancefloor. Dani and April were women on a mission, unfazed by the lack of space and oxygen. They wedged themselves in the centre of the action, carving a gap with their arm-heavy dance moves. For the dancers surrounding them, it was a case of move or be decapitated.
With laser beams of pink and yellow slicing the air above them and a suffocating soundtrack of noughties pop, Poppy let herself be swept up in their maelstrom of sweat, energy, alcohol and temple-rattling dance moves. Feelings she hadn’t felt in ages were coming back to her: physical sensations (high heels stepping on her toes, an extreme thirstiness for vodka sodas) and deep, fervent emotions (I love my friends so much! What shit is this DJ playing?!).
‘When the fuck is he going to play Taylor Sssswift?’ Poppy yelled at her friends, vaguely aware she was slurring. ‘I gotta talk some sssense into this idiot.’
‘I’m going home!’ yelled Dani suddenly. ‘I need to drunk dial my husband.’
‘No!’ cried Poppy helplessly as her friend ran towards the door. But there was no stopping Dani when she made a drunken decision. She made them hard and fast and delivered on them rapidly, hence the running.
