Life Swap by Jane Green Page B

‘What?’ she says finally. ‘How did you know?’
    Now it’s Deborah’s turn to be shocked. ‘You’re joking!’ she says, suddenly wide awake. ‘I was joking. Now I’m confused. You didn’t really shag Jamie Donnelly, did you?’
    ‘You have to swear you won’t tell anyone,’ Vicky pleads.
    ‘I swear I won’t tell anyone. How in the hell did this happen?’ Deborah takes her cordless phone over to the sofa and curls up for a long one, and Vicky tells her everything.
    ‘So what do you think?’ Vicky says when she’s finished. ‘I mean, you actually know him.’
    ‘What do you mean, what do I think?’
    ‘I mean, do you think he likes me? Do you think he’ll call?’
    Deborah takes a deep breath. ‘If he likes you then he’ll call.’
    ‘But from what I’ve told you do you think he likes me?’
    ‘Vicky, here’s a question for you…’
    ‘Yes?’ An eager voice.
    ‘How old are you exactly?’
    ‘I know,’ she moans. ‘I sound like I’m twelve. But that’s about how I feel. I’ve fancied him for ages and we had this amazing night, and now I’m sitting here like a lovestruck teenager wondering exactly what he’s doing today and whether he’s thinking about me and whether he’s going to call, and if he is, then when.’
    ‘Okay, here’s some advice,’ Deborah says. ‘First, get out of the house and do something, and that’s an order. Do not, under any circumstances, stay in the house and wait for him to call. The worst thing you could do is be available to him anyway, so if he does call, you want to be out and busy, and if you’re not out and busy at least pretend to be out and busy.’
    ‘So can I stay home and pretend to be busy?’
    ‘No you bloody well can’t. Why don’t you go and see Kate and Andy? When was the last time you went to see them in the country anyway? That will take your mind off Jamie Donnelly for a few hours.’
    ‘You know what? That’s a great idea. Even though I’d rather sit by the phone, but I take your point. I’ll ring them now. Thanks, Deborah.’
    ‘My pleasure, and don’t bore them stupid with Jamie Donnelly.’
    ‘I can’t believe you slept with Jamie Donnelly!’ Kate’s sitting at the kitchen table as Vicky recounts every second of the night before. ‘God, he’s gorgeous! Tell me again that bit about how he first kissed you.’
    But just as Vicky starts talking again, the back door slams and the noisy sounds of children and dogs echo through the corridor.
    ‘No, Luke!’ Vicky’s brother, Andy, calls. ‘Take your wellies off before you go into the kitchen. Polly! Sophie! Pick your coats up and hang them up. No, not drape them over the chair, hang them on hooks. Polly, stop pushing your sister! Kate! ’ he yells. ‘Can you come and help me!’
    Kate looks at Vicky and rolls her eyes as the two dogs come rushing through the hallway and into the kitchen, jumping up excitedly on Vicky.
    ‘Aaargh, get off,’ she yells, trying to push them off, because both of them are the size of small ponies, and they’re filthy dirty. ‘Oh Christ,’ she says, looking down at her now mud-splattered sweater. She looks over at Kate. ‘Tell me why I’m wearing cashmere to come and see you in the country?’
    Kate shrugs. ‘God knows, Vix. You of all people know that it’s impossible to stay clean within fourminutes of walking into this house. I keep telling you to dress down, absolutely no reason to wear cashmere in deepest darkest Somerset, particularly not with Herk and Hogie over there,’ and she gestures over to where Hercules and Hogan, the lurchers, are now sniffing around the counters, trying to gauge whether it’s worth the effort of standing on their hind legs to see if there’s any food worth stealing, although in the eyes of a lurcher, if it’s food and it’s on a counter, it’s worth stealing.
    ‘Go on, Herkie, come on, Hogie,’ Kate says, beckoning them outside to the kids. ‘Let’s go and help Daddy.’
    ‘Vix? Is that