Now
that
thought was immensely satisfying. All it would take was a little nudge in the right direction.
For a moment Emily felt a ripple of concern for the hapless and absent Richard. She really didn’t have anything against him, did she? No, of course not. If Richard wanted to be with Helen, he could certainly make a bit more effort. Perhaps Philip’s attention towards Helen would motivate him. Or. She glanced at the pair across from her; Philip was tucking a tendril of hair behind Helen’s ear while she ducked her head and blushed. Or Philip and Helen could fall in love and live happily ever after, the way it was supposed to happen. The way her parents had, until her mother had died.
The way she wanted for herself, even if she’d told Jason otherwise. Even if she was afraid that she’d never find that kind of man, that kind of love.
The bell rang, and Emily stood up from the table. The show was about to begin.
Emily’s mood remained buoyant throughout the evening and all the way home. Philip had suggested they all share a cab, but Emily had insisted she could walk and left the two of them speeding away in the darkness. She imagined telling Jason the news that Philip and Helen were together, even engaged. She pictured the huge wedding, hundreds of guests. Perhaps she’d even be bridesmaid. She’d wear something understated, and look modest and quietly proud—
Chuckling softly at her own flight of fancy, Emily let herself into her flat. Her mobile phone buzzed with a message and Emily flipped it open as she shed her coat and kicked off her heels. There were two messages which she’d missed while at the theatre: one from her sister, asking her if she was coming to Surrey for Christmas, and then another from Stephanie, reminding her of the rehearsal dinner for her wedding in two weeks’ time. Emily could hardly believe the wedding was so soon. She wondered if Jason would be attending, and then quickly banished that thought. It hardly mattered anyway.
Emily was dying to know how the evening turned out for Philip and Helen, and she finally got the low-down when she stopped by reception on the way to lunch the next day. Helen was getting ready to leave for an afternoon appointment at the dentist’s and they walked out together into the brisk November afternoon.
‘So …’ was all Emily needed to say for Helen to launch into a hesitant yet happy description of Philip and all his charms.
‘He’s so gorgeous, isn’t he?’ Helen said with a sigh. ‘And he says the funniest things … and he looks at me as if he likes me.’ She paused, nibbling her lip, her lashes sweeping downward for a moment before she looked up anxiously at Emily. ‘He looks at me and I go all tingly. I feel so
alive.
Have you ever felt like that?’
‘Alive?’ Emily repeated dryly. ‘Yes, I think so.’
‘I meant—’
‘I know,’ Emily said quickly, suppressing a pang of remorse at her rather facetious reply. ‘And to tell you the truth, Helen, I’ve never felt like that with a man.’ She thought briefly of Jason’s kiss, and hurriedly suppressed the memory. Her two dismal attempts at a relationship hardly counted either. No, love looked set to pass her by, and that was fine. Hearing about it from Helen was good enough. Almost, anyway. She smiled down at her. ‘So what you’ve got must be special.’
‘Do you think so?’ Helen asked. ‘Do you think he likes me?’
Emily thought of the way Philip had sat next to Helen, had brushed her hair away from her face, had slid next to her in the cab, their thighs touching. ‘I’m sure of it,’ she said.
‘Richard will be so disappointed,’ Helen said quietly. ‘We were meant to use this time to get to know one another—to see if we suit—’
‘And obviously you don’t,’ Emily replied briskly. ‘If he’dwanted to be with you so much, he should have asked you out. Sent you flowers—’
‘He did give me a house plant,’ Helen said quickly, and Emily only just
that
thought was immensely satisfying. All it would take was a little nudge in the right direction.
For a moment Emily felt a ripple of concern for the hapless and absent Richard. She really didn’t have anything against him, did she? No, of course not. If Richard wanted to be with Helen, he could certainly make a bit more effort. Perhaps Philip’s attention towards Helen would motivate him. Or. She glanced at the pair across from her; Philip was tucking a tendril of hair behind Helen’s ear while she ducked her head and blushed. Or Philip and Helen could fall in love and live happily ever after, the way it was supposed to happen. The way her parents had, until her mother had died.
The way she wanted for herself, even if she’d told Jason otherwise. Even if she was afraid that she’d never find that kind of man, that kind of love.
The bell rang, and Emily stood up from the table. The show was about to begin.
Emily’s mood remained buoyant throughout the evening and all the way home. Philip had suggested they all share a cab, but Emily had insisted she could walk and left the two of them speeding away in the darkness. She imagined telling Jason the news that Philip and Helen were together, even engaged. She pictured the huge wedding, hundreds of guests. Perhaps she’d even be bridesmaid. She’d wear something understated, and look modest and quietly proud—
Chuckling softly at her own flight of fancy, Emily let herself into her flat. Her mobile phone buzzed with a message and Emily flipped it open as she shed her coat and kicked off her heels. There were two messages which she’d missed while at the theatre: one from her sister, asking her if she was coming to Surrey for Christmas, and then another from Stephanie, reminding her of the rehearsal dinner for her wedding in two weeks’ time. Emily could hardly believe the wedding was so soon. She wondered if Jason would be attending, and then quickly banished that thought. It hardly mattered anyway.
Emily was dying to know how the evening turned out for Philip and Helen, and she finally got the low-down when she stopped by reception on the way to lunch the next day. Helen was getting ready to leave for an afternoon appointment at the dentist’s and they walked out together into the brisk November afternoon.
‘So …’ was all Emily needed to say for Helen to launch into a hesitant yet happy description of Philip and all his charms.
‘He’s so gorgeous, isn’t he?’ Helen said with a sigh. ‘And he says the funniest things … and he looks at me as if he likes me.’ She paused, nibbling her lip, her lashes sweeping downward for a moment before she looked up anxiously at Emily. ‘He looks at me and I go all tingly. I feel so
alive.
Have you ever felt like that?’
‘Alive?’ Emily repeated dryly. ‘Yes, I think so.’
‘I meant—’
‘I know,’ Emily said quickly, suppressing a pang of remorse at her rather facetious reply. ‘And to tell you the truth, Helen, I’ve never felt like that with a man.’ She thought briefly of Jason’s kiss, and hurriedly suppressed the memory. Her two dismal attempts at a relationship hardly counted either. No, love looked set to pass her by, and that was fine. Hearing about it from Helen was good enough. Almost, anyway. She smiled down at her. ‘So what you’ve got must be special.’
‘Do you think so?’ Helen asked. ‘Do you think he likes me?’
Emily thought of the way Philip had sat next to Helen, had brushed her hair away from her face, had slid next to her in the cab, their thighs touching. ‘I’m sure of it,’ she said.
‘Richard will be so disappointed,’ Helen said quietly. ‘We were meant to use this time to get to know one another—to see if we suit—’
‘And obviously you don’t,’ Emily replied briskly. ‘If he’dwanted to be with you so much, he should have asked you out. Sent you flowers—’
‘He did give me a house plant,’ Helen said quickly, and Emily only just
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