Page 62 of The Happiness Project

For a moment I’d forgotten the reason we came here and now I feel terribly guilty all over again.

Chapter Thirty-One: It Takes Two

Patty is up incredibly early the following morning — up and dressed while I’m still in my jammies having my first coffee of the day.

‘You do know it’s seven in the morning, not the evening, don’t you?’ I ask through a huge yawn. ‘I thought stars of entertainment didn’t do such ungodly hours.’

Patty isn’t rising to my jibes. She grabs both my hands and sits me down.

‘Jack’s retiring,’ she says with a wild-eyed gaze. I can’t tell whether it’s excitement, terror or bewilderment.

‘He told me last night and I don’t know how I feel. I’m scared and delighted at the same time. Does that make sense?’

I’d like to reply that not only does it make sense but that I managed to guess each of those emotions from just one look, but I don’t. Instead I just nod and squeeze her hands as a good friend should.

‘He’s leaving in the summer when I complete my contract. So the Granny-Okies will be on board for his retirement bash and then after he sorts out things with his own house, he’ll be coming here to live.’

Wow — no wonder she’s stunned. Patty hasn’t lived with a man since her husband died five years ago.

‘He’s coming to live here?’ I ask.

‘His family live in Lancashire, and although it’s not a million miles away, I don’t want to move from here. So eventually, yes, we’ll be back here.’

It hadn’t even occurred to me that my best friend might move away from me and, yes, Lancashire might be less than forty miles away, but it’s not around the corner and that would make a difference. I miss her enough when she’s away singing but the thought of her going permanently is too hard to even contemplate. In fact, I’m so distressed at the thought of Patty leaving me that the more pressing and obvious issue doesn’t strike me until moments later. And then it does.

‘I’m going to have to move out,’ I say, leaving my jaw hanging open — stunned.

‘No, you won’t,’ Patty reassures me. ‘You’ll still have your own room. Although we might need to soundproof it.’

Patty nudges me and winks. That was probably the least reassuring thing she could have said. The very thought of being the third wheel in their love nest is too disturbing for words. I need to get off my backside and find somewhere to live. I’ve drifted for too long.

‘I don’t think there’d be enough soundproofing in the world,’ I reply, trying to keep things light. ‘In fact, if I moved next door I’d probably still hear you two — if the Zoom calls are anything to go by.’

‘Oh, there’s an idea — move next door!’ exclaims Patty. ‘I could buy some cockroaches and feed them through the letterbox, then we could make a cut-price offer when they’re begging to sell.’

‘Highly unethical,’ I tell her. ‘And there is no way I would ever move in somewhere there’d been cockroaches.’

‘A ghost?’ continues Patty. ‘We could get up in the small hours every night and rattle some chains by the window?’

‘That plan fails with either of us managing to get up every night.’ I get a shrug of acknowledgement. ‘No, this has been fabulous and I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to stay with you, but I do need to find somewhere of my own. I’ll pop into the estate agents over lunchtime.’

‘Just don’t go to any photography studio viewings without me,’ she says with a snort of laughter.

I shudder at the memory of what she’s referring to. A viewing I made last year when I first started looking — let’s just say that boudoir photoshoot will be etched on my mind forever.

‘So the reason you’re up early is just excitement?’ I ask, getting back to the first newsworthy event of the day.

‘Partly,’ she says with a little sadness in her voice. ‘And partly because I have to say goodbye to everything here that was Nigel’s. I know I’ve moved on now but I still need to say goodbye to little things and make space for my new life.’

I rub her arm gently. She acts all big and blowsy but deep down my best friend is as soft as the rest of us.

* * *

In the office, Charlie is focussed entirely on finding a wedding venue that fits in with the honeymoon while Josie and I deal with customers.

‘You could have the honeymoon first and come back tanned and relaxed,’ Josie suggests during one of our coffee breaks.

I think that’s a pretty good idea but Charlie obviously hasn’t heard it as he scowls at the computer screen.

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