Page 62 of Not in a Million Years

‘What? Have you along for the pleasure of your company?’ Daniel asked. ‘By all means come if you want to, but I’m not going down on bended knees to ask.’

‘Fine, I’ll go with Andy then,’ I said curtly.

The medics appeared to have finished their procedure-checking. Two of them took charge of Andy’s stretcher, I picked up one of his bags and Daniel took the rest. We thanked everyone profusely, and the little retinue proceeded along the corridor, into the lift, through the main entrance and out into the sunshine without Daniel and me saying a word to each other.

I didn’t even give him a final telling-off about making sure he drove on the correct side of the road.

A few minutes later, I was ensconced in the ambulance, perched on a small seat next to one of the paramedics, who didn’t appear to speak any English.

‘So you slept together,’ Andy said as soon as the doors were closed.

‘What? No, I… we…’

‘Don’t try and pull the wool over my eyes, Katie babe. I’ve seen enough mornings after nights before in my time, and it’s as plain as the nose on your face. Both the noses on both your faces.’

‘Okay, fine. Yes, we did.’

‘So what went wrong? Sneaky one up the bum, no harm done? Hung like a chipolata? Can’t be that – I’ve seen our Daniel in the shower enough times to know he’s got decent equipment. Did he call you Mummy at the crucial moment? Or did you call him—’

‘For God’s sake, stop it. Nothing like that. It was fine. It just shouldn’t have happened in the first place, and I think we’ve both realised that.’

‘On the contrary,’ Andy said. ‘I’m not going to lie, I always thought there was something there with you two. Obviously, there were reasons why nothing happened, but come on. Now it has, why aren’t you going with the flow?’

‘What do you mean?’ I asked, the urge to know like the urge to pick a scab. ‘Something there?’

‘Back in the day, you two got on like a house on fire. Then you fell out, and you were all like nim nim nim at each other like a couple of old maids quarrelling over a cup of sugar. At the time, I wondered whether you’d had it off and that’s what had caused the ruction, but there wasn’t the… thing there was today, so I ruled it out.’

‘What are you, Sherlock bloody Holmes or something?’

‘Unlike most people, I just notice what’s there. No special skills involved. So are you friends again now, or what?’

‘No,’ I said. Then I blustered, ‘Not friends. Not going to happen.’

Andy turned his head on the pillow and eyeballed me astutely. ‘Whatever you say. But now time, the great healer, plus a party on a yacht with copious amounts of— Go on, what was it? Make me jealous.’

‘Perrier-Jouët.’

‘Perrier-Jouët, has worked its magic, and here we are. Your eyes met across a crowded sloop deck and the next thing you knew sparks were flying and you ended up in the scratcher. And you should be getting ready to live happily ever after, but you’re not. Why not? Tell Uncle Andy.’

‘There’s nothing to tell, Andy. He doesn’t want to and neither do I. End of story.’

‘Oh, I don’t think so, somehow. You mark my words, there’ll come a time when you—’

But before he could finish speaking, the ambulance pulled gently to a stop. We heard doors opening and closing. The paramedic unstrapped herself and stood up, and the back doors swung open, letting in the sunlight.

Whatever Andy had been going to say would have to remain unsaid for now, and I was glad of that. Because, I told myself, for once my friend’s unerring instinct for human nature had erred. I’d had enough experience of making mistakes with the men I got involved with (hell, when had I ever not made mistakes?) not to let myself get sucked into another cycle of potential (or more likely actual) heartbreak. What had happened between Daniel and me was in the past now, and the past was where it would stay.

It would be in good company there, along with all the other things I’d resolved to put behind me forever.

Twenty-Two

Then

2009

So it began.

And once it had begun, I couldn’t see a way to end it – although, most of the time, I didn’t want to. Most of the time, when Andy and I were alone together, it was like the instant connection I’d felt the night I first met him was still there, still the same, only more intense and expressed differently. The mental connection I’d felt now had a physical aspect too, I told myself.

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