Page 61 of The Trouble With Love

‘Bollocks to that.’ Cerys didn’t seem to have anything to follow up with, so we sat in quiet contemplation for a moment, appreciating the comedy potential of a small, chunky brunette chasing a huge athletic dog.

Eventually Nick, being a gentleman, gave in. He got up and went over towards Rufus, clicked his fingers and then patted the dog’s head. Rufus sniffed at his hand for a moment then stood, stock still, with a look of incredulity on his face.

‘How did you do that?’ Megan snapped the lead on and Rufus, instantly contrite, plodded alongside her rolling his eyes and trying to look at his own teeth.

‘I gave him a toffee. It’s all right, it was a vegetarian one.’

Rufus crouched down and tried to shove his paws in his mouth. ‘Well, at least it worked. We’re supposed to be going over to see Vivienne this afternoon, and I didn’t want to have to cry off because I couldn’t catch my dog.’

‘Are we?’

‘Yep.’

‘It’s not another “commune with the mother earth in the hopes that some idiot bloke tops himself” is it? Or are we still trying to find men for Isobel and Eve?’

‘I’m not sure. She says there’s news, not sure if it’s good or bad, but we ought to go and express our solidarity.’

‘And we ought to get back and finish packing.’ Cerys wound her arm through Nick’s. He’d already been mistaken for the twins’ father twice, which he quite enjoyed even though it made Cerys laugh until she was nearly sick. ‘Kai is keen to get rid of us as early as he can tomorrow. I can’t think why.’ She rolled her head towards me. ‘Can you, Holly?’

‘Can’t imagine.’

‘It’s going to be great. Just think, Peterborough.’

My heart raced at the thought of him being so far away, but I kept my voice light, didn’t want to scare him. Couldn’t really believe that he’d go, not like this, not really go . . . ‘Er, Nicky, you do know that Peterborough isn’t the same as Los Angeles, don’t you?’

‘Don’t care. It’s somewhere new. Somewhere different.’

‘Come on then Holly. Let’s take Rufus home and then we’d better go in your car to Vivienne’s. He did something nasty in the boot of mine yesterday and I can’t get the smell out.’

‘Yeah, all right.’ I kissed Cerys, hugged Nick and touched the twins’ cheeks. ‘I’ll come over and see you tomorrow. Before you . . . go.’

‘Making sure we leave the premises,’ Cerys began pushing Freya’s buggy over the muddy field. ‘Doesn’t want us hiding round the back and sneaking in when she’s deep in a bit of literal how’s-your-father.’

‘That whole wishing thing has really worked out for you, hasn’t it?’ Megan sounded a bit forlorn. ‘Your “excitement”. Is he really . . . you know . . . exciting?’

‘He’s a lovely man. A bit confused about things, but lovely.’

‘Better than Aiden?’

‘Meg, the Creature from the Black Lagoon would be better than Aiden. Kai is . . . something else. On a completely different scale. Totally . . . just wow.’

‘I always thought . . . one day, you and Aiden . . .’

‘. . . and Aiden’s friend and his friend, and his friend’s girlfriend. No, Megan, I was never going to end up with Aiden.’ We walked back to Megan’s little flat with a docile Rufus striding along between us.

‘Take no notice, I’m just jealous it didn’t work for me.’ She reached down to fuss Rufus’s head, although she didn’t have to reach very far. He turned his eyes up to her.

‘But it did.’

‘Oh yeah, I’m being worshipped by invisible men. Just my luck.’

‘Meg, look at him.’ I pointed to Rufus. He was still staring at her face, ears rising and falling like a comedy puppet’s. The string tail wagged when she glanced down. ‘If he isn’t worshipping you like a goddess, then I don’t know what it looks like. He’s devoted to you.’

‘But . . .’

‘Did you specify it should be a man?’

‘Can’t remember,’ she said sulkily.

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