Page 34 of His Best Friend's Baby

P x

To: Polly Martin

From: Seth Ramsay

Subject: Re: Huge news

Hi Polly,

Stop worrying about whether you’re too blunt or whatever. We’ve known each other for too long to let things like that bother us. Besides, I’ve done a part-time course in reading between the lines. I’m quite the expert.

And enjoy every step of Summer’s progress. Friends tell me that the baby stage passes far too quickly. Before you know it she’ll be giving you cheek and demanding pocket money.

Cheers,

Seth

*

‘Wow, this placeis great, isn’t it?’

‘Yep,’ Polly happily agreed. ‘I’m really enjoying it.’

It was Friday night and Polly had invited her hairdresser friend, Celia, to her new apartment for drinks and takeaway pizza. Polly had discovered a fabulous restaurant among the many that were now just around the corner. It was run by a family from Sicily and their pizzas were authentically Italian.

‘Heck, yes,’ Celia had agreed. ‘I love Antonio’s pizzas. I’ll definitely come. Thanks Polly.’

It had been a month now since Polly had moved into this new accommodation and she was ready to celebrate. She was aware, though, that Celia enjoyed a very active social life, so she’d half expected her friend to have another engagement booked. She’d been stoked when her invitation was so warmly accepted.

This evening, Summer was obligingly asleep—in her new cot, as she’d grown out of the bassinet—and with any luck, she wouldn’t wake until early morning. Which meant Polly was feeling both relaxed and excited as she and Celia clinked their glasses.

‘Of course, I’m not supposed to drink much alcohol while I’m still breastfeeding,’ Polly admitted. ‘But I’ve been off the grog for so long I’m sure I’ve earned this.’

‘Hell, yeah.’ Celia had made herself comfortable in an armchair that Polly had found in a second-hand shop. The chair was a funky riot of colours, the perfect backdrop for Celia, whose hair was bright purple these days.

Celia had also added several extra rings to her earlobe, some beaded, others sparkling, and Polly, who thought they looked fabulous, had been tempted to do something a little more interesting with her own appearance. A straight black bob and black-rimmed glasses were totally boring, after all.

She was still cautiously tossing around possibilities, though, and she certainly wasn’t ready to discuss any potential changes with Celia. There was every chance her friend would whip out scissors and pots of dye and before Polly knew it, she would find herself staring at a reflection she didn’t even recognise.

One area where Polly had been quite brave, however, was in furnishing her new living space. She’d sold her original flat-pack furniture along with her apartment, so she’d pretty much had to start from scratch. And, feeling braver after seeing how creative Seth had been, she’d scoured through websites and thrift shops for more interesting and artistic pieces than she might have chosen in the past.

Now she had a lovely old dresser with dovetailed drawers that she’d painted with teal chalk paint. She used this as a sideboard, and it teamed beautifully with a vintage rug she’d found.

She’d also found a wonderfully beat-up coffee table that just invited visitors to put their feet up, which Celia was happily doing right now. Even the bathroom boasted a lovely antique vanity mirror and Polly was quietly proud of her new-found decorating skills.

But one of the best things about her new living area was a big picture window that offered a great view into parkland. Even though most of the trees in the park were winter bare at the moment, this view was a thousand times better than staring out at a brick wall, as Polly had done in her previous accommodation.

‘So, you have a great new homeanda new job,’ Celia declared after she’d taken a good, long sip of nicely chilled prosecco. ‘I’m so glad things are looking up for you, Polly.’

It was true. Polly’s life was definitely on an upward trajectory these days. As well as working from home on her web designs, she now had a part-time job in cyber security. This job was just two days a week, and it had meant putting Summer into day care, which had been a hugely difficult step. But her dear little girl was as placid and easygoing as Polly had hoped she might be and the transition had gone surprisingly smoothly.

‘Now, all you need is a little romance in your life,’ Celia declared with a cheeky smirk. ‘Or maybe we should make that atruckloadof romance.’

Polly couldn’t help returning Celia’s smile. The hairdresser was a notorious matchmaker, as many of her regular clients would attest.

‘Any likely dating prospects at your new office?’ Celia persisted.

Polly almost didn’t answer this, but she’d already downed most of her glass of prosecco and she was feeling more relaxed. ‘Actually—’

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