Page 24 of You Float My Boat

After all, rule one did state kissing where appropriate. Perhaps there would be appropriate kissing today. Wishful thinking and all that.

I stood up and turned to Stella, waving my hand along the length of my body.

‘This okay?’

She sat forward, giving it proper consideration, and reached for my glasses which I’d left on the desk, tapping the end of one arm against her lip. Slowly, her eyes travelled up from the bottom of my high-waisted jeans to the pale-grey cable-knit jumper. I probably shouldn’t admit I’d been thinking about this ensemble since last night, including the freshly vibrant violet ends of my hair.

‘Hmm. What are you going for?’

‘I need to look like I haven’t really bothered trying to look good. But just look good anyway.’

‘And’ow long ’as it taken you to achieve zis?’ She peered over my face and the barely-there make-up I’d spent an hour trying to perfect.

‘Way too long, I don’t know how anyone has the time every day.’

She sighed softly, but smiled, ‘Vi, you don’t need to try. You always look good. I told you that you lookedmagnifiquewhen I walked in.’

‘I know, but this isn’t about me. It’s about the part of Charlie’s girlfriend.’

‘Well, I say lucky Charlie you’re going to so much effort, but you still need to be yourself.’

I shook my head, ‘Uh-uh. Not a good idea.’

From now until the end of time, my alter-ego would be required whenever Charlie Masterson was present. It was the only way I could protect my heart, I’d decided.

‘Let’s get coffee on the way,’ I glanced quickly at the time on my phone screen, ‘if we leave now, we can treat ourselves to that cute place near the theatre.’

Stella put down the brush she was running through her hair, and pushed out of the chair. ‘Good idea.’

Carefully pulling on my cute navy beanie with the pink bobble so my waves weren’t crushed, I grabbed my thick bodywarmer, fanned my waves around my shoulders and followed Stella out.

‘We don’t have plans tonight, do we?’ she asked, jogging to the main door being held open for us by another St Anne’s first year.

‘Thanks,’ I called out, except she walked off before I reached the door.

‘Do we have plans tonight?’ Stella repeated, pulling a pair of aviators out of her backpack.

I squinted hard, cursing myself for forgetting my sunglasses. It might be nearly freezing, but it was oneof those cloudless, crisp January days and the sun was blinding.

‘No, I don’t think so. Unless you want to learn lines again?’

She shook her head, ‘I think we should go out. We can get a couple of the girls together, Cecily will be up for it, she’s always keen for a party.’

‘Yeah, okay, I don’t have to be up early tomorrow.’

One good thing about my English course – 75 per cent of my classes were after ten a.m. It wasn’t why I’d picked it, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t check out the timetable when I was applying.

‘Excellent.’

Stella jumped into action and pulled her phone out to make arrangements. By the time we’d arrived at Rupert Pump’s Coffee Emporium and joined the queue, she’d organized five of our girlfriends into meeting for cocktails in her room first so she could break in the new cocktail shaker she’d been given for Christmas. I wasn’t surprised. In fact, Stella McAdams was one of the most organized and efficient people I knew; there was very little she couldn’t accomplish when she put her mind to it.

‘Cece’s not answering,’ she tutted. ‘I think I’ll go and find her while you go and meet Charlie. Do you mind?’

‘No, of course not.’ I shook my head, waiting until she’d slipped her phone back into her bag. ‘Are you having your usual?’

‘Extra shot coconut latte with chocolate foam? Yes please,’ she grinned, right as her eyes opened wide. ‘Hey, you know what? You should take Charlie one. That would be a girlfriend thing to do.’

‘You don’t think that’s too keen?’

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