Page 51 of Someone Like You

It is. It has the same aesthetic as the rest of the day spa right down to the soft, warm lighting. I glance at myself in the mirror and I look incredible in this light – my skin especially. Note to self: buy new bulbs for the bathroom in my apartment. No matter how rested I am, or how good I’m feeling about myself, one glance in my bathroom mirror and I feel like Gollum after a big night out.

I take my time, trying out some of the free toiletries on offer.

Stupidly, I spray two different perfumes onto my wrists and now I smell like a beach birthed a bouquet. I run my wrists under water and rub them together but that only makes it worse.

I check the time. There are clocks everywhere here, so clients arrive at their treatments on time, and it’s been fifteen minutes since I left Raff and Ava. Surely that’s long enough for her to have done whatever it is that Poppy coached her to do?

I head back to the relaxation room and Raff’s there on his own, sitting on the side of his lounger.

‘Where’s Ava?’ I ask.

‘She had her massage. Speaking of, we’d better get going. I was worried you’d fallen in.’

‘Uh, no… I was, uh…’

He sniffs the air. ‘Is that you?’ he asks. ‘A bit strong, Gabs.’

But before I can refute his mild insult, Raff stands, then tightens the sash of his robe. ‘This way,’ he says, leading the way to the massage wing.

I jog to catch up to him. ‘She seemed nice,’ I say.

‘Who? Oh, yes, I suppose. Can I ask… Is that really the done thing?’

‘What?’

‘Chatting up strangers in the relaxation room at a day spa? Hardly very relaxing if you’re having to make small talk, is it?Andyou left me alone with her.’

‘I went to thebathroom, Raff. It’s not like I left you for dead.’

He stops suddenly and regards me. ‘I know. Sorry. It’s just… Now that we’re here, I’m quite enjoying myself and…’ His eyes flick to the wall behind me. ‘Oh bollocks. Come on, we’ll be late.’

He strides off again and I rush to catch up.

Needless to say, it isnota relaxing massage. How can it be when I spend the entire hour bombarding myself with questions? One prevails, my mind landing on it at least a dozen times.

How can Raff besoclueless?

Especially when he gave us a green light to match him. How can he not have cottoned on that Jane and Ava wereplants? Maybe I need to make a poster – with glitter – and hold it up in front of him:

Potential girlfriend alert!

But he’s so clueless, he probably wouldn’t even getthat.

13

GABY

‘Wow, that’s a bit forward, following me like that,’ Raff mumbles to himself.

I glance over and he’s on his Instagram account – his personal one, not the one set up byBritain’s Best Bakers’ social media team.

‘Who’s following you?’ I ask, knowing it’s got to be Ava.

‘The woman from the spa – Ava.’ He holds up his phone to show me her profile.Well, at least he’s shown enough interest to check it out, I think, but he immediately goes back to his main feed and starts scrolling with his thumb.

I swallow my frustration. ‘Why is it forward of her to follow you? You had a conversation – she’s not some rando, Raff.’

‘I suppose,’ he says thoughtfully, then he barks out a laugh. ‘You do realise that’s twice in as many weeks that a perfect stranger has accosted me with questions.’

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