Page 56 of The Wake-Up Call

“I really hate you right now,” Ms. Ashley is saying as I reach them at the bar.

“Oh, same to you, love,” says Ms. Brown. “Maybe we’ll get to the solidarity part later.”

“If we drink enough alcohol,” Ms. Ashley says, taking a vicious bite from her stick of celery.

“Can I interest you in some breakfast to go with that...?” I ask, my voice a little squeaky.

“You,” Ms. Ashley says, zeroing in on me as she sucks up half her cocktail through the straw. “The ring meddler.”

“I really am so sorry,” I say wretchedly. Today I seem to have done the exact opposite of adding sparkle. I’ve made everything significantly gloomier.

“Not your fault, love,” says Ms. Brown, already waving at Ollie for another drink. “A lot of men are shits. You do your best to dodge ’em, but...”

Ollie shrinks into himself, shaking up the next cocktail as quietly as possible.

“Izzy!” Arjun calls. “There’s something for you at the front desk! Ask me how I know!”

I spin to look at him. His hair is a mess and he’s not wearing hisapron, which always makes him look a bit weird, as if he’s not wearing his shoes.

“How do you know?” I say obligingly.

“Because you are here, and Lucas is off somewhere else, and Ollie is behind the bar ballsing up that Bloody Mary, and soIhad to leave the kitchen to answer the reception bell!”

I glance at the two women, but they don’t seem to mind someone else doing a bit of shouting.

“No food, love,” Ms. Brown says to me. “Just keep the booze coming.” This is directed at Ollie.

I move to go after Arjun and then remember something. “Oh! Do you want the ring?” I blurt, patting my pocket.

Ms. Brown stares at me, then looks down at her hand, and across at Ms. Ashley’s. They are both still wearing their wedding rings.

“I think we’ve got enough rings here, don’t you? Just sell it. Keep the money. Looks like this place could use it,” she says, nodding after Arjun. “Get that man some help, eh, love?”

I mean, I don’t think this ring is worth quite enough to employ a sous-chef for Arjun, but I appreciate the intention, and I’m glad we’re gettingsomethingout of this disaster. I thank them and leave the Mrs. Rogerses to it, heading to the lobby as Arjun flounces back into the kitchen again.

Louis is waiting for me at the front desk. There is a gigantic bunch of red roses beside him. They look unreal—as in, they genuinely look fake, so perfect is every petal and upturned leaf. They’re tied with a thick white ribbon and there’s an embossed note beside them. My heart sinks. This is really not my sort of thing.

“Open the card,” Louis says, tapping it against the desk.

I flick the envelope open.Join me for dinner at the Angel’s Wing tonight, it says.

“Louis...” I begin.

The Angel’s Wing is a super-posh restaurant near Brockenhurst—it’s the sort of place London types go to when they want to be in the countryside but still eat like they’re in the city. It’s got a dress code and everything.

“Too much?” he says.

I can’t precisely say why I don’t want to go. I was up for it when we had our swimming date, and there are plenty of reasons to give things a try with Louis: he’s good-looking, he’s attentive, and he’s definitely got the drive and ambition that Sameera thought I should look for in a man.

“The Angel’s Wing is really expensive...” I say.

“It’s on me,” Louis says. “I should have mentioned that.”

“Izzy!” Lucas barks from the direction of the kitchen. “Arjun needs you!”

Seriously? I justsawArjun. I don’t know where Lucas has emerged from, and it is completely typical that he is now insisting on my presence despite being MIA for at least an hour himself.

Louis nods to the flowers and card. “I just thought a romantic gesture would be the right thing to go for, given...”

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