Page 53 of Five Things I Love About You

‘Hello!’ I say, and in the corner I can see my own face with Matt’s right beside me. I know she’s going to have something to say about this and I hold my breath as she finally connects the sound.

‘Heyyyy!’ she says. Her voice is loud but there’s hardly anyone else in here now so I don’t think we’re disturbing anyone. ‘Where are you?’

‘We’re in the pub. I’m whipping Matt’s arse at pool.’

‘Oh no, poor bloke.’ She appraises him. ‘I assume you’re Matt then?’ she says, and my face heats up.

‘Oh yes, sorry. Kirstie, this is Matt. Matt, this is my best friend Kirstie.’

She raises her eyebrows and says ‘Hello, Matt. Lovely to meet you. Miranda has told me lots about you.’

‘Has she?’

Have I?

‘She told me you’ve been looking after her, showing her the sights.’

‘Ah, yes, I have.’

‘And helping me look for Jay,’ I add.

‘Yes, course, that too,’ Matt says, and Kirstie shoots me daggers. She asks us what we’ve been up to and we tell her about our bike ride and the fact we had to give up and come here when the rain started. ‘You must be a soft touch, Matt, I’d never let her give up because of a bit of rain.’

I turn to Matt. ‘Kirstie’s a bit of a slave driver and conveniently forgets I’m not one of her clients when we exercise together.’

‘Ah you love it, stop pretending you don’t,’ she says, and I dip my head in acknowledgement.

‘It was lovely to meet you, but I just need to nip to the gents,’ Matt says. ‘I’ll leave you to have a catch up without me.’

He disappears across the pub, and before he’s even properly out of earshot, Kirstie says, ‘Bloody hell, Mirand, what the hell are youdoing?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Oh come on! You can’t tell me you haven’t noticed how hot Matt is?’

‘I—’

‘And he’s clearly totally smitten with you, and there you are, talking about looking for some fantasy man that probably doesn’t even exist.’

‘But…’ I hesitate. I can’t tell her I hadn’t noticed he’s hot, because of course I have. But it’s not the point, not at all. ‘Listen, I know you don’t approve, but Sophie believes me, that the dreams about Jay were more than just dreams. Iknowhe’s real, and I still believe I can find him. It’s just going to take some time. And in the meantime?—’

‘And in the meantime you appear to be ignoring the extremely attractive man right in front of your eyes.’ She shakes her head and sighs. ‘I swear, you’re completely insane sometimes. You and Sophie.’

I’m about to answer her, to tell her she’s wrong about Matt, that we’re just friends, when I spot him across the room.

‘Right, stop now, he’s coming back,’ I hiss. ‘Donotembarrass me, promise?’

‘Guides’ honour,’ she says, holding three fingers to her forehead. ‘But this conversation isn’t over by a long shot.’

Moments later Matt’s back and getting his cue ready for the next game. He smiles at me, and I smile back.

‘Anyway, I’ll let you get back to whipping Matt’s ass at pool,’ she says. ‘Let me say goodbye to him as well.’

I dutifully flip the screen round and Kirstie waves at Matt. ‘Lovely to meet you, and hopefully we’ll meet in person soon.’

‘Lovely to meet you too,’ he says.

‘And keep looking after my girl, won’t you?’

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