Page 39 of A Very Happy Easter

“But you’ll move to some other country, and people will have guns, and will there even be a phone signal?” I looked up at him and he brushed my hair out of my eyes.

“I’d still be working for Blackwood, just on a different team.”

“Oh.” The coffee machine finished hissing, and I backed away with a nervous giggle. “Oh. My third therapist always said I was prone to overreacting.”

Which I’d demonstrated once again when I cancelled the rest of my therapy sessions. But she’d overanalysed everything. The day I asked to borrow a phone charger and she started on a long-winded explanation of my deep-seated need to suck energy from other people was the day I’d walked out. Mama wasn’t happy, because how else was I going to get better? But Heath’s shit-texts had done a hundred times more for me than the therapist’s psychobabble, and all for the bargain price of half his rent.

“Better that I know how you’re thinking than you bottling crap up inside,” he said. “Whenever something eats at you, just tell me and we’ll talk, okay?”

I nodded and blinked back tears. But they weren’t bad tears. I wasn’t sad, more relieved because Heath was being so incredibly nice about the screwed-up mess in my head.

“Okay.”

“Are you ready to go and eat small penises?”

I choked out a laugh. “You’re such a dick.”

“But at least I’m a big one.”

Cookie Salsa was a bijou place on the edge of Hyde Park, and it turned out the salsa part of the name was dual purpose. A dozen guests were packed onto the tiny dance floor while others clustered around the taco table at the rear.

Heath picked up a menu. “This is…weird.”

I leaned in to look. The place served cookies and coffee, plus tacos and margaritas.

“This is my dream restaurant. Who doesn’t love tacos and chocolate chips?” There was even a taco cookie stuffed with ice cream and marshmallows. “I should have worn trousers with an elasticated waistband.”

“You want a margarita?”

I hesitated. Ordinarily, the answer would have been, “Is there a non-alcoholic option?” but I had a guardian angel tonight. When I was with Heath, I felt a little like the girl I used to be, before Neil Short tore all my confidence away.

As if he could read my mind, Heath said, “I’ll get you home safely, I promise. Jerilyn has the car waiting, and I’ll have one drink and then switch to water.”

“Okay, let’s do this. Give me a margarita. And a taco. And a cookie.” A man brushed past me, and I shuddered. “And some space.”

Heath glanced around. “Space might be a challenge in this place.”

Instead, he tucked an arm around my waist, shielding me from the crowd. His hand didn’t stray too high or too low, just rested on my hip, and I noticed men gave me more room when there was a barrier in the way. When I’d been claimed by one of their peers. How annoying. But I didn’t bitch about it, not tonight. No, I merely drank my margaritas like a good girl and tried not to make any penis jokes.

Huh. This was actually more fun than I thought it would be. Eis’s friend Grant thanked me for coming, and his girlfriend admired my boots. I didn’t mention diarrhoea. The cookies were delicious, and I needed something to soak up the alcohol, didn’t I?

“Edie?”

I turned and made an effort to focus. “Uh… Oh, Constance. Lovely to see you.”

Constance and I had gone to school together. She’d been there that awful night with Neil, one of the people who’d comforted me while we waited for my parents to arrive. Over the years, we’d grown apart, but that was my fault. I’d let so many friendships slip away.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect to see you here, but I meant to call you.” She held up a hand and nearly blinded me with sparkles. “I’m getting married!”

“Ohmigosh!” My stomach heaved as she hugged me. “Congratulations. William is a lucky man.”

His name was William, wasn’t it? I was ninety percent sure. He also had the personality of a loaf of wholemeal bread, but Constance clearly loved him, which was all that mattered.

“That’s what he says every day.” Phew. “I know we haven’t seen each other so much over the past few years, but I’d absolutely love for you to be one of my bridesmaids.”

Boy, my stomach was on a real roller coaster tonight. Yay, another hen do to organise. But Constance was a sweetheart, and I wouldn’t let her down.

“Of course, what an honour. Do you have a date in mind?”

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