Page 41 of A Very Happy Easter

“Bleurgh. I’ll apologise to Constance and explain we can’t make it to the wedding. Alcohol has a lot to answer for.”

“Aw, no beach holiday? Better cancel those budgie smugglers I just ordered.”

“There’s a swimming pool in the basement—feel free to put them to good use.” I collapsed onto a stool. “What time is it?”

“Seven thirty.”

“Why am I even awake?”

“Because you wanted to see my ugly mug before I go to work?”

“Work? Dammit, I have a meeting at eleven.”

Heath flipped a packet of paracetamol in my direction. “Take two and wash them down with a double espresso.”

“How are you so perky?”

“Because I didn’t drink seven margaritas?”

“Shit.”

“Relax, you’re cute when you’re drunk. Plus my ninja reflexes let me dodge vomit like I’m in The Matrix.”

“What am I supposed to tell Constance? Honestly, hermiting was so much easier.”

“She didn’t give you the exact dates yet. Blame it on me—say I have an important work thing that I can’t rearrange. Or we could suck it up and spend a week being fanned with palm fronds and crying into our cocktails in the Caribbean.”

“You didn’t sign up for overseas travel.”

“No, that would just be an added bonus.”

A shiver ran through me. “You’d really come?”

Heath passed a hand over his forehead dramatically. “Oh, the hardship of a luxury holiday in a tropical paradise. I don’t know how I’d cope.”

Could I really take a trip with Heath? I realised I didn’t hate the idea. It would be like travelling with my best friend, and a best friend was something I’d never truly had. Sure, there was Salma, and I did have plenty of acquaintances, but nobody else that I shit-texted twenty times a day and puked in front of and watched bats with.

“Maybe I could see if there’s a villa available to rent?”

“Send me the dates—I’ll have to book the time off work.”

“Oh crap.” I clapped my hands over my mouth. “It’s next April.”

“Work’s fairly flexible about annual leave.”

“No, I mean I already have an event pencilled for April. Spencer and Polly’s engagement party on Easter Sunday.”

Plus the next day, there was the annual Easter egg hunt held at the community centre my family funded, which Polly’s family had agreed to sponsor. I couldn’t insult them by skipping the engagement party, and I helped out with the kids’ activities every year. Missing either of those two events wasn’t an option.

“Then we’d better hope the wedding doesn’t clash with that. Who are Spencer and Polly?”

“Polly’s parents are family friends. But I only hired you for one event per month.”

A hint of a frown crossed Heath’s features before he took a sip of coffee. “Edie, don’t sweat the details. Just book the trip.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

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