Page 4 of You Lied First
‘Do you think people are hungry?’ I ask. ‘Dinner’s ready to go – it’ll take about ten minutes.’
‘Dinner? What do you mean?’ He peers at me. ‘You’ve cooked?’
I feel myself blush. ‘Just something simple. I didn’t know what would be available on our first night, so I brought some bits with me. Everyone likes pasta, right?’
‘You are an absolute angel,’ says Guy. ‘In that case, I should see about opening a bottle of wine to match this feast.’
Like moths to a flame, the others find their way to the garden in time for sundowner drinks, so I boil up the pasta and heat the jar of Tesco Finest sauce I brought in my luggage. I even remembered to bring Parmesan cheese because Liv won’t eat pasta without it.
‘I thought we’d all be too tired to go out, so ta-da! Dinner is served!’ I announce. I carry the platter of simple pasta as if it were a banquet, and Guy, Flynn and – to my absolutely joy – Liv clap.
‘Is it aubergine and ricotta?’ she asks, peering at the sauce, and I nod as my face splits with a smile.
‘Of course. And there’s Parmesan, too,’ I say. ‘Liv’s favourite,’ I add for the others.
‘Well, thank you,’ Margot says. ‘Although you do know you don’t have to do this every day, don’t you?’
I smile at her, happy at first, but then unsure of what she means. Is she telling me that she’d rather do the cooking herself and that I’ve stepped on her toes as the hostess? Or does she intend to eat out every night? Have I done something wrong by cooking at home? I’m lost.
‘Dig in,’ I say, offering the bowl.
‘Leave some for everyone else,’ Margot warns Flynn.
‘What?’ he says. ‘I’m hungry.’
‘Just to let you know, the only thing I have for dessert is Wispas!’ I smile at Liv. It’s homage to the ‘picky teas’ I used to prepare on Sunday evenings when she was a kid, back before everything happened. The Wispas were her favourite part.
‘This is delicious,’ Guy says, nodding, after he tastes his first forkful. ‘And so thoughtful. Thank you, Sara.’ The smile he gives me is warm. He’s way easier to read than his wife. ‘So, what shall we do this week? I’d love to get in a round at the golf club …’
I notice Margot look down at her plate as if she expected nothing less. A golf widow maybe? Interesting.
‘… and maybe catch up with Tom and Di. I think they’re still here. Maybe Tom will bash a ball with me.’
‘Well, I’d like to go to The Chedi for a spa and beach day,’ Margot says. ‘I’d also like to take a look around the Opera House – I used to love going there. And I always love having a look around the fish market.’
‘Liv wants to go shopping,’ Flynn says.
‘I’ve seen some amazing malls on TikTok!’
‘I wouldn’t mind looking around a souk,’ I say. ‘Maybe it’s something we could do together, Liv? What’s good to buy in Oman?’
‘Silver,’ Margot says. ‘Gold. Jewellery. Arabian perfumes. Carpets, if you need any. Frankincense. Omani daggers, but I don’t advise trying to get those home in your luggage.’
‘Makes a change from Marks and Sparks!’ I say, and only Guy laughs.
‘It’s best in the evening,’ Margot says. ‘But you need to know what you want and then you need to haggle. They’ll see you coming a mile off.’
‘Do you want to do any sightseeing?’ Guy asks. ‘I mean, we’ve done most of it, but there might be things you’d like to see.’
‘I don’t want to get in your way if there are people you guysneed to see. I’m happy to take Liv off for a bit here and there. I’ve done some research and there’s a hop-on, hop-off bus we could take. See a bit of the city? Flynn, you’d be welcome to come with us, of course. And I’m sure Liv’ll want to top up her tan, so we can hang out by the pool, too.
‘Nonsense!’ Guy says. ‘We’re happy to show you around, aren’t we, Mar? We could start with a bit of sightseeing around town tomorrow. Why don’t we all go out together and then you can take it from there?’
‘That sounds terrific. Thank you,’ I say, smiling at Guy.
Margot’s chair scrapes on the tiles as she stands to gather the empty dishes and I sit back, finally beginning to relax: this holiday might actually be wonderful.
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