Page 24 of Three's a Crowd
Stopping in her tracks when she heard her name, she took a couple of paces backwards so they wouldn’t see her and hovered there for a minute to listen to what they were saying, feeling a bit naughty, but absolutely compelled to do it. She was fascinated to know what they were like together when they thought they were alone.
‘It’s funny because I didn’t think you had any female friends. You told me you don’t believe in them. “Men can’t have women as friends. They always want to screw them.” That’s exactly what you said, word for word, as I remember,’ Lola said, in an accusatory voice.
‘Yeah, well, Daisy’s different.’ Zach’s voice was unmistakable in its gruffness.
‘Because you’ve already slept with her?’
There was a long moment of silence.
‘You have, haven’t you? Don’t lie to me. You know I can read you like a book.’
Daisy held her breath, grimly intrigued to hear what he was about to say.
‘Yeah.’
Lola let out a rather unbecoming snort. ‘I knew it. I could tell the moment I saw you awkwardly hugging her.’ She paused for a minute. ‘Does Adam know?’
‘No.’ His voice was full of tension now.
‘Was she with him at the time?’
‘No. Well… sort of… Look, it shouldn’t have happened. I felt really shitty about it afterwards.’
‘What, you just couldn’t help yourself? Even though she was with your best friend?’
‘Yeah, well, I’m not proud of it.’ Zach sounded genuinely anguished, which sent a shiver of disquiet down Daisy’s spine.
‘Hah! All these secrets you’ve been keeping from me. Is there anything else I should know?’ Lola asked, archly.
‘No.’
‘What was it about her that made you do it?’ There was a loaded pause. ‘Don’t tell me. She was so sweet and innocent, you just had to corrupt her?’
Zach let out a frustrated groan at that. ‘Look, we’d been friends since we were kids. She intrigued me. And yes, I guess in my youthful ignorance, I wanted to corrupt her. But half of me wanted to protect her as well.’
‘You were in love with her, weren’t you?’ Lola said in a shocked-sounding voice.
It was at this moment that the sales assistant decided to make an appearance and stride over to where Daisy was lurking to ask if she needed any help with anything.
‘Er, no, I’m fine, thanks,’ Daisy muttered, her heart in her mouth as Lola’s final words rang in her ears. That couldn’t be true.Could it?
Shooting the assistant a tense smile, she walked quickly away on shaky legs, back towards the shop’s entrance, hoping to God that Zach and Lola hadn’t twigged that she’d been eavesdropping on their conversation.
When they both appeared a minute later, finding her staring blindly at some curtain poles that she had absolutely no interest in, Zach gave her a cautious-looking smile.
‘You okay, Diz?’ he asked, raising an eyebrow at her, perhaps because of her choice of object of fascination. At least she hoped so.
‘Yes, fine. Perhaps we’d better go, though. They probably don’t keep the tables in this fancy restaurant of yours if you’re late. Adam’s going to meet us there. He had to sort out something for work.’ She could barely look at him.
He nodded, his eyes hooded and his gaze intense, as if he was trying to translate a hidden meaning in that statement. ‘Okay,’ he said, ‘then let’s go.’
Daisy saw Lola grasp his hand as they exited the shop onto the high street. ‘As if they’d give our table away,’ she muttered with utter derision.
Daisy stiffened, but decided to shake it off. She guessed she was even further up Lola’s shit list now if the woman believed Zach had been in love with her at one time. Even if it had to be complete nonsense. It had to be.
Didn’t it?
Daisy hailed the next cab that was passing and they all clambered in – Zach giving the address of the restaurant in Covent Garden – and she spent the whole journey there trying not to look at either of them and give away her nerves about what she’d overheard in the shop.
