Page 186 of Falling for You
She tilts her head. ‘Aw, that’s nice. Is your mom back in New York?’
I feel my heart wrench and for a second I’m pulled out of this bubbly, exciting moment with Annie and back into the kitchen with Mom.
‘Yeah,’ I say. ‘She’s not well, she …’ I look up, catching myself. ‘Sorry, I don’t know why I’m telling you.’
She leans forward and takes my hand, sending a frisson of electricity through my body. ‘I’m really sorry to hear that. My parents are my whole world, I can’t imagine one of them being sick.’
I give a rough laugh. ‘Yeah. It’s not the greatest experience.’
‘I bet.’
‘It’s no kebab, anyway,’ I joke, looking down at my sweaty yellow box. ‘Do your parents live in London?’
She shakes her head, swallowing her mouthful, and lets go of my hand. ‘No. They’re in the Cotswolds in my childhood home. It’s not too far from here. It’s probably the most typically British place you can go to. Like, I think some ofThe Holidaywas filmed there.’
‘I love that film.’
She laughs. ‘Why doesn’t that surprise me?’ She watches as I close the lid to my kebab, defeated. She smiles. ‘Well, if you’re not enjoying this part of our British culture, I feel like I should show you another staple.’
They do say that if you want to experience a city properly, you should get a local to show you around. You’ll see the hidden bars, the restaurants serving the best foods, the secret entrances into the parks where you’ll get the best view of the city.
Or, in my case, the sweatiest carpeted nightclub in the world.
‘Welcome to Infernos!’ Annie yells over the music, which is pumping out a heavy bass version of a Nicki Minaj song. The place is filled with young people, all flailing their limbs around and dancing wildly, clinging onto plastic glasses filled with luminous liquids. Some people are in tiny dresses, others in tracksuits, but everyone looks as if they’ve come to a place where nobody else can see what they’re doing. And that particularly goes for the couple pressed up against the wall in the corner.
‘Cool!’ I manage, as it’s the only thing I can think of to say. I haven’t been to a nightclub inyears. ForTake the Timemagazine, I’ve mainly been sent to bars, art galleries and posh restaurants.They’d never dream of sending me to a nightclub. Not that I wouldn’t go, but I don’t think I’d be let in. I’m too old!
Or so I thought.
‘Let’s get a drink,’ Annie says, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the bar. I follow her mindlessly. Now we’re standing up again, I notice our height difference even more. She’s about a foot shorter than me. Since I realised who she was I’ve started noticing all sorts of things that I didn’t see when we first met. Her long, dark hair. Her big brown eyes and turned-up nose, her slightly crooked teeth and heart-shaped lips. But the way I felt when I spoke to her felt the same as the first time. It wasn’t just a weird feeling of the moment. It was real. She was real.
‘What do you want?’ Annie yells and I bend down to try and get closer to her. ‘To drink?’ she adds.
My mind goes blank. ‘Rum and Coke?’ I offer. ‘Whatever.’
‘And a shot!’
I shake my head, but then realise that it wasn’t a question and she’s already leaning over the bar, shouting our order at the bartender. A moment later he reappears with two glasses, and two neon shots. Annie hands me one and I don’t bother arguing, knocking it back instantly.
‘Okay,’ she says, taking my hand again. ‘Let’s go.’
For a moment I’m worried she’s about to drag me onto the dance floor. If she thought that eating a kebab wasn’t sexy, she has no idea what my six foot three, awkward limbs are capable of. Thankfully, she leads me to a space next to the fire exit, which seems to be quieter. She shimmies onto a banquette and I follow her.
‘Cheers!’ she cries, and we knock glasses. ‘You can’t experience London properly without coming to Infernos.’
I look around dubiously. ‘Really?’
‘Margot Robbie comes here!’ she adds earnestly. ‘You’re not a snob, are you?’
‘No,’ I laugh and shake my head. ‘This just isn’t what I’d normally plan for a first date.’
‘What would you plan, then?’ She grins at me, her eyes sparkling again.
‘Well,’ I say, racking my brains for something impressive to say. ‘To start, I would take you out for dinner.’
‘We’ve just been for dinner,’ she says.
I go to argue but can’t help myself, her smile is infectious. ‘Okay, fine. Well, then I’d take you for drinks.’
