Page 88 of Once Bitten, Twice Fried
“What? Why?” Julie’s heart leapt into her throat.
“Trust me. Bye, Julie.”
Nicki hung up the phone.
Julie had no idea what was going on, but there was no way she wasn’t taking that advice.
* * *
Two hours and thirty minutes had passed since Julie’s phone call with Zoe’s assistant. She was now sitting stiffly on her couch, waiting for… something. She was wearing an olive green suit with a pristine white t-shirt and her best Oxford shoes. Her hair had never looked better, and she’d even put on a bit of makeup. She was feeling very silly.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d been stood up again, even if she didn’t know what was supposed to be happening. After talking to Nicki, Julie had let herself hope that whatever was about to happen would be a magical happy ending. Now, though, it was starting to feel too good to be true. What if her best outfit wasn’t a “confess your love” outfit but a “fuck you for breaking my heart” outfit? What if Zoe was on her way here, to tell her that she hated Julie, and Nicki was just trying to be nice by making sure Julie at least looked good while her heart was being stomped on? What if it was a cruel prank? Was she even sure that she’d gotten the right number? What if Zoe’s phone had gotten stolen when she got back to London and she had to change her number and this “Nicki” person was messing with her? Maybe she should just go and change back and forget that all of this happened.
Julie’s phone buzzed and it took her a moment to understand what was going on.
Zoe’s name flashed on the screen.
Julie swiped to take the call and almost dropped her phone in the process.
“Salut, Julie?”
Julie’s brain scrambled. She seemed to have forgotten how to speak every language.
“Julie?”
“Um erm hi Zoe.” Julie had prepared an entire speech in her mind and it was now rapidly slipping away from her. Why did she have to be a puddle of uselessness when it came to Zoe?
“Am I interrupting something?” Zoe sounded agitated.
“No, no.”
“Good. Do you think you can meet up with me?”
“What? Where? In London?”
“No, I’m in Brussels. I just arrived back.”
“Sure, I’m in Brussels too.” Julie bit her fist. What an idiot. She relaxed when she heard Zoe giggle on the other side of the line. “Where do you want to meet up?”
“I was thinking we could grab some fries together. For old times sake. At the same place where you all took me to ten years ago.”
“Yes. When?”
“Right now, if you can?”
“I can be there in 15 minutes.” Thank god she was already wearing her best outfit, otherwise she would have left the apartment an hour later at the earliest. She made a mental note to send flowers and chocolates to whoever the hell Nicki was.
“I’ll see you there then.”
“See you.”
“And, Julie?”
“Yes?”
“I won’t stand you up this time.”
* * *
