Page 2 of Happily Never After
‘Laura, I’ve got fabulous news,’ she says before I even have a chance to say hello. ‘The publisher called. They’re really excited by the concept for your next book, to the extent that they’re offering a substantial advance.’ She names a sum that makes me inhale sharply.
‘Is everything OK?’ Angus mouths.
I nod. Tamara is still speaking, telling me about contracts and so on, but I’m no longer listening. This is the biggest advance I’ve ever been offered, and a real sign that the publisher has faith in me. As soon as the call ends, I turn to Angus.
‘We need to make another stop on the way home,’ I tell him.
‘Oh, yes?’ His expression is curious.
‘The publisher bought my concept. We need champagne.’
He laughs. ‘I don’t know why this always surprises you. You’re a bestselling author. You’d have to come up with something truly dreadful for them not to buy it. You really need to learn to ditch the impostor syndrome.’
‘I know, but I think it comes with the territory,’ I tell him.
‘Yeah. And now you’ll agonise over whether the book is shit right up until the point that everyone buys it and loves it because you’re actually very good at what you do. And we know that this book is going to be brilliant, because in a couple of weeks Meg will be there to give you inspiration.’
I lean over to kiss him on the cheek. Angus has been my most vocal supporter from the beginning, and I love him to bits for it. I truly don’t know what I’d do without him.
1
PRESENT DAY
‘Claire, that guy over there is totally checking you out. Have you noticed?’
Claire flipped the tab to stop the flow of lager into the pint glass she was filling and followed her friend’s gaze. It was a typically busy night in the Pig and Whistle, so it took her a moment to locate the object of Pauline’s attention.
‘The one sitting to the right of the dartboard?’ she asked, having clocked a pair of dark eyes under full brows.
‘That’s him. He’s barely stopped looking at you all night.’
‘Eeuww, Pauline. He’s way too old.’
‘I don’t know. You’re nineteen. What’s he? Twenty-six? Twenty-seven? Perfect for someone like you. Unlike boys your age, he’s probably got a job, his own car, maybe even a house or flat. He’s not bad looking either, is he? You could do a lot worse, I reckon. Go over and say hello.’
‘Are you out of your mind? I might as well just chuck my knickers at him and tell him I’m desperate. No, if he’s interested, he’s got to make the first move, and I’m still not convinced about his age. My dad would freak.’
‘Your dad needs to realise that you’re an adult now. Time to start dating men instead of boys. There are loads of emptyglasses nearby. Why don’t you do a collection run and see if he says anything? Go on. I’ll finish this order for you.’
Claire knew well enough that there was no point in arguing with Pauline when she was like this. With a sigh, she picked up a tray, making her way slowly across the room to the table where the man was sitting. Now that Pauline had pointed him out, she was acutely aware of his eyes on her as she moved.
‘Can I take these empties for you?’ she asked when she finally reached his table.
‘Thanks.’ He looked up at her and smiled. He had a nice smile, she had to admit, and Pauline was right. He was good-looking in a swarthy kind of way.
‘I don’t think I’ve seen you in here before,’ she remarked.
‘I’ve only just moved into the area,’ he explained. ‘I’m Darren, by the way. Darren Enticknap.’
‘Pleased to meet you, Darren. I’m Claire.’
I sigh and lift my eyes from the laptop screen to look out of the window. Normally, I have no trouble slipping into the zone when I’m writing, but the last few paragraphs have taken over two hours. What’s more, the text feels bland and clunky as I cast my eyes over it. Ever since Angus left, writing has felt more like a chore than a pleasure and I can’t deny that it’s showing in the quality of my work.
If real life were anything like one of my books, I’d have seen Angus’s sudden departure coming. However, a month has passed since he decided – quite out of the blue – that he needed to be as far away from me as possible, and I still haven’t fully come to terms with it.
‘You’re not going to cry again. We’re moving on, Laura,’ I tell myself forcefully as I prepare to recite the mantra my best friend Olivia gave me when I was still raw and bewildered in the early days after he walked out. ‘Angus left because, well, I still don’treally know why he left if I’m honest, but it’s definitely more to do with him than me.’
I shift my gaze to the dog basket beside my desk, unsurprised to see Meg’s chocolate eyes staring reproachfully at me. I may be the one who normally walks and feeds her, but she’s always been more Angus’s dog than mine and, if anything, she’s moped even more than me since he left. To be fair, a lot of that has probably just been her picking up on my misery.
