Page 56 of Happily Never After
‘Then you invite him to your book launch.’
‘I don’t have book launches, as you know. The closest I get is the glass of champagne Ruby gives me when I go to her shop to sign the first batch of a new novel. I’m starting to wonder if I imagined the whole connection. He’s definitely been odd since we kissed. Maybe he didn’t like it, and he’s secretly relieved that he’s got this excuse to leave early.’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘Uh-oh. Is this a Liv “certainty” coming on?’
‘No. But he didn’t back off because he thought you were a pity party, did he? He backed off because, and I quote, you were out of his league. That’s a pretty powerful statement.’
‘I still think that was an odd thing to say. I mean, I’d understand if I looked like Kendall Jenner, but I don’t.’
‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Laura. You’re obviously his type. And I bet even Kendall Jenner is wracked withinsecurity about some aspect of her body. It comes as part of the whole “being female” thing.’
‘Maybe he was trying to say that I intimidate him in some way. Nobody wants to feel like that.’
She laughs. ‘Apart from your frank exchange of views with Angus yesterday, I don’t think anyone could call you intimidating.’
‘He hasn’t bothered you again?’
‘No. I think he got the message loud and clear. So, what’s your plan for the rest of the retreat then, now you don’t have Finn to entertain you?’
I sigh. ‘I don’t know. Keep my head down, I guess. I did wonder about coming home early too, but I’ve paid for the two weeks and I am making good progress with the book.’
‘There’s only another five days. I’m sure even you can tolerate the witches for that long. What does Finn call them?’
‘The Double-Doubles.’
‘Yeah, them. Steer clear of the cauldron, don’t accept any food or drink that they might have put potions in and I’m sure you’ll be fine.’
‘Thanks. If I ever want encouragement, I know where to come.’
When I reach the bridge that Finn and I have used as our turning point, I stop and lean against the parapet, breathing deeply and taking in the view. I am surprised how much I’m missing him already, and he’s only been gone for a few hours.
‘Toute seule?’ a voice says from next to me, and I turn in surprise to see the same old lady we met on our first walk here together.
‘Oui,’ I tell her.
‘Où est ton copain?’ She must sense my incomprehension, as she tries again. ‘Ton petit ami?’
She’s obviously talking about Finn. ‘Il est parti,’ I tell her, hoping that my schoolgirl French is enough to make myself understood. ‘Il est allé en Angleterre. Travail.’ I shrug my shoulders in a kind of ‘That’s life, but what can you do’ way that I hope is suitably Gallic.
She sighs and pats my hand, and I feel the need to try to clarify the situation with her, which is odd given that I don’t know her at all and my French is surely not up to the task. What was the word she used?
‘Ce n’est pas mon copain,’ I tell her. ‘C’est juste un ami.’
To my surprise, she bursts out laughing. Oh, shit. Maybe I’ve said it wrong and told her something that sounds totally inappropriate instead. That would be just my luck.
‘Oh, chérie,’ she breathes once she’s calmed down. ‘Je suis une vieille dame et j’ai vu beaucoup de choses dans ma vie. Pensez-vous que je ne peux pas reconnaître deux personnes qui vont ensemble?’
This is too much, and I have to admit defeat. ‘Je suis désolé. Je ne comprends pas,’ I tell her after wracking my brains for the words.
‘You and this boy. You belong together,’ she says in heavily accented English. ‘I saw it in,comment le dit-on, how you were.’
‘You speak English?’
‘A very little. Like your French, I think,hein? But we do not need to speak the same language to understand love.L’amour, c’est un langue universal, non?’
‘You think Finn and I are in love?’
