Page 40 of Love ad Lib
‘Good girl, good girl,’ Claire cooed before turning her fiery gaze back to Libby. ‘See? Even Harper knows he’s a complete tool, and she’s less than a week old.’
Libby wrung her hands in her lap. ‘He’s under so much stress. His big show is on Monday and I should have thought before asking if I could stay. It’s just I didn’t want to intrude on you.’
Claire sat, Harper’s eyes now closing as she drifted off to sleep. ‘Libby. Listen to me. You can always stay here. Harper’s in with us at the moment anyway so you can have the nursery on the floor or the couch in here. But you do need another solution. What’s India going to do?’
‘Well, she’s off soon for that shoot in Morocco, so she’s going to stay with her parents in Surrey until then. The insurance claim could take months to go through, and the whole house might need to be gutted.’
‘So, you’re homeless.’
She bit her lip and nodded.
‘What about work? We haven’t talked about this since Harper arrived, but I could still do the odd gig—’
‘Please don’t,’ said Ritchie poking his head around the door. ‘You’re still bleeding heavily, your hormones and emotions are all over the place, and in a few days Harper won’t be sleeping like she is now. Just give it a few weeks before you go back. Please, love?’
As if to confirm her husband’s words, Claire burst into tears. Ritchie came into the room and put his arm around her. ‘It’s okay, sweetheart. Let me take her for a bit and make you a cup of tea, eh?’ Claire nodded and Ritchie lifted Harper into his arms. He kissed his wife on the top of her head. ‘Don’t worry, love. I’ve got this.’
‘I shouldn’t be here,’ Libby whispered. ‘You need your space.’
‘Not as much as you need it, Lib.’ Claire blew her nose. ‘And I’m really worried about you. You promised you’d get work put in the diary, but it looks like you’ve done nothing.’
Libby’s mouth opened, but she couldn’t find the excuse to fill it. ‘I’m afraid I was happily paddling up my favourite river.’
‘De-Nile?’
She nodded, then started singing a hoe down in a soft and sad voice.
‘I’m perky, I’m chirpy, my name is Libby-Lou.
My neighbour’s made me homeless and I don’t know what to do.
I’m in the red, my starter’s dead, my life is in a mess.
The only thing I’ve salvaged is my gorgeous yellow dress.’
‘Really?’ Claire asked.
‘You’re the engine of this team,’ Libby replied. ‘I’m no good without you. I just turn up and pull funny faces.’
‘Bollocks. I just think you’re scared of change so you’re avoiding it, and I haven’t helped by doing all the admin. Look. It’s easy to be comfortable in an uncomfortable life.’
Libby was too tired to understand her friend’s words. ‘What?’
‘We do our shows, we do workshops, hell, we might occasionally go on tour. But we can do it with our eyes shut. It’s always a challenge, but neither of us has the same wide-eyed panic we did at the start, do we?’
She lifted a shoulder in a half shrug, but Claire was right.
‘It’s easy,’ said Claire. ‘Well, it was, living with India. And it’s safe to be in love with Lucas, because in your heart of hearts, you know nothing is ever going to happen. I mean, seriously, what would you actually do if he kissed you?’
Libby’s cheeks were burning.
‘I’m as much to blame,’ Claire continued. ‘I honestly thought I could pop Harper out, strap her to my chest and carry on as if nothing had changed. We’ve both been skirting around these issues and avoiding having a proper conversation about them. Change is inevitable, Lib. It’s just up to you whether you take the initiative or have it forced upon you.’
Libby bit her bottom lip. She was beginning to wonder if her relationship with Lucas would ever be different. And what should she do about Henry’s offer? She’d promised him an answer by Tuesday after Lucas’s show. It didn’t matter that it was fake with Henry, or that they’d never even have to touch. If she had even the slightest chance with Lucas, then she’d never take the job.
Claire started singing.
‘You’re clever, you’re funny, your name is not Lib-Lob.
