Part 110 (1/2)
”Oh no. Do I look s.l.u.tty?” I tug at the edge of the skirt. ”I'll wear low heels. A scarf.” I scurry back upstairs and return with a blue and white silk scarf and black shoes.
”Work shoes, Riley? Don't. Wear the gorgeous, expensive heels, be confident who you are, and sod anybody who judges you.” She pushes a goldfish-bowl-sized wine gla.s.s at me.
I take a too large drink and head back upstairs reappearing with heels that will bring me closer to Nate's face, and discover my wine gla.s.s has been refreshed.
Lauren sits, her yoga pants and jacket a world away from my clothes.
”Where's Joshy?” Lauren asks.
”He just left with his grandma.”
”Ohh, big night, then. Is it a date?”
”Kind of. I'm not sure.”
Lauren wipes lipstick from the rim of her gla.s.s. ”Lots you're not sure about tonight, Riley. Come on, tell me.”
”The old problem. When to tell a guy about Josh.”
”Hmm.” She taps the table, then exclaims, ”You haven't painted your nails!” My make-up tote is open on the table and she rummages through. ”Hold your hand out.”
”I had a manicure last week.”
”I think you need blue nails to match your dress!” She undoes the varnish bottle and grabs my left hand. ”Right, spill. Why are you worrying about telling this guy about Josh? You haven't mentioned the guy to me before so he can't have made his way up to the 'talk about Josh' rung of the ladder yet.”
I manage to drain my wine gla.s.s with my free hand. ”I know my rule, but I already know this guy.”
She looks up. ”Guy from work? To be honest that would be a good idea, I've been telling you for months it's about time you told everybody.”
”Not from work. Strictly speaking.” I sigh. ”Aren't there any single dads I could find?”
Lauren chuckles. ”Short supply and I wouldn't think a good match for you. Come on, who is he?” She pauses to refill the gla.s.ses, takes a long drink, and takes hold of my other hand, brush poised.
”Remember when I was snowed in at the pub last month?”
Lauren fights a laugh as she paints on blue polish. I pout at her. ”Sorry. Yes, I do.”
”I kinda hooked up with somebody.”
The nail brush hovers above my middle finger as Lauren pauses. ”Not... do you mean you... Who? Not the rock star!” Her mouth gapes and when I frown she focuses back on my nails.
”No, the middle-aged bar man,” I say sarcastically.
”Ha ha.” She wipes the varnish into the bottle and screws the lid on. ”b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l, Riley. Nate Campbell?”
”We've seen each other again a few times since. Casually.”
I met Lauren three years ago, when she began childminding Josh at her place but, as with anybody, I've kept my private life separate. I couldn't have her cross paths with my work, so she's been my confidante, on the periphery.
”Let me get this straight. The tour you went on with Blue Phoenix and Ruby Riot. The one I would've killed to go with you, wasn't Nate the guy who p.i.s.sed you off?” Understatement. ”Or was that the other guy? Will?”
”The whole band was difficult.”
”No, I seem to remember you were really upset with one of them.”
More wine. I drink half the gla.s.s. I've wanted to tell somebody about Nate for weeks and the words sound wrong.
”Nate. So this guy you practically hated and avoided, you just casually decided to get into his bed?”
”We were bored. Or something. I don't know, but we just...” Lauren raises a brow. ”Yeah. And we enjoyed it so we thought we'd... meet up back in London.”
Lauren splutters. ”You're funny. You make it sound like you enjoyed a nice meal together, not had down and dirty s.e.x with a rock star.”
I gulp my wine, then say in a low voice, ”We had incredible s.e.x and we've had more since.”
”You never told me. Why not? Riley!”
”I haven't told anybody. It's not serious. Just s.e.x. Or it wasn't.”
”But now you're going to a party with him.” I nod. ”A celebrity party?” She rests back in her seat and sips her wine. ”Oh wow. You might want to reconsider the 'not serious' part.”
”I know. This is a new direction for us, which is why I'm not sure if it's time to mention Josh.”
”I'd tell Nate soon. If press gets wind you're with Nate, someone will have a dig around in your past. How long do you think until they find out about Josh? I'd give it a day. Tops.”
”s.h.i.+t. I didn't consider that.”
”So I think you answered your own question, lovely. Best the news comes from you.” She chews her lip. ”How do you think he'll react?”
”That's the problem, I don't know. I can guess though, we'll probably be over soon.”
She tops my gla.s.s up again. ”I hope you haven't fallen for him, Riley, because if you have you might fall on your a.s.s.”
”Nice, thanks.”
”Just being realistic.”
My head lightens with the wine and Lauren's words. I should've spoken to her about this when I came back from Yorks.h.i.+re, instead of walking around in my happy, s.e.x-crazed haze. ”You're right. I'll tell him tonight. After the party. s.h.i.+t, I wish I'd said something before. Why didn't I?”
Lauren curls her hand around mine. ”Because it's a hard topic to bring up, and you're falling for him. I can tell, haven't seen you this bright since whats.h.i.+sname.”
”Elliott. And look how that worked out.” Elliot Cambridge, a man I dated briefly a couple of years ago. One who had a bad case of cold feet the minute I told him I had a son.
”Better to know sooner rather than later, if he's likely to drop you like a hot brick.”
I smile, a smile I don't feel like giving, and finish my wine. One more night with Nate, a confession, and then Monday I tell the world.