The Movies Make It Look Easy

Chapter 47

I quickly stowed my bag beneath the counter and donned an apron, loosely tying up my still-slightly-damp hair as I weaved around tables to reach a young couple who were patiently waiting to be served.

It was almost an hour and a half before I was able to pause for long enough to say more than two words consecutively to my friend.

As the place began to empty out, she pulled me into a tight hug.

‘Well, well, well’ she grinned, ‘it looks like you survived’

I raised a brow, ‘what made you think I wouldn’t survive?’

I slowly began to clear up the empty tables, but kept my attention focused firmly on Becky.

‘You and Nick King, the biggest player of the century, the guy who’s slept with half of London...not that I blame them, he is deliciously hot. Though I have to admit, I respect any girl who has had the will power to say no... I mean, it must be hard...’

‘Your point?’ I impatiently cut across her, not particularly liking the direction her soliloquy was going (I was almost positive that she was no longer speaking directly to me, just thinking aloud).

She blinked innocently at me before continuing, ‘what I mean is; the two of you jetted off together for a week on a romantic holiday, just the two of you...alone, sharing the same household, see where I’m going with this?’ she pretended to swoon.

I snorted and rolled my eyes, ‘yes, because staying with my family is considered to be the ultimate romantic getaway. And besides, we already “share the same household”, as you put it, so it wasn’t really anything different’ I said sarcastically.

She shrugged, ‘so you didn’t join the ranks of those lucky girls to fall into his bed?’

I stared at her disbelievingly for a moment before answering.

‘He prefers my bed’ I said nonchalantly, trying my best not to laugh.

It was completely true too, just not the way she thought.

Her eyebrows flew up, almost into her hairline, and she got as far as opening her mouth to bombard me with questions, before I couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.

‘You should see your face’ I grinned, ‘no; Nick and I haven’t had sex’

She placed her hands on her hips as she glared at me, ‘you got my hopes up’ she chided.

I sobered up when I realised what she’d just said, ‘you got your hopes up at the thought of me sleeping with Nick? That’s...not normal Bex’ I told her, giving her a strange look.

She rolled her eyes, ‘I obviously didn’t mean it in a pervy way Shan’

‘What way did you mean it then?’ I asked, still suspicious as I carried a full tray back to the counter after wiping down three tables.

She followed me, ‘someday you’ll see what everyone else does, my young grasshopper’ she said solemnly, making me sigh and roll my eyes.

Why were all my friends weird? What did that say about me?

The rest of my shift was pretty uneventful, except for when Jenny bashed into me as she sauntered into the café to take over my shift...but then, that sort of behaviour was pretty generic for her so I didn’t give it a second thought.

Becky and I had spent most of our shifts gossiping, so when I set off for home not long after lunch, it was with a smile on my face.

I took my time, walking home at a leisurely pace, my head tilted towards the practically non-existent sun.