Kitty makes tea. We stay on that sofa, discussing my break up and my parents and everything that has happened in the past year. I can't believe how relieved I feel, to talk to Kitty about everything. I didn't know how much I needed her in my life.
While we talk, Will takes boxes and bags out of Matt's room and lines the hallway with them. Kitty and I offer to help, but he refuses. Then suddenly Ed is back, saying he's got a car downstairs, and he and Will take everything outside. The door slams behind them.
The flat is quiet with the guys gone. It's been so gloomy all day that I haven't even noticed that the sun has set, but all at once I realise it's night. Well, it's only half past four.
'So tell me about everyone,' I find myself saying, to fill the silence.
Kitty sighs, wrapping her arms around her knees and pulling them to her chest. 'So Ed and Matt started the bookshop,' she explains. 'They're brothers. Rich parents, apparently, who decided to invest in London property and gave the boys the keys.'
'Then why did Matt leave?' I find myself saying again, but Kitty shakes her head, and then stands up. She switches on the TV and pulls up Netflix. Without a word, Kitty puts on a random episode of Gilmore Girls. We used to watch it together when we were younger. She doesn't need to say anything more. I understand that she doesn't want to talk about Matt.
For dinner we go to a takeaway burger shop and then run back through the rain, clutching paper bags to our chest.
We descend the iron staircase at the front of Brew Books, and let ourselves into the basement bar, settling at a tall table to eat our burgers. Well, Kitty eats her portobello burger. I've opted for the only salad option the burger joint had - a caesar salad without dressing.
Will and Harper are down here now, stocking the fridges and goofing around, and I find myself staring at them while I pick through the lettuce. The boys are fighting over the playlist, and every time Harper walks away to grab a carton of beer, Will changes the music from rock to pop. When Will puts on a Drake song Harper throws an empty cardboard box at Will's head. Will dances away, grabs the glass of vodka he has on the counter, and takes a swig, all while holding his phone out of Harper's reach.
I hide my smile by pulling out my phone and checking through my notifications.
I check my Instagram story, but my ex still hasn't seen the selfie I posted, or the snap of my coffee cup. Which means he doesn't know I'm in London, and for all he knows, I'm still moping around at my dad's house. Maybe I should post a photo of London on Instagram, in case he sees that. But it's Friday night. I can't post a photo on Instagram now - it gives the impression that I don't have cool Friday night plans.
I leave Kitty and make my way past the boys, to the bathrooms at the back of the bar. In the mirror I'm greeted by the girl I'm not quite used to seeing just yet. I've lopped most of my hair off, so now I have a shoulder-length blonde cut. It's naturally quite wavy, but I straighten it every day. The rainy weather has made the waves return slightly, but I like the way it's tousled messily at the moment. I try to take a selfie but the lighting in this basement bathroom is terrible.
I open the group chat again, wondering if the girls will even respond if I send them a message. I text, "AMAZE day in London! Was so busy, couldn't text all day! Love you girls xx."
Nadia replies with "Have fun Janeee, miss you xx."
The other two girls don't reply, and I imagine that they've got exciting Friday night plans, and they're too busy to even think about texting me back. In high school, when the four of us were best friends, we texted each other constantly. But lately we've fallen out of touch. I'm not the same girl I was in high school, and suddenly they're too busy with their new university friends.
When I head back out, I join Kitty at the bar. Harper's serving drinks.
'What you drinking, Jane?' Harper asks me, after he's finished with customers. He's still wearing the denim button up, but he's tied his long hair up into a bun.
'What's your speciality?' I ask, trying a flirty smile.
Harper grins at me. 'Good answer,' he says.
I watch him as he makes a cocktail with rum and something pink. He shakes it up and pours the rosy concoction into a glass.
'I think this is you,' he tells me. 'I like to make a cocktail based on a person. Tell me what you think.'
I take a sip. It's sweet, with hints of berry and vanilla. I'm actually quite impressed. 'It's really good,' I say.
Harper grins. I'm beginning to love that grin of his. The way it splits up his entire face.
I don't dare drink any more before slyly taking a shot of the cocktail for Instagram.
Then, I take another big sip of the cocktail. It becomes sickly sweet as I drink more of it, but I pretend not to mind.
'Have you made a cocktail for everyone else?' I ask Harper.
'Yeah, of course,' Harper says. 'Will's is basically an espresso martini, made with vanilla vodka to make it extra smooth.' Harper points to the board, and I notice there's a cocktail called the "Wanilla", which makes me smile.
'Kitty's one is a bit weird. We made it as a big punch in Autumn. It's pumpkin puree with apple cider and ginger ale, and vodka, standard. So we don't have it on the menu here.'
I raise my eyebrow at that, but realise it does suit Kitty quite well.
'Ed's is a whisky sour, although I'm sure there was a twist in it. I'll have to check what I wrote down,' Harper says. 'I'll add yours to the menu, though,' he says to me, with a grin. 'I think it'll be popular. The Jane cocktail.'
I scoff. 'Don't call it the Jane,' I say. 'That makes it sound really... plain.'
'Well what should I call it?' Harper says, eyebrows raised.
I think for a moment and say, 'the Ruth. That's my middle name. It sounds a bit edgier than Jane, right?'
'Well this is not a particularly edgy cocktail, Jane. But maybe there's a little extra spice in you that I didn't pick at first. Maybe it needs a sharper twist.'
'Maybe it does.'
'Harper, can I have another vodka?' Will calls across the room, where he's wiping down tables.
'In a minute!' Harper says, turning back to me. He opens his mouth to say more, except that something behind me catches his attention. I turn around to see two girls entering the bar from the dark stairwell. When they step into the light I can see why they caught Harper's attention.
One of them is Charlotte, the cherry-haired barista who was working in the coffee shop. Her hair is still in a high, bouncy ponytail, but she's swapped her barista clothes for a crop top, short skirt, and boots, all in black.
Beside her is a black girl I recognise from photos above Matt's bed. She has long, straight hair almost to her waist, and she's also wearing an outfit of crop top and short skirt. Her makeup is immaculate. Her eyelids glitter gold and bronze when she glances around the bar. Her eyebrows end in sharp points.
They both exude a certain sex appeal that I know I'd never be able to achieve. I feel a stab of envy.
'Alright, loves,' Harper says, grinning.
'Hey babes,' Charlotte says, pouting her lips as if she's blowing Harper a kiss. She sits on the barstool next to Kitty, while the other girl lets herself behind the bar. They don't acknowledge me.
'This is Sylvie,' Kitty says to me. 'Sylvie, Jane said she'll take over Matt's job.'
Sylvie narrows her eyes as she looks at me. 'Nice to meet you,' she says flatly.
Will suggests we grab a table so we don't hog the bar space, so I take my pretty pink cocktail and follow Kitty and Will to a table.
When we're seated, I glance back at Harper. He's practicing tossing a vodka bottle in the air and catching it. Charlotte says something to him, and Harper grins his big Harper grin at her. For a second I thought Harper might be into me, but by the way he leans on the bar so close to Charlotte, it looks like he's into her.
I lean closer to Will. 'Are they a thing?' I ask him.
Will looks at Harper and Charlotte. 'Hmm, it's never...' he trails off, distracted by Harper throwing the vodka bottle up in the air again. He looks back at me, shaking his head. 'Never happened.'
• Author's Note •
Hi loves! Thanks for reading this chapter. I really hope you're enjoying this novel.
Now, of course I have a question for you...
What do you order when you go to a bar? Or, if you don't go to bars, what's your favourite cold beverage?
Don't forget to vote before you go on!
Oh, another little tidbit for you. If you're interested in discovering more about the author behind this novel (hi, that's me, elle!) then you can follow me on Instagram, where I post writing updates on my Instagram Stories pretty often. It's a great way to see behind-the-scenes, if you will.
Anyway, on to the next chapter!
elle xx