One of the Girls(15)

‘By the way,’ Robyn said, ‘I wanted to say thank you for arranging the villa with Fen. It’s perfect. Lexi looks so happy.’

‘Oh. You’re welcome,’ Bella said, disarmed by the compliment. She glanced over at Lexi. ‘You’re right. She does look happy.’

‘It’s nice to hang out again. All together,’ Robyn added.

Bella felt her shoulders softening. ‘It is,’ she said, meaning it.

A long pause followed. ‘I’d best get the gifts organised,’ Robyn said, then ducked away.

That was the problem with her and Robyn these days: they ran out of things to say. It was like every conversation stalled to a dead end. Bella lifted her glass to her lips and took another drink.

Chair legs scraped across stone as the hens took their seats beneath the pergola. Candles flickered in jars, light glinting from the long stems of their glasses.

Robyn had artfully arranged the pile of presents in front of Lexi. She stood at her side, hands clasped, saying, ‘We all wanted to make you a gift that says something about our friendship with you. You’ve got to guess who each one is from.’

‘But before we start,’ Bella said, sliding back her chair to stand, too, ‘let’s make sure everyone’s drinks are topped up.’ She produced a full bottle of Prosecco and worked her way around the table, refilling each of their glasses. She paused at Fen’s side, leaning close to her ear, whispering, ‘You smell divine.’

Returning to the head of the table, Bella said, ‘Now for some housekeeping. There are three rules on this hen party.’

‘Here we go,’ Lexi groaned.

‘One, we all drink when the bride drinks.’

Lexi raised her glass into the air, then brought it to her lips, taking a sip of Prosecco. The other hens followed suit.

‘Two: the bride-to-be is to have no communication with the groom.’ She stared at Lexi. ‘Understood?’

With her free hand, Lexi saluted.

‘And three,’ she said, addressing the rest of the group, ‘what happens on the hen party, stays on the hen party!’

‘Cheers to that,’ Ana said, raising her drink. They all clinked glasses and the night felt full of promise.

‘Presents, now!’ Robyn called, smiling.

‘Okay,’ Lexi said, setting down her drink. Her engagement ring glittered in the candlelight as she reached for the first gift. It was wrapped in tin foil. ‘Bella’s?’

‘Busted,’ she grinned. ‘Technically, it’s not something I made. More like something I cut up.’

‘Intriguing.’ Lexi opened the scrunched foil and pulled out a sequined boob tube. ‘Ibiza 2010! Space boobs! Our post-exams holiday.’

‘Yes!’ Bella said, raising her glass. ‘We should really be listening to “We No Speak Americano”.’ They’d danced to that track all summer, first finding it hilariously cringe and then becoming hooked on the catchy beat. ‘That was the summer you got the job on the podium. D’you remember?’ she said, reaching for Lexi’s hand, squeezing.

Lexi nodded, smiling with her whole being, like she could taste another life.

Bella told the others, ‘We were only meant to be out there for a week’s holiday – a post-A-levels mash-up, we called it – but Lexi got scouted by this club manager and asked to be one of their dancers. You spent most of that summer painted silver wearing space boobs.’

‘And you spent most of it drinking my wages!’

‘Did you go, too?’ Ana asked Robyn.

‘No. I couldn’t. I had a job at home.’ Robyn smiled stoically, before her gaze fell to her lap.

Bella felt the recrimination: it was hardly her fault that the apartment she’d sourced through a mate was one-bedroom. Or that they’d ended up staying in Ibiza for the whole summer. If Robyn had wanted to come badly enough, she’d have worked it out.

‘We missed you on that trip,’ Lexi said loyally, her free hand reaching for Robyn’s.

The three of them used to hold hands all the time as teenagers; wherever they walked, their arms were linked, or their hands were slipped into one of the others’. Bella felt a wave of nostalgia for those school days, when the three of them were inseparable and life seemed simpler.

Lexi let go of them both to pick up the next gift. This one was slim, wrapped in the pages of an old comic book.

‘Not something I made,’ Ana admitted, chin resting easily on her fist. ‘But it’s something I thought you’d like.’

Lexi carefully removed the wrapping to reveal a second-hand book. She turned the cover over and the pitch of her voice rose as she said, ‘Jack Kerouac. On the Road!’

Ana beamed. ‘I saw it in the second-hand bookshop on my street. I just had to get it. I love this edition – and I know it’s one of your favourites.’

Is it? Bella had no idea Lexi even read books. When they were together, they talked about films and sex and music and parties.

Lexi reached across the table, circling her arms around Ana. It was one of Lexi’s yoga hugs: a long, meaningful embrace, probably exchanging connectivity or energy or whatever. ‘I love it. Thank you.’

The next present was from Fen, who’d made Lexi a voucher for a one-to-one personal training session. They’d discussed the gift together before the hen, Fen worrying that it wasn’t thoughtful enough, but Bella knew Lexi would be diligent about using it – asking Fen questions about nutrition and exercise. Bella loved how easily the two of them had hit it off.