One of the Girls(31)
Lexi stared at Bella, who was grinning. She honestly thought this was good fun. Her sister-in-law was sitting at the table, for God’s sake. Ed was no wallflower, but Lexi had scrimped on some of the details of her past. The crowd she used to mix with were dancers, which meant supple bodies in tiny outfits, and wild parties, and drink and drugs and sex. Lexi wasn’t sorry for any of it. She loved sex. Loved men. But it was in her past.
‘I’m not answering that question. I hope Ed didn’t either.’
‘He answered,’ Bella said, raising her eyebrows at whatever was written on the paper. ‘You either give us your answer or take the shot.’
A brittle silence crackled around the table. Lexi wasn’t about to do either. She wanted to leave the terrace, walk down the stone steps to the beach and sink her feet in the sea. But if she left, it would make things worse – it would show that Bella had got to her. ‘Fine. A dozen.’
‘That’s what you told Ed? Oh, babe, that’s hilarious!’ Bella laughed. ‘But no, I’m afraid your answer is incorrect. Your husband-to-be said, and I quote, Lexi, of course, was a virgin when we met.’
Everyone laughed, including Lexi, the tension easing a little.
‘There you go,’ Bella said, handing her the shot.
The old Lexi wouldn’t have blinked. She’d have knocked it back without hesitation.
‘Get it down you,’ Bella said, challenging her.
Lexi stared at the clear liquid. Slowly, she lifted the glass to her lips, took the ouzo into her throat, felt its hot bite. She held it there while she set down the empty glass. Then, as Bella’s gaze returned to the questions, Lexi ducked low and spat the liquid into the cactus behind her.
Bella’s head whipped up. ‘Er. What was that?’
Lexi straightened, wiping the back of her hand across her mouth.
‘You may be a woman who spits not swallows – but never with alcohol.’
‘I don’t want to make this a drinking game.’
‘It’s one shot.’
‘I’m not in the mood for drinking,’ she snapped.
‘I do not speak your language. Is there a translator anywhere? This woman is saying, I’m not in the mood for drinking?’
Around the table, the others smiled uneasily.
‘As your forfeit, you can do two,’ Bella decided, picking up two more shot glasses and holding them out.
Lexi’s hands remained at her sides.
Bella’s chin lifted a fraction. The atmosphere stretched taut.
‘Here, I’ll do the forfeit,’ Robyn said, standing quickly.
‘You will not!’ Bella refused.
Robyn hesitated uncertainly. She looked between Lexi and Bella, then lowered herself back down.
Bella thrust the two shots towards Lexi. ‘They are yours.’
Lexi looked Bella square in the eye. Shook her head. ‘I said no.’
‘What is going on?’ Bella asked, genuinely bemused. ‘You’re not bloody pregnant, are you?’
Lexi held herself very still.
Across the darkening terrace, a moth fluttered towards the candlelight.
She was aware of silence forming around her, except for the thrumming of wings.
Bella’s eyes widened. ‘Oh my God! You are! You’re pregnant!’
23
Bella
Lexi is pregnant. That’s all Bella could think, over and over, like a marching beat in her head. Lexi is pregnant.
There was silence around the table. Candles flickered in glass jars, illuminating surprised expressions.
When Lexi spoke, her voice was flat and even. ‘I’m eleven weeks.’
Bella blinked. Eleven weeks? Already? ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘I’ve only just found out. Ed doesn’t even know yet.’
‘Oh,’ Eleanor said from the other end of the table.
Lexi’s gaze lowered briefly. ‘He was working in Ireland when I took the test. I want to tell him in person.’
Bella placed her fingertips on the table edge to stop herself swaying. She looked at Lexi, trying to make sense of the news.
Lexi had said that she never wanted children. They’d pass other mothers looking harassed and exhausted and think, Not us. Soft play was for suckers, that’s what they’d always maintained. Snotty playdates and Saturday mornings at the park and lie-in-less weekends – no, thank you very much. They both loved kids – they weren’t monsters – but they wanted a different type of life. Plus, Lexi had known that you couldn’t be a professional dancer and pregnant.
But now Lexi wasn’t a dancer. She was a yoga instructor (Bella’s brain had only just stopped scrambling over that one). She was getting married. She was … having a baby?
Fuck.
Fen broke the silence, smiling warmly as she said, ‘Congratulations. This is wonderful news.’
Lexi looked at her gratefully. ‘Thank you.’
Around the table, the rest of the hens were beginning to chime in.
Bella knew she should say something. That she should hug her friend. Use the word congratulations. But her mouth didn’t seem to want to move. The quiz questions were hanging limply from her hand. She needed to speak. Everyone’s attention was turning to her.
Silence stretched.