Our Stop(78)

‘And I was so happy to be your work BFF when you obviously had great taste in real-life BFFs,’ said Gaby.

‘But, almost right away it felt like …’ continued Emma.

‘More,’ Gaby supplied, stealing a look at Emma again, who smiled at her in encouragement.

‘More,’ Emma repeated.

Nadia nodded, and they dragged their gaze away from one another back to her.

‘So you’re … dating?’ said Nadia, trying to get them to say the words.

The pair beamed.

‘We should have told you,’ said Gaby. ‘It was just all so …’

Emma completed her sentence. ‘Unknown. And at first it could have been nothing, but then …’

‘It became something,’ said Gaby. ‘And by then, it was like we had to protect it. Give it a chance to grow.’

‘We didn’t want to tell you before we knew,’ said Emma, and Nadia got the measure of them in the way they finished each other’s thoughts and words – she could tell they were two halves of each other, and marvelled that she’d not seen how perfect a union that could be before. ‘I almost did – at Soho Farmhouse. You asked me so many times what was up and –’

Gaby interjected: ‘We’d had our first fight that weekend. If she was horrible to be around, it was my fault.’ She winked at Emma, playfully.

‘You could have trusted me …’ Nadia said.

‘We trust you!’ said Emma. ‘But it happened so slowly, I don’t think we kind of knew we’d crossed a line until …’

‘… Until we had really crossed a line.’

‘We wanted to tell you.’

‘Eventually.’

‘But also like, you know. What if it was a mistake?’

‘How do you know it isn’t?’ Nadia asked. And then, ‘I’m sorry – I didn’t mean that how it sounds.’ She didn’t. It was a reflex, a hangover from romantic scepticism. She was just relieved they were telling her everything now. That it was all out in the open.

Gaby said, ‘Well. To clarify. I’m gay. I think I always was and it wasn’t until Emma that I realized it.’

‘And I’m … into everyone? Bi? Pansexual? I don’t know. Whatever. I just … really fancy Gaby. Sorry.’

The three of them laughed.

Gaby said, ‘And I never want to even think about a man naked, ever again. I’ve seen the light, and baby she is female.’

Nadia put her hand over theirs across the table. ‘I’m glad I know now,’ she said. ‘I’m glad you can stop hiding from me. I saw you, in Soho one night. I knew, guys. I’ve known for a while.’

Gaby and Emma nodded. ‘We figured that you’d figured it out,’ Emma said. ‘And once we knew that you knew, but hadn’t heard it from us, we didn’t know how to bring it up. I’m sorry.’

‘I’m sorry too,’ said Gaby. ‘I’ve missed you!’

‘Me too!’

‘Me three!’ said Nadia. She felt instantly lighter. She hated that they’d had secrets, and that she’d had secrets. She liked everything being out in the open. ‘Okay, okay – come on then. What are we going to do about this mystery man?’

‘What does he look like?’ said Emma.

‘Oh, well – I can show you a photo, actually!’ said Nadia. ‘I found his Instagram profile before he spoke to me today. I feel like it was all meant to be, in a weird way.’

Nadia unlocked her phone and typed in his handle to Instagram.

‘NO. Way!’ said Gaby, pulling the phone from her hand. ‘Do you know who this is?’

‘Train Guy!’

‘Well, Train Guy is also the cute guy I tried to set you up with at the summer party! Daniel Weissman!’

‘That’s the guy you met at work?’

‘It is!’

‘The guy you met at work is Train Guy who is also Secret Cinema Waistcoat Guy? This is … wild! All the times I’ve missed him … our paths must have been almost crossing for months. Wow.’

‘Well, kid, let me just tell you: he’s lovely. Didn’t I say I knew your perfect man? Daniel Weissman! Shit the bed!’

‘Well, I’ve got a date with him tonight. I don’t know where, yet – I think he’s going to text me specifics. Finally, we’re going to have that drink.’

‘No emergency call needed, presumably?’

Nadia shook her head. ‘No emergency call needed.’





49


Daniel


Daniel saw Lorenzo’s name flick up into his inbox as he sat in his meeting – a meeting where he was asked to stay on at Converge for another six months. Daniel was thrilled to say yes: having just got a mortgage, it was nice to think he could just enjoy his new place and afford to decorate, rather than interviewing for his next consulting gig. It really was all coming up Weissman.

He didn’t get to read the email until lunchtime, with one thing and another, and he was glad he’d waited to give it his full attention.

Hey mate,

Listen, bloody congratulations on the flat. I’m made up for you – I really am. End of an era! It’s been great living with you. Thanks for putting up with all my shit. Your next chapter is going to be amazing. I’m really happy for you.