The Guilt Trip(23)

“You just don’t want to be going in after you’ve eaten a big meal,” says Will.

“Isn’t that a myth?” asks Noah to no one in particular. “Am I honestly going to drown if I eat all that bread?”

“You’ll have to be quick,” says Paige, nodding her head in the direction of Ali’s full plate.

“Hey, don’t knock a girl for her appetite,” says Ali, with an edge.

“All power to you,” says Paige, retrieving an olive stone from her mouth. “I just don’t know where you put it.”

Ali smiles sweetly. “I guess I’m one of the lucky ones,” she says.

“So, you can eat whatever you like and don’t ever put on an ounce?” asks Paige incredulously.

Ali nods. “Pretty much.”

“But you must exercise, surely?”

“When I feel like it,” says Ali, laughing. “Which isn’t very often.”

“Oh, to be born with a body like this,” says Will, giving Ali’s pert behind a squeeze.

Ali smiles awkwardly, pretending to be embarrassed.

“Well, I can assure you that I will need to hit the tarmac at some point,” says Paige. “Especially after all this.”

“Did you even bring your trainers?” asks Noah, sounding surprised.

“Of course I did,” says Paige, as if affronted by his lack of faith in her commitment to exercise. “Did you?” She’s looking at Rachel. “We could go for a run together if you like.”

In her mind’s eye Rachel can see her trusted Nikes sitting forlornly on their bedroom floor at home, having been booted out of the suitcase, in favor of her hair dryer.

“Are you honestly going to need them?” Jack had asked, as she’d decided on which to sacrifice.

“I’m going for a run at some point,” he says now.

“You brought your running shoes?” asks Rachel, unable to hide her surprise. “I thought we didn’t have enough room.”

“I substituted my boat shoes,” he says. “I didn’t see that I’d need them, and I think I made the right call, because, after all the eating and drinking we’re going to be doing, I’m going to have to do something.”

“I might join you then,” says Paige. “Though, I’m not sure I’ll be able to match your pace. You’d be best to go out and do three circuits before I join you on the last.” She laughs. “Hopefully you’ll be knackered enough by then for me to keep up with you.”

Jack smiles. “Don’t worry, I’ll take it slow.”

“I’ll come with you,” blurts out Ali.

It’s such a sudden outburst that the whole table turns to look at her. “I need to make sure I can still fit into my dress.”

“I don’t know when I’ll go,” says Jack tersely. “It might be tomorrow morning.”

“Fine,” says Ali. “I’ll come with you then.”

“I’m sure our yoga session will dispense with any unwanted calories,” says Rachel, not knowing whether she’s trying to protect Jack or warn Ali off.

“True enough,” says Ali. “But there’s nothing like a run to get your blood pumping to all the right places, is there?”

Rachel wishes she’d imagined it, but for a split second Jack and Ali lock eyes, as if in that moment, they’re the only two people there.



* * *



“I wouldn’t exactly call my husband a natural, would you?” Paige laughs as they watch Will taking Jack and Noah through the basics on static surfboards down on the shoreline. “He looks like he’s doing a difficult poo.”

Rachel looks on with affection as Noah crouches on bent knees, his expression vexed with concentration. “Let’s not write him off just yet,” she says. “If I remember rightly, he was a pretty good waterskier back in the day.”

“Really?” says Paige, as if she doubts it very much.

Rachel wishes she’d kept her memories to herself, as they only serve to remind Paige that Rachel and Noah shared a life before her, and that perhaps she doesn’t know her husband quite as well as she thinks she does.

Despite herself, Rachel pictures Noah laying her down gently on a bed, his eyes staring intently into hers, and wonders if Paige isn’t wrong.

“Are you sure we should be doing this?” Noah had asked, in between kissing Rachel’s neck.

Yes. No. Yes. No had resounded on a loop in Rachel’s head as she battled with her trepidation and conscience. Why, in the four years they’d known each other, had they chosen that night to cross the line from friendship to something more?

He was going on a year-long trip to Asia the following morning and all they were supposed to do was go out, get drunk and send him off in style. So, how come they were back at her flat about to have sex?

“Come with me,” he’d said.

“Don’t do this,” she’d pleaded. “The decision’s made.”

“But we’ve been planning this for months—this was our dream.”

“I know,” said Rachel. “And I’m sorry for letting you down, but it just doesn’t feel right for me to go anymore. Not now that Jack…”