The Reading List(71)

‘Thank you,’ Leilah said, still staring, gently squeezing Aleisha’s hand.

‘You’re welcome,’ Aleisha replied, unsure of what she was being thanked for.

‘Come sit with me?’ Leilah slapped the cushion of the seat beside her.

Aleisha did as she was told, not wanting to break the spell again.

‘How are you?’ Leilah looked at her.

Aleisha let the question hang in the silence between them for a moment, not wanting to say the wrong thing.

‘Yeah, I’m okay.’ She opened her mouth to continue, but her mind was a blank.

‘Who’s that person you keep texting?’ Leilah asked as Aleisha’s phone buzzed.

‘What?’ Aleisha flushed.

‘That person – the one you’re messaging now. Someone you’re always on your phone to when you’re here. Who?’

Aleisha looked at the message from Zac: Hey, you all right? How was the film? Fancy that coffee sometime soon?

‘Oh no one,’ she mumbled. ‘A friend.’

‘A boyfriend! Do you have a boyfriend?!’ Leilah’s eyes glinted with girlish glee. Aleisha couldn’t help but smile for a moment.

‘No, no, no. It’s no one.’ An image of Zac dressed in Jane Austen-style clothes, a formal, frilly white shirt, popped up in her mind. She covered her face with her hands.

‘Someone you work with? You mentioned someone called Kyle before?’

‘No!’ She was horrified at the suggestion.

‘You have to tell me.’

Aleisha laughed. She hated this. But her mother actually gave a shit if she was seeing a guy. That was new.

‘Are you going to invite him round?’

It was like Leilah believed they were living a different life at times like this, as if she and Aidan could invite friends round at the drop of a hat.

‘So, come on spill, who’s the guy?’

‘Why do you think it’s a guy?’

‘Look, I might be old but I know it’s a guy and I want to know everything. Not because I’m your mum, just because. Why can’t I know something fun and exciting? Look at me!’ Leilah held her arms out to the side. She looked small. Her T-shirt was sagging around her waist, and her legs were crossed tightly in front of her.

‘But I mean, what if it was a girl? Not a guy.’

‘I don’t mind either way. You’ll tell me!’

Aleisha sighed. ‘His name’s Zac. I saw him on the train once. And then he helped me home from the shop with my bags and he lives not far from here. And I saw him at the park and he insisted on giving me his number and we’ve been talking.’

‘Love at first sight.’

‘Mum!’

‘Okay, that’s fine. Just tell me more!’

‘He studies law—’

‘That’s it. Marry him!’ Leilah put her hands in the air, theatrically. ‘I’ve always said you were going to study law! We could soon have two lawyers in the family!’

‘No! Chill out.’ Aleisha was staring straight ahead at the wall, embarrassed. ‘But he’s being really helpful and said he’ll show me some of his uni prospectuses. He’s kept them all.’

‘What a line.’ Leilah winked. ‘No, no. I’m kidding. He sounds like a good guy. He’s how old?’

‘Twenty. Not too old.’

‘That’s okay. I dated a few twenty-six-year-olds when I was your age.’

‘Mum!’

‘Not at the same time. And does he know about your other love?’

‘What other love?’

‘The list. That reading list you showed me.’

Aleisha was startled that she had even remembered.

‘No, that’s nothing.’

‘That could be the start of a love affair. What if the list curator is your perfect guy or girl? It could be a Richard Curtis movie.’

Aleisha didn’t reply.

‘Well … something about this list has really hooked you. You’re still reading, yes? This boy hasn’t distracted you?’

Aleisha contemplated this for a moment. ‘Yes, Mum. I’m still reading. I’m enjoying them, and I’m interested. Besides, it gives me something to do while everyone else is going to Reading festival, or whatever. Or they’re on holidays or working somewhere decent. I’ve not seen anyone in ages, and no one chats to me. It’s like I’m not even around.’

Aleisha took a deep breath. The list wasn’t just a distraction for her any more. She’d learned how to fight for something you believe in from Atticus Finch; she’d learned how to survive with a tiger like Pi; she’d learned never to stay in a creepy house in Cornwall, maybe just go to a B&B or something instead; and from Amir in The Kite Runner she’d discovered it was never too late to do the right thing. Pride and Prejudice … that was more like a guilty pleasure read, but she liked aspects of it – especially the parts that reminded her of Zac.

She thought of Mukesh now – her new, unlikely friend. He’d been a good companion for her at the library. The last time he’d been in, she’d seen him sitting up very straight, with his reading glasses pulled halfway down his nose, focusing on Pride and Prejudice.

‘Hey Mr P,’ Crime Thriller guy (Chris) had said to him, wandering past. ‘Enjoying that?’