The Day She Came Back(54)

‘I have been baking!’

‘Sorry, Vic, I think the line must have gone a bit dodgy, either that or my hearing has gone; I thought for one terrible moment you said you had been baking!’

‘Very funny.’ She laughed more than the joke warranted, happy – beyond happy – that things were restored between her and the girl she so loved. ‘I have actually found it quite therapeutic. I’ve made brownies!’ She giggled, deciding not to divulge all of the ingredients.

‘Wow! Brownies! Well done, my clever friend.’

‘Thanks.’

‘I can’t wait to come home. I have eaten my body weight in cake and am quite keen to leave before I actually explode!’

‘Don’t explode.’ Victoria laughed, knowing it would not occur to her friend to simply say no to the cake on offer. ‘Anyway, I think I might have just the incentive you need to want to be in shape, plus the perfect thing to occupy your thoughts while you are away.’

‘Oh God, that sounds ominous. Okay, shoot.’

‘I am going to have a party! Or, more specifically, we – we – are going to have a party!’ She couldn’t help the creep of excitement in her voice.

‘A party? When?’ Daksha sounded more perplexed than thrilled. Parties were not and never had been their thing.

‘Saturday night.’

‘Oh my God! This Saturday?’

‘Yes. Why, do you have plans? Because if you do, cancel them!’

‘Ha ha! Four days’ time? How much weight can I lose in four days?’

‘Quite a lot, if you stay off the cake.’ Victoria laughed again.

‘Not gonna happen. Where’s the party?’

‘Here, at Rosebank.’

There was a moment of hesitation before Daksha replied. ‘Really? You want to have a party at Prim’s house?’ Her friend’s shocked tone put a big dent in Victoria’s happiness and irritated her in the way that dissent when an idea was good often did.

‘Actually, it’s my house now. And yes, right here.’ She looked around the hallway and tried to imagine the twinkle of fairy lights and the low hum of conversation over the chink of glasses.

‘Who are we going to invite? Do we know enough people to make a party?’ Daksha laughed as she voiced the uncomfortable truth.

‘Well, maybe not, but Flynn McNamara does.’ She screwed her eyes shut and danced her bare feet on the step below, knowing the bombshell she was about to drop.

‘Well, yes, I am sure he does, but what makes you think he’ll want to come to our party? We’re hardly Flynn McNamara-worthy. He’s barely spoken a word to us in the last five years, save your outside-the-shop chit-chat the other week.’ Her voice dropped an octave, as if she, like Victoria, was aware that this chat had happened on the day that her life was about to change . . .

‘Actually, it was his suggestion that we have a party.’ Victoria paused. ‘He suggested it over breakfast this morning.’

Daksha let out a small giggle. ‘Of course he did. In your dreams. Don’t tell me: he made you scrambled eggs while naked?’

Victoria bit her lip and grinned. If only you knew . . .

‘No, Daks, not in my dreams. This is absolutely for real! Oh my God! I’ve got so much to tell you. He pitched up here the night you and I . . . you know, when your mum came to get you . . . and he has been staying here for the last few days and only left briefly the other morning because I kind of made him because I needed a break, but he came back. He’s out now seeing friends, but he’s coming back again tonight!’ She shoved her knuckles into her mouth, hoping this might take the full force of the excitement that threatened to burst from her. She hadn’t realised that the telling about Flynn would be nearly as thrilling as the actual being with Flynn, if not more so.

‘You are joking me?’

‘I am not joking. He has been staying here and we shared a bed and slept on the sofa and we have kind of, you know, we have done stuff. Lots of stuff,’ she whispered, wary of her ancestors’ portraits and photographs all around. ‘And it’s good and he’s great and, when I am with him, I can forget all the other shit that’s going on. He is exactly what I need right now. I like him, I do. I mean, I don’t think it’s a long-term thing, or a serious thing, of course not, he’s going off to Newcastle, but it’s good fun. He’s sweet, and he makes breakfast!’ She laughed. ‘So, what do you think?’ She sat back on the stairs.

‘I . . . I still don’t know if you’re mucking about.’ The laughter had gone from Daksha’s voice and this alone was enough to cause a flare of embarrassment.

‘No! God! Why is it so hard to believe? Because I’m not Courtney? Because I like books, not boys? Why can’t I like both? And why do you think I am so out of Flynn’s league? What is so wrong with me, Daks?’ Her tone was sharp.

‘Nothing! There is absolutely nothing wrong with you!’

‘That’s not what it sounds like. You sound really pissed off, actually.’

‘Because I am pissed off. Actually.’

‘I can tell. Why can’t you just be happy for me?’ She hated that those darn tears were still so very close to the surface, and she cursed the catch in her throat.

There was a beat or two of silence while she waited for her best friend to speak. The tension was palpable.