The Therapist(3)

Guilt had me reaching for a bottle of wine, hoping to pacify him.

‘It’s only for drinks,’ I told him, knowing I needed to avoid the word ‘party’.

‘Who have you invited?’

I handed him the bottle while I dug in the drawer for the corkscrew. ‘Just the people from here.’

‘What – everyone?’

‘Yes. But the people from number 3 can’t come and only Maria or Tim from number 9 are coming, so that’s twenty-one at the most.’

‘When is it?’

‘Saturday.’

‘This Saturday?’

‘Yes.’

He’d been silent all evening and yesterday, he’d gone to see Eve’s partner, Will. I watched from the window as they talked on the doorstep, worried he was telling Will there’d been a mistake and that we had to cancel. But when he came back, he said he was going out to buy beer and champagne, and I’d breathed a sigh of relief.

‘How’s the champagne going?’ I ask now. ‘Will we have enough?’

‘Not at the rate I’m drinking it!’

Recognising Eve’s voice, I look over Leo’s shoulder and see her standing in the doorway, an empty glass in her hand, a pink flush staining her cheeks, matching the pink tips she’s added to her white pixie cut. ‘It’s delicious! I’m not sure Prosecco is going to cut it for me in the future.’

I met Eve properly the day after I overheard her and Tamsin talking outside my window, and I instantly liked her. It wasn’t just that – unlike Tamsin – she seemed eager to get to know me and Leo, it was also that she was warm and caring, understanding that it wasn’t easy moving into a street where everyone already knew everyone else. She and Will only moved to The Circle eighteen months ago, so things are still relatively new for her too.

Leo turns. ‘Has everybody arrived, Eve, do you think? Alice is worried she won’t hear the bell from the garden.’

‘Will’s just arrived, his rehearsal ran over, so I think everyone is here, except Maria and Tim,’ she says. ‘But didn’t I see a message on the WhatsApp group saying they have babysitting issues?’

I take three bottles of champagne from the fridge and hand one to her, two to Leo. ‘Yes, Maria said that one of them would come along if they could.’

Eve laughs. ‘They have three boys, so that could explain their babysitting issues. Lovely but noisy.’

‘Edward and Lorna aren’t here either,’ I say, now knowing the name of my elderly neighbour, and his wife. ‘I went over to introduce myself, and to make sure they’d seen the invitation, and they said they weren’t sure they’d be able to come.’

‘I’m not sure parties are their kind of thing,’ Eve says doubtfully. ‘I honestly don’t think anyone else will come now but why don’t you leave the door ajar?’ Eve hugs the bottle to her chest like she’s scared someone will steal it. ‘Then if Tim or Maria come along, they can let themselves in.’

I hesitate a moment. Back in Harlestone, I wouldn’t have a problem leaving the door open but living in a city is different. Sensing my unease, Leo kisses the top of my head.

‘It’s fine,’ he says. ‘We’re in a gated street, no-one can get in unless they’re let in.’

I give him a smile. He’s right, and anyway, I need to shake off my preconceptions about living in London. I go through to the hall but before I can unlatch the door, there’s a ring on the bell. ‘I’ll be out in a minute!’ I call over my shoulder to Leo. ‘I’ll just get this.’

I open the door to a tall, good-looking man dressed in smart chinos and a beautiful linen jacket. He’s standing a few steps back, looking down at me from slightly hooded deep-set grey eyes.

‘You must be Tim,’ I say, smiling. ‘I’m Alice – come in.’

‘Hi, Alice, lovely to meet you.’

He steps into the hall, ducking his head below the glass pendant lightshade. For a moment, neither of us speaks.

‘Did you know the house before?’ I ask, breaking the silence.

‘No, not really. I know you’ve had some work done, though.’

‘Only upstairs. We created a bigger bedroom by knocking down a wall.’

‘Sounds fascinating. I’m trying to imagine it.’ He looks towards the stairs. ‘At the front or the back?’

‘The back. I can show you if you like,’ I add with a smile, because it isn’t the first time I’ve traipsed up the stairs this evening. All twelve houses in The Circle were originally identical, although some have been extended since. People are interested to see how we’ve used the same space.

‘Great, I’d love to see it,’ he says, following me up.

‘So, Maria drew the short straw,’ I say, when we reach the landing.

‘Sorry?’

‘She got to stay home and look after the boys. She said you were having trouble finding a babysitter.’

He nods. ‘That’s right, we couldn’t. Beginning of the school year, so I guess they prefer to catch up with friends.’

I open the only door on the right-hand side of the landing. As he follows me in, the sound of people chatting and laughing in the garden floats in through the open windows.