‘Sorry, I should have realised.’
‘Yeah, I thought you said you’ve worked in LA.’
‘I have,’ I reply. ‘But not a lot of drinking when I’m on a shoot – actually, no drinking at all. I like to stay sharp, focused.’
‘Disciplined.’ She eyes me over the rim of her glass.
‘Disciplined, right.’
‘Well, that explains it,’ she says, waving her forefinger at me.
‘What?’
‘Your…physique.’
She looks away, her tell-tale cheeks colouring, and I smile to myself. Although, we’re skirting close to those imaginary boundaries again – while drinking wine in our shared hotel room. Maybe weshouldhave gone out for dinner.
‘Tell me about Nicholas,’ I say, catchingheroff guard this time.
She looks at me, her lips pursed to one side. ‘You sure?’
‘I’m sure. How did you two meet?’
Her expression shifts – the strain lessening, but not disappearing altogether.
‘I was in London scouting locations forA Little Bit Single– have you seen it?’
I shake my head.
‘It’s cute – a romcom based on a book that was a huge hit a few years ago. Anyway, I was staying at this hotel in Soho and it was a Friday, and I stopped at the bar to have a drink, and there was this good-looking guy sitting at the bar, dressed to the nines – I mean, tails – the whole shebang. And I never do this – I’m not the super confident woman who approaches hot guys in bars – but I was curious about the outfit, so I sat next to him and asked why he was all dressed up.’
‘And why was he?’
‘A wedding – he was killing time between the ceremony and the reception, which I’d never even heard of until that day. In the States, they’re usually back-to-back. Anyway, we got talking and it was weird, you know, but in a good way – like opposites attract –nothingin common, but we couldn’t stop taking. And when it was time for him to go to the reception, neither of us wanted to saygoodbye. But he had to go, and I was supposed to be flying out early the next morning… So – also totally out of character – I changed my flight so we could spend the weekend together. And we’ve been doing long distance ever since,’ she says, capping off the story with a sip of wine.
I appreciate being spared the details, but I can’t help wondering what she sees in a bloke she has nothing in common with. Though, I’m one to talk. Isn’t that what Pippa and I have become?
‘And how long ago was that – when you met?’ I ask.
‘Couple of years,’ she replies, her expression turning pensive.
‘Long distance can be tricky,’ I say, venturing closer to my own situation.
‘It’ssohard,’ she wails, perking up again. ‘I mean, Megan and her husband, Gabe – they get to spend every night together. They get to do all that couple stuff – like load the dishwasher and tell each other about their day and sleep next to each other. They get to fight about stupid stuff, then make up after fighting about stupid stuff.’
‘And that’s what you want?’
‘Not the fighting, necessarily, but thetogetherness– being a real couple.’ She sits up straighter and faces me. ‘Actually, no – I do want the fighting. Not to be one of those couples who bickers all the time, but…’
She sighs, her forehead creasing as if she’s corralling her thoughts.
‘The only time I see Nicholas is when we’re on vacation together or I’m visiting London,’ she says, looking at me again. ‘And they’re these tiny pockets of time – a few days, maybe a week, rarely longer – so we never argue –ever– because that would be a waste of the precious time wedohave together, right? So, if he’s being super annoying, I don’t say anything. If I disagree with him, I don’t say anything. And I’m sure there are times he disagrees with me, or that I’ve pissed him off, but he never lets on – not really. I mean, he’ll complain about stuff, but we don’t fight.’
This is a huge revelation and so much of it resonates that I’m not sure where to start. Only, I don’t get a chance to dive in because there’s a knock at the door.
‘Pizza!’ Delaney jumps up, her wine nearly sloshing onto the tile floor. ‘Oops – hold this,’ she says, shoving the glass at me. I take it before it ends up all over both of us.
She opens the door and the waiter brings in a tray, setting it on the coffee table. I’m about to dig out my wallet to tip him but Delaney beats me to it, holding out a ten-euro note and saying, ‘Thanks.’