‘I do – I’ll probably always love Pip – but not romantically, no.’
‘Could you have figured that outbeforeshe roped me and Becks into attending a secret wedding in another country?’
‘Well, apparently not. Look, I called for a friendly ear, not a rap across the knuckles. And it’s hardly a sacrifice, you taking a holiday –andyou said you’ve always wanted to go to Iceland.’
‘Sorry, mate – you’re right. So, now what? You going to bite the bullet? Do it right away?’
‘I— I don’t know. We’ve been togethertwelveyears, Dan. Not sure it’s the right thing, ending it from here.’
‘Want me to run it past Becks? Get a woman’s perspective?’
‘Maybe. But I can message her if I need to. How is she, by the way?’
‘Becks? She’s?—’
‘No,Pip.’
‘Oh. She seems okay. She’s been spending most of her time with Ashley.’
‘Right. I heard she invited the other Nicholas to dinner last night – with her family,’ I say.
‘Really? That’s odd.’
‘I know, and—’ The door to the room opens and closes – Delaney’s back. ‘Look, I’ve got to go. Talk soon, eh?’
‘Chin up, baby brother. You’ll figure it out.’
‘Yeah. Bye.’
I press theend callbutton right as Delaney steps onto the balcony carrying two coffees.
‘Hey,’ she says, holding out one of the cups, ‘I got this for you.’
‘Oh, thanks,’ I reply, taking it. I drink some – it’s not very hot, but it is good coffee. I really have been spoilt for Costa.
‘Do you know what I hate?’ she asks out of nowhere.
‘Uh, nope, can’t say I do,’ I reply with a curious smile.
‘It’s that thing in movies or TV shows where the actors are walking around with takeout coffee cups and they’re waving them about’ – she demonstrates – ‘like it’s notpainfullyobvious there’s nothing in them.’
I laugh. ‘Oh, yeah –hatethat. So distracting,’ I tease.
‘Right? You’re supposed to be concentrating on the plot and all you can focus on is how everyone and everything in the scene would becoveredin coffee.’
‘I take it that none ofyourfilms have this issue?’
‘Hell no. If there’s takeout coffee in the script, the actors get water in their cups. They splash, we cut, we do another take. The end.’
‘Revolutionising filmmaking one coffee at a time.’
‘You’re making fun of me, but yes.’
I smile, then take another sip, partly because I’m at a loss for words. I’d intended for us to have a serious conversation about what happened last night and possibly what we do next, but it’s way more fun bantering – even if it means shoving my head further into the sand.
‘So,’ she says, moving to the closest lounger and sitting on the edge. ‘Guess what we’re doing today?’
‘Is this a trick question?’