‘I hope you find peace with it,’ I say, lifting my drink. ‘Sometimes people just make no sense.’
He clinks glasses with me. ‘No, they don’t.’
We busy ourselves eating for a few moments before Cam breaks the silence.
‘What do you think of the chicken? Is it spicy enough?’
‘It’s delicious,’ I say. ‘I love spicy chicken. Being gluten and lactose intolerant means I get most of my protein from chicken and fish.’
‘Interesting,’ he says, giving me a quizzical look.
‘How so?’ I stop eating.
‘Because in your interview you told me you were a very strict vegan.’
I gulp. Of course, Lois would have said that. She has been trying to ‘turn’ me for over four years.
‘I am. I mean, I was. Until, erm, yesterday.’
Lies upon lies upon lies.
Cam has not taken his gaze from mine. ‘Yesterday?’
I nod slowly.
‘You are full of surprises.’
I’m full of shit, he means.
‘It’s almost as though you’re a completely different person to the one I interviewed last summer.’
I’m like a rabbit in the headlights.
‘I am?’
‘Tell me about this sister of yours. Do you have any photos of the two of you together?’
Crap.
8
‘I do not have any photos… of me and my sister together… about my person,’ I say in a flat robotic tone, enunciating each word carefully as though it might be taken down and used as evidence against me in a court of law.
‘Tell me about her. Are you alike?’
Oh, goodness. He is not going to drop it. I can’t read his face either.
‘Well, she’s a little older than me.’ Not technically a lie as she is three and a half minutes older. ‘And she’s a nurse. Which means she’s very outspoken and quite bossy with it.’
Cam is stroking his chin stubble, taking in every word. ‘How much older exactly?’
‘Three, she’s older by three, erm…’ I take a deep breath in.
‘Years?’
I shake my head.
‘Months?’ He is looking confused.