Nothing New for Sophie Drew: a heart-warming romantic comedy - Katey Lovell (best english novels for beginners .txt) 📗

When we reached the pub, Max held the door open to let me enter first. The inside was much smarter than the peeling whitewashed exterior suggested, with high wooden tables flanked by barstools around the edge of the room and an island bar at the centre.

The pub was quiet for a Friday, presumably due to its off-the-beaten-track location. I spotted Max’s friends sat at a table near the window and a fleeting flash of anxiety that they’d hate me for imposing on their night out washed over me.

When the tall skinny man with cropped golden hair who I recognised as the lead singer in the band stood to greet me and, with a humongous smile, introduced himself as Iain, my fears slid away. Archie moved his jacket from an otherwise-empty stool and invited me to sit with them and Max asked what I wanted to drink.

They were good company, and their friendly banter suggested they’d known each other a long time. The conversation flowed as they invited my opinion on everything from storylines in the soaps to current affairs. Time ran away from me, and only when my phone vibrated in my pocket did I realise I hadn’t rung Tawna and let her know my plans had changed.

Hurriedly clicking the green “accept call” button, I made my way out of the pub to a quiet small back courtyard.

“Tawna, hi.”

“Where the hell are you?” she hissed. I could picture her expression. I’d seen it a million times before when things hadn’t been going her way.

“I’m so sorry,” I gushed. “I meant to phone to let you know I’d be a bit late, but it sort of slipped my mind.”

“Are you ill?”

There was concern in her tone and for a moment I considered lying, telling her I thought a migraine was coming on, but in the end I couldn’t bring myself to do it. It didn’t feel right.

“I’m fine. I ran into Max in town and I’ve gone for a few quick drinks with him and his friends.”

“Right.”

An uncomfortable pause let me know she was silently seething. I awaited the inevitable onslaught, but when it never came it was left to me to break the silence.

“I’ll be on my way when I finish my drink, promise. I’ll be with you in twenty minutes, half an hour tops.”

“Okay,” Tawna conceded with a sigh of resignation. “But hurry up. I’ve been cooking all afternoon and I don’t want the food to spoil. Everyone’s asking where you are.”

“Twenty minutes,” I repeated, thinking I’d far prefer to spend the night in the pub with Max and his friends than go and face Tawna’s wrath. She’d always been good at keeping hold of grudges. She’d still not forgiven Leanne Dixon for breaking her Tamagotchi back in primary school, bringing it up every time we bumped into her.

“I’ll see you then,” she said, before brusquely hanging up.

“All right?” Max asked, as I re-entered the pub. “I got you another drink in.” He slid a glass of wine across the table towards me.

“I’ve got to go.” I gave him an apologetic look. “That was Tawna, wondering why I hadn’t turned up yet. She didn’t sound happy.”

“I hope you put the blame on Max,” Iain joked. “He’s the one who led you astray.”

“Guilty as charged.” Max held up his hands. “Sure I can’t persuade you to stay for one more?” He looked at the glass of wine. “Seeing as it’s already waiting for you?”

I wanted to say yes. I really, really wanted to say yes. But the words that came out of my mouth were, “I can’t. I should have been there half an hour ago.”

I reluctantly gathered my belongings, slung my bag over my shoulder and draped my coat over the hook of my arm. It wasn’t as though I needed to wear it; it was a mild evening, and the bus stop was close by.

“See you soon though, yeah? Give me a call or a text?” He looked apprehensive as he took a business card out of his wallet and handed it to me. My fingers tingled at the contact, and the charge was still buzzing through me as I pushed the card into my coat pocket for safe keeping.

“I will,” I said with a nod before smiling at Iain, Oz, Archie and Oz’s girlfriend, Isla. “And it’s been lovely to meet you all. Enjoy the rest of your night, yeah?”

There was a spring in my step as I walked out of the pub. Fingering the rectangular card in my pocket as I made my way towards Percy Street bus station, all I could think about was how soon I could text Max without coming across as desperate.

Chapter 16

Building up the courage to knock on Tawna’s door was even tougher than it had been the day of the dress shopping fallout. I knew she’d be mad at me, and when she opened the door my suspicions were confirmed.

She looked so cheesed off. “Seriously? You ditched me for him and didn’t even have the courtesy to ring? I’m hurt, Soph, really hurt.”

“I thought you’d be happy I’m socialising,” I replied, knowing I sounded churlish. “You’re the one who said I was turning into a recluse.”

“That’s why we invited you in the first place, to get you out of the house, because you never seem to want to go out in town with me and Eve these days. If it hadn’t been Johnny’s birthday last week, I wouldn’t have seen you then either.”

“That’s not true…”

“It seems that way to me,” Tawna said haughtily. “And what am I supposed to say to Darius? He’s been here for almost an hour already waiting for you to arrive.”

I froze, despite the warm air of the evening.

“Darius? What’s he doing here?”

Since Johnny’s party I’d had tightenings in my chest when I thought of him and what he was asking of me, and not of the pleasant variety this time.

She folded her arms across her chest. “He needs to