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

Chapter 20

Eve and I were enjoying a stroll around the lake, having borrowed her neighbour’s dog. A grumpy Dalmatian with the distinctly unoriginal nickname Spot; he wasn’t enjoying the great outdoors as much as we were. In fact, he’d flat-out stopped twice, which we’d taken as a sign that it was time to wander back towards the car park.

We’d talked as we walked, Eve itching for information about the previous weekend’s date with Max.

“It all sounds very romantic.” Eve had a faraway expression on her face as I replayed the minutiae of the date, especially when I told her how Max had shown me how to master my crazy-golf swing. It sounded cheesy even to me, how his body had pressed against mine as he stood behind me, the sparks flying as he’d repositioned my hands on the well-used club, but Eve was right. It had been romantic. More than that it had been real and true. “I’m so happy for you, Sophie. It’s been a long time since you’ve had a nice guy in your life.”

The pointed jibe at Darius didn’t pass me by, but I ignored it, not wanting thoughts of him to complicate my beautiful memories. I’d not thought of him when I’d been at the beach either, I’d been too busy being present and enjoying Max’s company.

“Max is so sweet, Eve. He really listened to me when I spoke to him, and I felt like I could have told him anything in the world and he wouldn’t have judged me. And you should have heard him talking about his family, it sounds like they’re so tight-knit.”

“Nothing more attractive than a family man,” Eve agreed, her eyes lighting up. “A man who appreciates his own parents is perfect Daddy material. It’s scientifically proven.”

I didn’t dispute the accuracy of that fact, instead imagining Max cradling a newborn baby in his surprisingly toned arms, gazing adoringly into its eyes with all the love of a doting parent. It was like one of those black and white art shots, although Max wasn’t topless in my mind. (Although I’m sure if I knew what to expect he’d be half-naked in my head, we’d just not reached the topless stage yet. That said we’d not reached the baby stage either, but I had no trouble conjuring up an image of him with a child.)

“Sophie?” I realised I’d been lost in my daydream and blanking my friend.

“Sorry, I was thinking of something else.” The man I’d been on one proper date with holding our baby. What was I becoming?

“I could tell. You had this dopey look on your face.”

“Dopey?” I laughed. “Thanks a bunch.”

“You know what I mean. Looked like you were miles away.”

“Thinking about Max, that’s all,” I replied, with a grin that probably confirmed the dopey comment a million times over.

Eve rolled her eyes, but with a smile that showed she wasn’t really judging me. “You are such a smitten kitten, Sophie Drew.”

“I’m trying to play it cool, so I’ve been careful not to bombard him with messages. I don’t want to come across as desperate. He sent me a message earlier and I’m challenging myself not to reply until I get home tonight.”

Eve looked unsure. “Playing games isn’t a good way to start to a relationship.”

“Men don’t like needy women, Eve.” Or so all the internet articles I’d been reading had said.

“But no one likes being ignored,” she replied.

The gloomy raincloud that had hovered in the distance edged closer, the first spots of rain falling as we reached Eve’s car, relieved we’d made it before the heavens opened. Trust there to be a downpour when we had plans to go to a music festival that evening with Tawna and Johnny. The park would be a quagmire.

As Eve put her key into the ignition, our mobiles beeped in unison. Different notification tones, but there was only one person it could be – Tawna.

Both of us looked wordlessly at our incoming messages, digesting the information before us.

“I can’t believe she’d do this. Even for Tawna it’s unbelievable.”

Eve’s skin turned a funny shade of green, like mushy peas. “What the hell is she playing at?”

I looked back at the screen, rereading the message in case I’d misunderstood, but no.

Booked the hen do! We’re heading to NYC June 17th - 20th!

I’ll let you know how much you owe me later. #GirlsOnTour

The thought of how much four nights in New York would set me back made me feel sick, and there’d bound to be additional expenses too, because who goes to America to sit in a hotel room? Not Tawna Maguire, especially not on her hen do. Meals out and Broadway shows would fill our days, along with shopping sprees on Fifth Avenue and cocktails in exclusive bars. It made me nervous. Not to mention that my annual leave was rapidly running out, and June 17th was less than a week away…

“We could ask her to scale it back?” Eve said, but her words were devoid of optimism. No way would Tawna change her plans. Once she set her heart on something, she got it and damn the consequences.

“Not a chance.”

Eve sighed. “I’ll be dipping into my deposit savings then. I’d hoped I’d be applying for a mortgage before the wedding, but looks like that idea’s out of the window.”

I didn’t let on that I’d be struggling to find the money at all. My wages were due in my current account on Tuesday but they were hardly generous to start with. I’d have to do another sweep of my wardrobe to see if there was anything else worth selling. I didn’t have vast amounts of money floating around, but then who did? Not me and not Eve, that’s for sure.

“I might tell her to invite someone else in my place.” I was furious that she’d put us in this predicament. “I do love her, but she’s so detached from what life is like for us