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

“Maybe that proves he’s not that interested.” Tawna’s shrug of indifference annoyed me, but her words hurt me most. Max gets plenty of offers, if what the girl in the charity shop said was right, so why would he want to get involved with someone who kisses their ex right under his nose? I checked my phone again. Zilch.

I took another bite of the cereal bar.

“I know I wasn’t the most encouraging person when you first told me about Max,” Tawna draped an arm around my shoulder, “but I want you to be happy, Soph. I saw your face just now. You miss him, I can tell.”

“Yeah,” I replied sadly, through a mouthful of cereal bar. “He listened to me. I really thought we might have had something meaningful, but then I went and threw it all away. If only I could be more like Kath. She doesn’t get attached too quickly.”

I swiftly segued into telling them about her latest conquest, someone she’d met on a dating app who she’d therefore assumed to be footloose and fancy free. When they’d met in person it had transpired that he was married and looking for someone who’d be willing to join him and his wife in the bedroom.

“Surely she didn’t go through with it.” Eve’s face was a picture – a pale ashen picture. “I’d run a mile if someone said that to me the first time I met them.”

“She did. She’s seeing them again too.”

“Marriage should be sacred.” Tawna tutted disapprovingly. “If Johnny suggested a threesome I’d tell him where to shove it.”

“If he was after a threesome, he might enjoy that.”

We almost missed the announcement booming out of the tannoy informing us our departure gate had opened and our flight was ready to begin boarding because we were giggling so much.

Like fools we hurried to the gate, unable to stop our faces from breaking into stupid grins as the flight attendant checked our boarding passes and passports and allowed us to board the 787 Dreamliner. I switched my phone to flight mode, which was one way of stopping me checking it. After selling so many of my favourite outfits to pay for the trip (my poor wardrobe looking exceptionally sparse as a result), I couldn’t waste it dwelling on Darius or being miserable over Max.

“We’re officially on our way now,” Eve announced as she stuffed her rucksack into the overhead locker. “Everyone knows that the moment you get on the plane is when the holiday properly starts.”

I settled into my seat. The heavy metal ends of the seat belt fastened together with a satisfying clunk and I let out a sigh of relief at the lack of man-spreading stinkers and allowed myself to rest my eyes.

When I reopened them we were on the approach to JFK. I’d managed to sleep for the whole flight.

The hotel was right in the heart of Times Square. Neon lights flashed through the window of our room and every time the scene on the giant billboards changed so did the colour of the room. It was like being inside a disco ball and that, combined with my mammoth sleep, left me raring to get out there amongst the people, the noise, the life.

The circus-like atmosphere wrapped around us as we stepped onto the street; people staring, awestruck, at the lights flashing overhead.

Nothing could have prepared us for being here, despite its familiarity from being in so many films. The reality was different. Times Square equated to sensory overload. The deafening honk of car horns, the waft of hot dogs tiptoeing on the heavy, humid air, the shoulder-barges of tourists with a hideous lack of manners and no concept of personal space… It was amazing. There really was no place else like it on earth.

“Let’s get a selfie,” Tawna suggested, holding her phone out at arm’s length in preparation. Eve and I obediently squashed our smiling faces against hers as she pressed the small round button to capture the moment. The picture looking back at us showed three tired but happy friends. “Thanks for coming, ladies. This is going to be the best hen do ever!”

Tawna wrapped an arm around Eve and me, and as we walked downtown towards the majestic Empire State building, it truly felt like the three of us were taking on the world, and our togetherness was so present – so vital – that I’d back us in that dual.

We were surprised to find a non-existent queue when we arrived at the landmark.

Eve frowned. “Is it closed?”

“The guidebook says it’s open every day.” Tawna shrugged, eyeing a suited man carrying a briefcase striding out of the doors. Seeing him reminded me that the building was more than a world-famous tourist attraction, it was also a working office block.

Tawna hurried over to the man, and from the way he looked at her, taking in the freckles on her shoulders where her strappy sundress didn’t cover her skin, I knew he thought she was flirting. He salivated as she flicked her hair over her shoulder as she spoke, Tawna unaware of the spell she was casting over him.

When she skipped back, telling us to go inside and to expect a queue upstairs for the lifts to take us to the 86th or 102nd floor viewing areas, I mentioned how he’d looked like he wanted to ravish her.

“Don’t be daft! I was only asking him about the opening hours. Anyway,” she added, proudly waving the rock on the third finger of her left hand at me, “he must have seen that I’m engaged.”

“That diamond is pretty hard to miss,” Eve deadpanned. I smothered a laugh because she was right, the stone was especially dazzling in the city sunlight.

“You don’t really think he thought I was coming on to him, do you?” Tawna asked, a worried expression on her face. “I know I said ‘what goes on tour stays on tour’ but I was only joking.”

“We know,”