Beth O'Leary - The Flatshare

We love him, Tiffy. He is good for you in the way that only a very good man could be.

It’s your decision, of course, but he wanted you to know: he has our blessing.

Mo and Gerty x

P.S. He asked me to say that he didn’t ask your father’s permission, on account of that being ‘a bit archaic and patriarchal’, but he feels ‘fairly confident Brian is on board’.

I laugh shakily, wiping the tears from my cheeks. My dad adores Leon. He’s been calling him ‘son’ in embarrassing social situations for at least a year.

My hands tremble as I reach for the cardboard box. The Sellotape takes an agonisingly long time to work loose, but when I manage to get the lid off I start crying in earnest.

There’s a ring inside, nestled in a bundle of rainbow-coloured tissue paper. It’s beautiful: vintage, a little wonky, with an oval amber stone in its centre.

And there’s one last note.

Tiffany Rose Moore of Flat 3, Madeira House, Stockwell,

Would you like to be my wife?

Take some time to think about it. If you want to see me, I’m at the Bunny Hop Inn, room 6.

I love you x

When I can, when my shoulders have stopped shaking from happy-­crying and I’ve wiped my eyes and blown my nose, I head back up the beach to the warm light of the Bunny Hop Inn.

He’s waiting for me on the bed in room 6, sitting cross-legged, fidgeting. He’s nervous.

I take him at a flying leap. He lets out a happy sort of oof as I roll him back on to the bed.

‘Yes?’ he asks after a moment, pushing back my hair so he can look at my face.

‘Leon Twomey,’ I say, ‘only you could find a method of proposing that means you don’t actually have to be there.’ I kiss him hard. ‘Yes. Absolutely definitely yes.’

‘Sure?’ he asks, pulling back to look at me properly.

‘I’m sure.’

‘Really?’

‘Really really.’

‘It’s not too much?’

‘Bloody hell, Leon!’ I say, exasperated. I look around and reach for the hotel stationery on the bedside table.

YES. I would love to marry you.

Now it’s written down it is unequivocal and probably binding in a court of law although check with Gerty because I literally just made that up right now. xx

I wave the note under his nose so he gets the gist, then tuck it in the pocket of his shirt. He pulls me in and presses his lips to the crown of my head. I can feel that he’s doing one of those lopsided smiles, and it all seems too good, as if we can’t possibly deserve it, as if we’re taking too much happiness and not leaving enough for everyone else.

‘This is the bit where we turn on the telly and a nuclear war has started,’ I say, twisting to lie down next to him.

He smiles. ‘I don’t think so. Doesn’t work that way. Sometimes the happy thing just happens.’

‘Look at you, with all the sunny optimism! That’s usually my jam, not yours.’

‘Not sure what’s brought it on. Recent betrothal? Bright future? Love-of-life in arms? Hard to say.’

I chuckle, nuzzling into his chest, breathing him in. ‘You smell like home,’ I tell him after a moment.

‘You are home,’ he says simply. ‘The bed, the flat . . .’

He pauses, the way he always does when he’s looking for enough words for something big.

‘It was never home until you were there, Tiffy.’

Enjoyed The Flatshare ? Click here to buy The Switch Up , the next book from Beth O'Leary, now!

My first thank you goes to the incredible Tanera Simons, who gave Tiffy and Leon a shot before anybody else, and then kickstarted the craziest, most wonderful time in my life. The next thanks go to Mary Darby, Emma Winter, Kristina Egan and Sheila David for everything they’ve done to take The Flatshare out into the world. I am so lucky to have found a home at Darley Anderson Agency.

You might not believe it after reading about Martin and Hana, but in reality the publishing industry is full of truly wonderful people — and the bunch who’ve brought The Flatshare into the world are particularly incredible. To Emily Yau and Christine Kopprasch, my amazing editors at Quercus and Flatiron: thank you for making this an infinitely better book with your edits, and for the countless other things you’ve done to make The Flatshare the best it can be. Thank you to Jon Butler, Cassie Browne, Bethan Ferguson, Hannah Robinson, Hannah Winter, Charlotte Webb, Rita Winter, and all the other lovely Quercus people who have done so much to make this book a reality. And thank you to my wonderful international publishers for believing in Tiffy and Leon so early and making this experience even more of a dream.

My next thank yous go to: Libby, for being my muse; Nups, for being my rock, battling toilet mushrooms with me, and telling me (very emphatically) that this book was The One; and Pooja, for being a wonderful, generous friend and giving so much time and ­expertise. Thank you to Gabby, Helen, Gary, Holly and Rhys, for the early reads, the bright ideas and the messy nights at Adventure Bar, and to Rebecca Lewis-Oakes, for giving me a good talking-to when I was too scared to send out queries. Sorry for keeping the name Justin, Rebecca!

To my wonderful family, and the fabulous Hodgson family too: thank you for always being there for me, and for getting so excited about all things Flatshare. Mum and Dad, thank you for your endless support and for filling my life with love and books. And Tom, thank you for your help with the details. I love you and think of you every day.

To Sam. This is the hardest part, because I feel just like Leon — I can’t find the words for something this big. Thank you for your patience, your kindness, your puppy-like enthusiasm for everything life brings, and thank you for reading and laughing when it mattered most. This book is dedicated to you, but really it’s not just for you, it’s because of you, too.

Finally, a huge thank you to every reader who picked up this book, and to every bookseller who helped make that moment happen. I’m so grateful and honoured you did.

Interview

Read on for the transcript of Carrie Hope Fletcher interviewing Beth O’Leary. Carrie narrates the character of Tiffy in The Flatshare audiobook.

Carrie Hope Fletcher interviews Beth O’Leary

Carrie: Hi! My name’s Carrie Hope Fletcher and you’re probably sick of my voice because you just listened to me read half the book as Tiffy, but here I am with Beth O’Leary who wrote the book, who wrote the lovely words that you’ve just listened to, and we’re going to have a little chat.

Beth: Hi, I’m Beth O’Leary, author of The Flatshare . I just got here and heard a little bit of Carrie being an amazing Tiffy, which is the weirdest and coolest experience.

Carrie: It’s the most terrifying thing because the only audiobooks I’ve ever done before are my own. I know what my voice sounds like, and it’s fine if I’m just reading my own words, but then all of a sudden when you’re asked to do someone else’s audiobook, there’s so much more pressure and you’re like ‘it needs to be perfect, I need to make sure I sound OK!’

Beth: Well, it is perfect!

Carrie: So, The Flatshare tells the story of Tiffy and Leon, who share a flat and more importantly a bed, but at different times of the day. What inspired you to come up with that idea of a love story?

Beth: The idea came to me when I’d just moved in with my boyfriend. He was a junior doctor just starting training and he was doing lots of long stretches, working nights. I was commuting up to London, so I was away for the whole day, and then I’d get home and he’d have just left — sometimes I’d even see him in the car going as I was coming up from the train. So there was always someone asleep in our bed, but we were never in there at the same time.