Cecelia Ahern - The Time of My Life

I heard Mum giggle behind me.

Melanie’s eyes widened. ‘Your mum’s here?’

‘A lot has happened since I’ve seen you last.’

‘Sorry I haven’t been in touch.’

‘No, I deserved it. It’s fine. Melanie, I’m really sorry.’

She just nodded her forgiveness. ‘Sorry that I told Jamie he’s your life, you know what I’m like with secrets. Oh, my God, speaking of secrets, Jamie just told me that he’s still in love with Lisa. Shit, I’ve just done it again.’ She clamped her hand across her mouth.

I barely had time to take it in as Lisa and David arrived next, Lisa waddling with only weeks to go to her due date. People had to pull their chairs in so she could manoeuvre around the tight restaurant, her swollen belly knocking against the backs of people’s heads as she went through sideways, which was actually a pointless task because she would be narrower if she’d walked straight on. They were both awkward after our last meeting but I gave Lisa a warm hug and silently whooped when she handed me a sealed envelope. It held promises of treasures within.

David joined the table and sat beside Jamie. Jamie stood up. ‘Wow, Lisa, you look amazing.’ David glared at him, Melanie pretended to choke and they turned her attention on her, slapping her back. She stopped when I suggested the Heimlich manoeuvre. Then Chantelle arrived with a strange man in tow, or at least a stranger to us, I didn’t know what he liked to do in his spare time.

‘Hey, birthday girl.’ She gave me a kiss and handed me an envelope, probably not even remembering our last encounter. ‘Everybody,’ she said so loudly that the entire restaurant could hear, ‘this is Andrew. Andrew, this is everybody.’

Andrew’s cheeks blazed red, to the same colour as his hair, and he gave the table an awkward wave. Chantelle in her usual loud and self-centred voice proceeded to fire names at him as if he was hard of hearing, which he could never remember even if he wasn’t completely overwhelmed by meeting so many new faces all at once. Then finally, Adam and Mary arrived; Mary sullen and dressed in black, Adam looking like he felt every accusation he’d ever thrown at me was about to be vindicated. I couldn’t wait; though to reveal that I’d been lying about mostly everything for the past few years was hardly a win for me. They handed me an envelope and a potted plant and I didn’t even pretend to be happy about it; I could guess that the card contained nothing but courteous words inside and not a banknote in sight.

I remembered the cake I’d brought with me and took it to the fake French waiter.

‘Hi,’ I smiled.

He barely looked at me.

‘It’s my birthday today.’

‘Mm-hmm.’

‘And I brought this cake for myself. In fact, I baked it.’ No response. I cleared my throat. ‘Could you please bring it to the kitchen, so we can have it for dessert?’ He tutted and took it from me, then turned on his heel. ‘I’m sorry,’ I called out and he paused and turned back around again. ‘I’m sorry for all the things I said to you. In French. They were never bad , by the way, just random, and I knew you didn’t understand.’

‘I am French,’ he said threateningly, in case anybody else heard.

‘Don’t worry, I won’t tell anybody. I’m not perfect, in fact I’ve told lies myself. Lots of lies. But tonight I’m going to tell the truth.’

He looked at the group and then back at me and spoke quietly in his Irish accent, ‘Only French speakers needed apply, the ad said.’

‘I understand.’

‘I needed the job.’

‘I completely understand. I need a job too and I speak French – are there any going?’

‘Now you’re trying to steal my job?’ He looked horrified.

‘No, no, no, not at all, I’m not trying to do that. I mean, I would work with you.’

He looked at me as though he would rather I stick daggers in his body.

I made my way to the table and the chatter suddenly died. The seat beside mine was still empty and I looked at my watch; there was still time. I sat at the head of the table and all eyes were on me. I didn’t blame them, I had summoned them here with a dramatic text about truth and then swiftly followed it with a demand for money and now the red light was on. Time for action. The waiter came to the table and slowly began pouring water. I was going to wait until he was gone, but he was moving so slowly I got the sense he wasn’t budging until he heard what I had to say.

‘Okay, thank you for coming. It’s not a big deal, but it’s a big deal to me. Something happened and it changed the current course of my life which something happened to again and now it’s taking another course.’ Chantelle looked confused. Andrew, who had never met me, looked uncomfortable as if he shouldn’t be there, but Mary nodded in complete understanding. ‘And in order for me to move on, I need to share it with you.’ I took a deep breath. ‘So—’

On that note the restaurant door opened and my heart lifted, hoping, hoping, hoping … but Blake stepped inside.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

‘Blake.’ My voice was a barely a whisper but they all heard me and turned around to stare at him. Blake looked around the room and his eyes fell upon our table and then on me. We shared a look: his was angry, mine was pleading for understanding.

‘So that’s who the seat is for!’ Melanie squealed. ‘Are you guys back together?’

There were murmurs of surprise and intrigue and excitement but then the door opened again and Jenna arrived in the restaurant, and everybody turned to me in confusion. I looked angrily at Adam, assuming that it was he who had invited Blake without telling me, but his face was as shocked as mine. His friend had surprised him too. Everybody stood up to greet Blake; their hero had arrived.

‘You didn’t tell me you were coming,’ Adam said, giving his friend a handshake, seeming put out.

‘I’m just up for the night. Adam, this is Jenna,’ Blake said, stepping aside and pushing Jenna into the limelight. She seemed overwhelmed by it all and incredibly embarrassed to be at my thirtieth birthday celebrations and so she should have been. She looked at me half-apologetically and half-jubilantly as she wished me happy birthday and apologised for not having brought a gift.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said, her voice a whisper. ‘I thought he was just coming in to say hello to someone.’

‘Yes.’ I pasted on a smile, though I did genuinely feel sorry for her. ‘He does that.’ As soon as she moved on to meet the others, I felt a hand on my arm tugging me.

‘Don’t do this,’ Blake said, in a low voice.

‘Blake, you don’t even know what I’m trying to do.’

‘I know you’re looking for a few fans and you need a bad guy. I know exactly what you’re doing. Just listen to me, don’t do it. We can figure out another way to sort things out with them.’

‘Blake, it’s not about them ,’ I said through gritted teeth. ‘This is about me .’

‘And what you’re about to do is about me too so I think it’s fair that I have a say, don’t you?’

I sighed.

‘Looks like we need two more chairs,’ Riley said, all game-show host trying to keep the atmosphere up.

I looked at the empty chair beside me, looked at my watch. It was a half an hour late, Don wasn’t coming. ‘No,’ I said sadly, ‘just one more chair, he can have this one.’ Everyone moved up a place and mum was beside me.

Blake sat at the head of the table directly opposite me with Jenna next to him. She was at the corner beside Andrew, and they were like two spare tools together who empathised with each other.