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“No, you’re not.”

“I am and it depends on whether the car is?—”

“Get an Uber.”

Alice opened her mouth to protest.

“I’ll pay.” Maggie rubbed Alice’s arms in a motion she probably intended to be soothing, but if anything, Alice felt like her fur was being rubbed the wrong way.

“Just come. Let me know how you get on at work. Make sure you get ahead of this whole thing, or it’ll blow up on you.” Maggie gripped the lapels of Alice’s coat and peered into her face. Alice squirmed under her sister’s harsh focus. There was no escaping this scrutiny.

“Okay. Yes.”

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, I’ll plug my phone in, I’ll call you, I’ll quit my job, then I’ll come over and I’ll bring wine,” Alice said in one breath and bulged out her eyes.

Maggie gave a satisfied nod and released her.

“Good, see you Tuesday.” She pulled her coat around her knees as she climbed into the car, her small frame dwarfed by the colossal chassis. “Don’t bring wine, we’ve got plenty.”

“You mean, don’t bring the cheap stuff?” Alice laughed, and Maggie poked her tongue out.

“You know me too well. Love you, Al. Be good.”

Alice blew her a kiss and closed the car door. She waved them off and watched the Range Rover’s taillights glisten in the persistent drizzle.

Sat in the driver’s seat of her Ford Fiesta, the engine ticked over as Alice rested her head on the steering wheel and released a heavy breath. She should drive home, type out her resignation letter, dust off her resume and apply for some jobs. She should check her credit card balance and if the credit fairies deemed it possible, she should order a new phone and buy some groceries — healthy things like kale and chia seeds. And whilst she was at it, she’d sign up to a yoga class and work on her pelvic floor; after all, she wasn’t getting any younger.

C’mon.She lifted her head and gripped the wheel.

What she really wanted was to check on George. A flurry of cherry blossom splattered onto the wet windscreen.

No, what shereallywanted was to see Ash.

Alice shook her head.Ridiculous and completely unnecessary.She met her own eyes in the rear-view mirror.

One. Ash is not interested in you.

Two. You are not actually interested in her. She was kind when you were feeling low. Don’t mistake that for anything else because it’s not. Ash isn’t your type. You like older women.

Sophisticated, powerful women with sharp edges to contrast with her own soft ones.

Like Fran.

Fucking Fran.Alice bounced her forehead on her hands.

A light tapping on the driver’s side window roused her. She turned her head to a distorted figure on the other side of the rain-spattered glass, a blur of khaki and black clothing.

“Ash?” Alice cranked down the window, bringing the doctor’s quirky grin into focus. Ash leaned her arm on the wet roof and peered down into the car.

“I’m starting to wonder whether you even know how to drive.”

Alice laughed a little too loudly; a glow seemed to radiate from inside her, which must have beamed out of her face.

“I was just sitting here having a little think. That’s not a crime, is it?”

“Depends on what you were thinking about.”