Page 50 of All the Right Words

‘I deleted it. Because I didn’t… I guess I was trying to avoid your feelings getting hurt.’

‘Bywhat?’ Olivia asked, angrier by the second.

Gina took a deep breath. ‘She told me that she lied. About having to go home and feed the cat the first-time you guys kissed. She doesn’t even have one.’

Olivia’s face fell, her anger leaking away, replaced by gloom. ‘Why would she do that?’

‘Because she wasn’t ready. She needed more time before anything like that happened. Kissing and everything.’

Olivia slumped down in her chair. ‘You’re trying to tell me that she told you - toldme- she didn’t fancy me, aren’t you? She wasn’t into it. Oh my god, I’m so fucking stupid. Ofcourseshe wasn’t.’

‘No. No. No,’ Gina said quickly. ‘Like I said. She just wasn’t quite ready.’

Olivia looked tired. ‘Well, that’s fine, I guess.’

‘Is it?’

‘Yeah. I screwed it last night anyway.’

‘What? When?’ Gina asked.

‘She was pissed off because of that thing that happened. With your date.’

‘Oh?’ Gina asked, trying not to sound too interested.

‘Yeah, I thought the drink thing was a bit much. And I told her so.’

Gina didn’t happen to agree. She’d been a bit surprised that Harper had flung a drink at her in response, but not unpleasantly so. Good for her. Alison had a nerve thinking Harper would have ever taken her up on that grubby little offer. A drink in the face was a concise and appropriate reply.

She’d wanted to tell her so, but she couldn’t look at her after that. She’d had to leave. Imagine being unable to hold the attention of someone like Alison for even an hour. The shame of it.

‘Look, just apologise,’ Gina told Olivia.

‘I already did. She still left. It’s over.’

‘Harper’s not going to ditch you over one little disagreement. She’s not a flake,’ Gina told her.

Olivia raised an eyebrow. ‘You don’t think so?’

‘Come on, Olivia. Of course she isn’t,’ Gina said, somewhat irritably.

Olivia chewed the inside of her mouth. ‘Maybe you’re right. I keep thinking every mistake is going to blow this.’

‘You’ve got to stop thinking like that. You’re both just people. She’s not perfect either. Shedidfib.’

Olivia went quiet for a moment. ‘Yeah, well. There’s imperfect, and then there’s me.’

‘Why did you take that idiot Alison’s side, anyhow?’ Gina asked.

‘It wasn’t that. I just didn’t think the scene was necessary. Everyone was looking.’

‘So?’ Gina shrugged.

‘So, it made me feel awkward.’

‘Yeah, well, everything makesyoufeel awkward,’ Gina said impatiently. The second she said it, she knew it was too far. She half expected to get fired but Olivia was simply looking at the ground like a child getting told off. Gina’s heart went out to Olivia despite herself. Gina groaned and held out her hand. ‘Gimme your phone.’

‘What are you going to do?’ Olivia asked, already getting it out.