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Chapter Fifteen

“ W ow,” said Alex, as she and Philippa climbed into the cab Gerry had insisted on ordering for them, unaware that they had no official plans to go home together.

“Wow, what?” Philippa shuffled across the seat to make room for Alex. She was working on the basis that they could just get the driver to take them to one home then the other.

“You’re bloody impressive, do you know that?”

“You’re drunk,” said Philippa with a wry smile.

“Perhaps I am, but that doesn’t negate my point.

” Alex fastened her seatbelt and gave the driver her address.

“You exuded such confidence and poise in that conversation. Given the size of his firm – it’s just possible I googled it – this could be a massive deal for you.

And yet you stayed so cool and calm. I loved it! ”

“Ha! Well, that is my job, after all. Calm and poised at all times, whether with one’s client, or facing the opposing side.” Philippa was flattered to have impressed Alex, who seemed to exude effortless cool at every opportunity, professional or otherwise.

“He asked you if you had the capacity to handle additional business, and you didn’t bat an eye. You said yes, without hesitation,” said Alex as the taxi sped down the A38 south of the city. “Do you have the capacity?”

“No!” replied Philippa, with a laugh. “But I’ll make sure I do. If I win this contract, I can bring in new staff.” She paused. “Really, he was asking if I could handle it.”

“And you can?” said Alex.

“I can,” said Philippa.

“Well I, for one, would not disagree. You seem to be able to handle anything. I’m a bit envious, really,” she said, a rueful smile on her face.

“But you have it all worked out,” said Philippa, frowning. “You have your freelance work, your social life, a woman in every port… I’m a little envious of that.” The car was turning into Kings Heath High Street.

“It might look like that,” said Alex, “but I’ll be honest, it’s not as straightforward as that.”

“Hmm,” said Philippa, sensing there was something she wasn’t being told. “A likely story.”

“Fancy a nightcap?” said Alex as the taxi pulled up outside a small terraced house.

“Sure,” said Philippa, resolving not to overthink this. It was just a drink, right? With every straight man she’d ever met, inviting a woman in for a drink after a meal meant only one thing. But the rules were different here. They were friends.

Or were they?

It was hard to divine the line between reality and fakery after such a successful evening. Philippa wondered if it was all artifice. It didn’t feel like it was.

“Don’t worry.” Alex was getting out of the car. She seemed to have an uncanny ability to read Philippa’s mind. “I’m not making a move on you. I just thought we were having a nice conversation, and it seemed a shame not to finish it.”

“Of course,” said Philippa, joining Alex on the pavement. “This is all a charade.” She felt a dull weight in her stomach as she said the words.

Alex’s head dropped slightly, as she searched for her front door keys in her pocket. “Naturally,” she agreed.

The atmosphere seemed to change in that moment, and Philippa couldn’t quite work out why.

Alex’s house was a small two-up, two-down Victorian terrace, of which there were many in Kings Heath.

Philippa had been in countless versions of this house throughout her life.

It was fascinating to her how even though they were all structurally the same, each resident managed to make their house completely different.

Alex’s house was small but beautifully formed.

Philippa should have expected nothing less of a graphic designer.

The living room was painted a deep blue with a slight hint of green.

It was like stepping into another world.

A calm and thoughtful world. Perhaps not what she might have expected from the effervescent Alex.

“I’ve got some hot chocolate I was given for Christmas,” said Alex. “It must be too late for coffee, even for you, so I say we break into that.”

They walked through into the kitchen. “Perfect,” said Philippa.

“Sounds like a suitable way to celebrate the possibility of a new contract.” She knew she was safe if she stuck to work.

That was where she was confident. The complexity of a friendship crossed with a fake romantic relationship was unfamiliar territory.

“Too right,” said Alex.

They took their hot chocolates into the living room where they sat on a battered leather sofa. “This may be the most comfortable thing I’ve ever sat on,” said Philippa, making herself at home.

“I picked it up at the vintage place in Digbeth. It’s very old, but properly good quality.” Alex took a sip from her hot chocolate and smiled. “Mmm.” Philippa’s stomach flipped.

“I have to say,” said Philippa, forcing herself to talk. “You seemed very at home this evening. I was impressed with your story of how we met, very smooth.”

“Well, it was true. No need to embellish much, to be honest,” said Alex. She looked at Philippa, her eyes darkening.

“I guess,” said Philippa, recalling how Alex had said she’d noticed Philippa the moment she saw her. Was that not an embellishment, then?

They both fell silent for a moment, sitting side by side, hot chocolates in their hands, half turned to face one another. The air stretched between them and Philippa felt her ears prickle. She wasn’t sure what was happening, but she didn’t dare speak to find out. What would she even say?

Alex looked for a moment like she was about to lean closer. And Philippa couldn’t help but gaze at her full lips.

Then Alex put her hot chocolate onto the coffee table nearby. “Right, so how are we going to get you a real date?” she said, and the moment evaporated. Had Philippa imagined it?

“Oh heavens, I don’t know,” said Philippa. “When we went out to that bar with Charlie, everyone was so young. Far too young.”

“I reckon between us, me and Charlie must surely know someone we can set you up with,” said Alex, picking up her phone and beginning to scroll through her contacts.

“Oh no, please don’t,” said Philippa. “If you set me up, you’d be asking me how it went and whether I liked your friend, and they’d report back to you on what I was like. It would be too weird. I’m just happy to see who I meet through the natural course of time.”

“Ooh,” said Alex, “old school.” She put down her phone. “Ok, well, let me know if you change your mind.”

“I will. And anyway, what about you? Don’t you want to meet someone and settle down?” Philippa took a luxurious mouthful of the hot chocolate. It was really very good.

“Me? Ha! I’m the rolling stone that gathers no moss. I wasn’t built to settle down.” Alex drained her cup, her eyes roaming everywhere but at Philippa, who couldn’t help wondering what the real story there was. But tonight wasn’t the night to delve deeper.

“I can feel my eyes beginning to droop,” said Philippa. “So I’m going to take a stroll home. I’m only a ten minute walk from here.”

“On your own?” said Alex. “I don’t think so.”

“Oh for goodness’ sake,” said Philippa, “so you plan to walk me home?”

“Yes,” said Alex, a tone of indignation in her voice.

“And then who would walk you home? Me?” Philippa laughed. “Because then we’d get stuck just walking back and forth between our houses and neither of us would get any sleep.”

“You are annoyingly smart,” said Alex with a smirk. “Ok, well text me when you get in.”

“Deal,” said Philippa.

Alex opened the front door for Philippa, who wasn’t sure what they were supposed to do now.

Should they hug?

Before she could worry any further, Alex pulled her in for a tight bear hug that made her want to squeal with delight.

“Thanks for tonight,” said Philippa, her voice muffled through the hug. “I enjoyed it.”

“Me too,” agreed Alex, letting Philippa go. “Now remember to text me when you get in or I’ll come and knock your door down.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Philippa saluted. “See you soon.”

Alex waved and then slowly closed the door.

Philippa walked through the dark, silent streets of Kings Heath, feeling an excitement bubbling inside that was probably entirely unwarranted.

This was fake. Alex herself had been trying to find her a date.

But in spite of that knowledge, Philippa enjoyed the feeling.

It was so different to the disappointing boys she’d spent time with in her teens and twenties.

There had been nothing wrong with them, but she’d never been able to muster up any real excitement or chemistry with any of them.

She’d assumed that romance and attraction was massively overstated, in the films and books she’d seen and read.

She knew now, for a fact, that it wasn’t.

That was reassuring, even if Alex wasn’t the one for her.