Page 37 of Pyg

22

ONESIE

T he rest of the week passed in a blur. Alice collected her remaining office plant-babies and hand-delivered the signed settlement agreement. A very relieved Truscote confirmed she’d juggled her diary to accommodate an appointment with George. Alice relayed the news to a delighted George when she dropped by with a cheerful bouquet of daffodils and hyacinths.

Alice enjoyed a couple of lunch dates with Ash, and on Ash’s night off, she invited Alice over. Her place turned out to be the spacious top floor of a Regency townhouse, and it looked like a show home, which Ash had brushed off by saying, “It’s only tidy because I’m never here.” Once Alice had finished gawping at everything, they ate Thai takeaway and binge-watched half a dozen episodes of Friends — seriously, Friends . Then Ash drove her home just before midnight, muttering something about an early morning suit fitting in the next county.

If this was friendship, and all Ash had to offer, then Alice would gladly take it. Yet, ever since their meeting in the park, when Ash had talked about her ex, things felt a little less comfortable between them. Alice tried not to overthink it, but wondered if her own unspoken feelings were the problem. Needless to say, she was having doubts about airing them now.

Just three days after delivering the signed agreement, the settlement money landed in Alice’s bank account. First things first, she paid off her credit card, and then she repaid all the money she owed her sister. As a thank-you, she booked a spa weekend for Maggie and Markus, and even though she suspected Maggie might enjoy it more, she had to admit they’d both been there for her when times were tough.

Following two unsuccessful shopping trips, Alice found the perfect outfit online; a sparkly black jumpsuit with long puffy sleeves that would cover her pink cast. Of course, she hadn’t been able to resist the perfect strappy heels to go with it. Or the matching clutch bag.

She’d tried everything on when it arrived, but now, all done up and twirling in front of the mirror, she really admired the fit — the jumpsuit hugged her waist and flowed around her curves perfectly. She wanted Ash to see her put together properly for once, so she’d taken her time getting ready, cajoling her curls into shape and putting on her face.

When Ash knocked on the door, Alice exhaled a long breath before opening it.

“Wow,” they said at the sight of each other, and nervous laughter burst from them. Ash looked more done up than Alice had ever seen her. She’d swept her hair back in a way that accentuated her striking features, especially her eyes. Fuck the party. Alice wanted to close the door and push Ash up against it.

“Alice, you look…” Ash breathed heavily. “Like a movie star. I’m, just… wow, look at you.”

“I could say the same to you.” She reached out and touched the velvet fabric of Ash’s embroidered longline jacket. “I love this.”

“Yeah?” Ash looked down at her outfit. “I had it made especially.”

“That’s why it looks so perfect on you.”

Ash held Alice’s gaze for a moment, then released a breathy laugh. “We better get going if we’re to miss the traffic.”

“Yeah, of course. Let me just grab my bag.”

“I’ll take this for you.” Ash picked up Alice’s small wheelie suitcase and laughed. “Bloody hell, Alice. You know we’re only going for a night, don’t you?”

By the time they hit the motorway, the coffee Ash had made for the trip was at perfect drinking temperature.

“Mmm, thanks for thinking to bring coffee.” Alice sipped from a reusable mug with a university logo printed on it.

Ash smiled but kept her eyes on the road. “You’re welcome. I think I remembered how you like it?”

“It’s spot on.”

Ash muttered under her breath as she indicated and accelerated into the inside lane to get around a middle-lane-hog. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the steering wheel.

“How are you feeling about seeing your family?”

Ash sighed. “Oh, you know. It would’ve been easier if Indi hadn’t let me down.”

Alice winced. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have come?”

Ash glanced across and flashed her a big smile. “No, sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m delighted you’re my plus one, Al.” Her grip on the steering wheel tightened. “It’s just what I was explaining before… how the weight of everyone’s expectations can be pretty heavy.”

“I get that, but hopefully having a friend on your arm will make it easier than facing everything alone.”

Ash inhaled sharply, then opened her mouth as if to speak, but she said nothing.

“So, tell me about your family, and anything else I need to know. I don’t want to come across as a total moron.”

Ash laughed and spent the rest of the journey filling Alice in on the who’s who, including all the people to avoid.

“Not that you’ll be leaving my side,” Ash said with a wide-eyed look which said, please, don’t let that happen.

After a while, the tension eased in Ash’s arms. She rolled her neck and relaxed back into the driver’s seat with the air of a woman on her way to a party rather than an inquisition. Alice listened attentively, repeating and, no doubt, mispronouncing the names Ash reeled off. She wasn’t good with names at the best of times.

Ash snickered. “Don’t worry, there won’t be a test. All you need to remember is that my brother is Nik and he’s engaged to Sukhi. They’ve been together since they were kids, so it’s about bloody time they tied the knot.”

* * *

Ash’s car crunched to a stop at the end of a sweeping gravel driveway. Alice peered through the windscreen at the magnificent venue, its weathered facade bathed in the warm hues of the setting sun. She turned to Ash, who was already looking at her with the hint of a smile.

“You ready?” Alice asked.

Ash puffed out a laboured breath. “As ready as I can be.” A deep line appeared between her eyebrows, so Alice reached over the centre console and took her hand.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be right with you the whole time and I’ll do my best to deflect any unwanted conversations, okay?”

Ash nodded and looked up through her lashes. “I’m pleased you’re here. Plus, Indi wouldn’t have looked anywhere near as good as you do in that sparkly onesie.”

Alice gasped. “It isn’t a onesie, it’s a jumpsuit!”

“Well, whatever it is.” Ash grinned. “You look incredible. It took my breath away when I saw you this morning.” She turned Alice’s hand over and traced a finger across her palm.

Friends don’t say things like that. Heat crept from Alice’s chest to her neck as she stared back into those dark brown eyes.

“Ash, there’s something I?—”

A loud rap of knuckles on the driver’s side window caused them to jump apart.

“Oh my God, Nik!” Ash scrambled for the door handle and jumped out, hugging her brother. “Look at your beard! You almost look like a proper grown-up!”

“Almost? I’m thirty-two.” He honked out a laugh.

Alice shuffled her feet by the front of the car, trying to stop her heels from sinking into the gravel. Ash turned to her and held out an arm.

“Nik, this is my friend, Alice.” Nik reached out and shook her hand. “Alice, meet my annoying little brother, Nikhil.”

“Thanks for coming along, Alice.”

Alice smiled politely, trying not to stare too hard into the brown eyes that were a copy-and-paste of his sister’s. “Congratulations on your engagement.”

Nik beamed a smile full of pristine white teeth, then turned on his heel to head back inside. “Right, let’s get this party started.”

Alice and Ash followed on until Nik spun around.

“Oh, Ash, there’s something…” Nik stepped back toward her and whispered into her ear.

The colour leached from Ash’s face as she searched Nik’s with narrowed eyes.

“Why are you only telling me this now?”

Nik shook his head. “Sorry, I didn’t know until I saw her arrive. Mum must have invited her, or Sukhi, you know they’re still in touch.” Nik scratched his beard. “I’ve not really been in control of the guest list.”

Ash’s mouth hung open as she reeled from whatever blow she’d been dealt.

“I’ll, er… give you a minute. See you inside, yeah?” Nik grimaced at Alice before bouncing on his heels and jogging off.

Alice moved closer to Ash and placed a hand on her back. “What’s the matter?”

Ash stared down at her loafers. “Sam’s here. Mum must have invited her.”

“Oh, shit.”

“Yeah, shit! This is bad. I mean, I haven’t seen her since she left for Edinburgh.”

“She’s married now, right?”

Ash nodded. “I knew today would be weird, but I didn’t expect this.”

“Okay, well… it’s your family gathering and you have more of a right to be here than she does. So, you can go in with your head held high and with your gorgeous friend on your arm.” Alice tried to coax a smile from Ash’s frowning face.

Sucking in a breath, Ash stood up straight and proffered an arm to Alice. “Yeah, you’re right. Come on.”

* * *

“Wow!” Alice’s eyes popped when they entered the reception room. Mags and Markus had had a flashy do when they tied the knot, but this was next level, and it was only the engagement party. Lush, white floral arrangements adorned the tables and fairy lights suspended from the ceiling twinkled like a starry night. A polished dance floor gleamed centre stage as the DJ spun songs to an empty floor.

“Welcome to your first Desi party.” Ash held out her arms. “We go big.”

“Yeah, you sure do.”

Ash seemed to stiffen as she looked around the room, bustling with party guests. From a gaggle of women chatting in the corner came a loud squawk, and one woman threw her arms in the air.

“Ey up! Here comes trouble,” Ash muttered to Alice as the squawking women made a beeline for them.

“And you suddenly sound very Yorkshire!”

“Yeah, that tends to happen when I’m around this lot.”

“Asha, you’re here at last.” The woman’s accent was a lively mix of Yorkshire and Punjabi. She took Ash into a rough hug. Pulling back, she looked at her with eyes full of adoration and touched her face.

“Look at you, all skin and bones. You’ve not been eating enough and you’re working too hard.” She tutted and rolled her eyes.

Ash laughed. “I’m fine, Mum.”

An armful of gold bangles jangled as the woman waved her hand. “You’re here now. But what is this you’re wearing?” She stood back, eyeing Ash’s outfit.

“You like it? I had it made at that place in Leicester you recommended.”

Ash frowned as her mum fingered the embroidery, taking her time to assess the fabric and needlework. “Mmm, yes. The Leicester place. Very good.” She touched a palm to Ash’s cheek again. “It suits you.”

“Oh, I’m being rude. Alice, this is my mum, Rani.”

Rani turned to Alice, her flushed round face crinkling in a smile. “Lovely to meet you, Alice. Thank you for making sure Asha arrived in one piece. Did you know her name means hope ?” Rani’s head swayed as she chuckled. “More like hopeless sometimes, especially when she hasn’t got Indi with her.”

“Mum!”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you in front of your friend. Oh, did you see that Sam’s here?”

Ash visibly gulped.

“She’s brought that lovely husband with her. I hoped she would, and you’ll see that there’s hope for you yet. Hope for the hopeless.”

“Mum, you know that I’m?—”

Rani narrowed her eyes.

Alice softly touched Ash’s elbow. “Shall we get a drink?”

“Yeah, I think I need one.”

“Priya! You made it,” Rani screeched, turning her attention to a woman across the room and dashing away.

Alice squeezed Ash’s tense arm, the velvet material of her jacket soft under Alice’s fingertips.

“Are you okay?”

Ash nodded, but she looked the opposite of okay.

As they cut across the centre of the room, Ash waved and smiled at a blur of faces, but didn’t stop to speak with anyone. They jostled through a knot of rowdy blokes and sidled into position at the bar.

“Sorry to ask, but I can’t help wondering, which one is Sam?”

Either Ash didn’t hear, or she didn’t want to answer, as she remained focused on trying to catch the bartender’s eye.

Alice’s eyes glided around the room, trying to pick out anyone she could imagine Ash with. Then she saw her. At least, she noticed there was something about the pretty woman in the electric-blue sari. Her arm was looped through that of a tall man with more hair on his face than his head. They stood chatting to another couple, but whilst she smiled and nodded, her eyes betrayed her attentiveness, darting around as if searching for someone. Ash, probably.

Alice turned back to Ash, who was now staring so hard at the bartender it looked like she was trying to levitate him.

“I think I know who she is.”

“Huh?”

“Sam. I know which one she is.”

“How?”

“I told you before, I’ve got a good gaydar. Ten o’clock. Blue sari. Hanging off the bald man.”

Ash peered over her shoulder. A deep frown formed between her brows, and she groaned.

“I’m right, aren’t I?”

Ash tried to suppress a smile. “Yeah, but no one likes a smart-arse.”

The bartender finally turned to them. “Two gin and tonics, please… yeah, you better make them doubles.”

Drinks in hand, they moved away from the bar to a quiet corner just as the DJ took to the microphone and introduced the bhangra band. A chorus of cheers echoed around the room as the dhol drummer started up and party guests flooded the dance floor. Their vibrant clothing shimmered in a kaleidoscope of colours as they danced around a couple in the centre; Nik and a stunning young woman who Alice assumed was his fiancée. The throng moved in time, winding their hands in the air and bumping their hips.

“Well, that got the party going.” Alice tapped her hand on her leg to the beat, and glanced at Ash, who was scowling into her drink. Despite the confusing churn in her stomach, Alice knew what to say. “You should try to speak to her.”

“Sorry, what?” Ash turned her ear towards Alice.

Alice leaned in, catching the woody scent of her. “I said, you should speak to Sam. It might help clear the air between you. Maybe it’ll give you some closure?”

Ash grimaced. “What if she doesn’t want to speak to me?”

“I think it’s clear that she does. She hasn’t stopped looking at you.”

Ash’s eyebrows peaked. “Really?”

Alice tilted her head in the direction of Sam. “Am I wrong?”

“Er, no. She’s looking this way right now.” Ash slowly raised her hand in a discreet wave at the woman across the room. “Right, well. Yeah. Maybe I’ll speak to her after I’ve had another drink. Would you mind?”

Alice shook her head and gave Ash a small smile.

“I’ll introduce you to some nice aunties so you’re not on your own.”

Alice waved a hand. “I’ll be fine. I’m on a friend-making streak at the moment.”

“Yeah?”

“Well, there’s you, and George. Oh, and that nice nurse, Marjorie.”

Ash spluttered a laugh. “Nurse Reid isn’t your friend. She tolerates you at best, like she does everyone.”

“How rude!” Alice grinned.

* * *

With another G he gave a brief nod and continued his conversation with the other couple.

The two women stepped away together. Ash’s shoulders looked rigid as she manoeuvred through the entrance, gesturing for Sam to go first.

And then they were gone. Off having a cosy chat in a quiet corner, where they’d no doubt talk about how much they missed each other and how nothing compared. Alice’s heart sank to her heels at the thought, but she had no right to feel like that. She was here as Ash’s confidante, her emotional crutch — her friend.

An emotional outpouring from Alice was the last thing Ash needed right now, wasn’t it?

With a deep sigh, Alice pulled out her phone and tapped out a response to an earlier text from Maggie.

We’ve arrived in one piece, although I’m not sure I’ll be leaving that way.

She deleted the words and typed out something a little less melodramatic. No wonder Maggie always thought her life was a trash fire; she didn’t exactly paint the best picture. Not wanting to be anti-social, she slipped her phone back into her clutch and peered around for someone to chat to. She didn’t have to look far as Nik was striding over, his bearded face beaming.

“Ey up! She’s gone and left you on your own, has she?”

The sound of Nik’s accent made Alice’s chest flutter, although admittedly she preferred it on Ash. Same went for those kind brown eyes, rich and warm like molten chocolate.

Alice breathed a laugh and swirled the liquid around her bulbous gin glass. “She’ll be back. She’s just nipped off for a chat with someone.”

Nik glanced around and looked back to Alice. “Not Sam?”

Alice nodded. “Yeah.”

He scratched his beard. “Sam really did her over, you know?”

“Yeah, Ash told me a bit about it. But I think it’ll do them good to talk.”

Nik gave her a curious smile. “She talked to me about you.”

“She did?”

“Yeah, well at least I think it was about you. You’ve not known her long, have you?”

“No, not really. Only a couple of weeks, but?—”

“Feels like longer?” Nik laughed. “Yeah, that’s what she said.”

Alice’s stomach swooped. She took a long sip of her drink, the gin all but diluted by the melting ice. “So, did she say anything else about me?”

“Maybe.” Mischief flickered in his eyes.

A loud cheer went up from the crowd and snatched their attention. A row of waiters filed into the room, wielding trays piled high with steaming dishes. The aromatic smell of onions, garlic, and spices filled the air.

“Ah, grub’s up. I better dash or she’ll divorce me before we’re even married.” Nik smiled and touched Alice’s arm. “Make sure you get some food, alright?”

“I will, thank you. It smells delicious.”

He started to walk away but turned back mid-stride. “In case I don’t catch you alone again, I just wanted to say, be careful with her, won’t you?”

“Sorry?”

“Ash acts all tough and like she’s got it all together. But she’s as shit-scared as the rest of us. I just don’t want to see her broken again, like she was before.”

“I understand, but we’re just?—”

Nik held up his hand and smiled. “Gotta dash.”