This London Love by Clare Lydon Read Free Book Online Page A

your year-long slump.”
    “Year and a half.” Meg scooped some chicken and black bean sauce onto her plate, sat alongside her rice. “Remember, me and Tanya didn’t have any sex for the final six months. We just slept on the outskirts of the bed and avoided each other as much as we could.”
    “Glad to see your life’s moved on so dramatically, then.” Jamie munched on a mouthful of noodles as he raised his eyebrows at Meg.
    “Now you put it like that.”
    They were silent for a few seconds, both pouncing on the food after a hard day at work.
    “How’s Mum, anyway?”
    “Fine. Loads better. Check-ups all came back okay and she’s easing back into work.” Meg paused. “That is to say, she’s doing far too much still, but less than I anticipated she might, so that’s good.”
    “Make sure she doesn’t do too much.”
    “I’m trying.” Meg shrugged. “But you know what she’s like.”
    “I do.” Jamie pursed his lips. “The type to run around till she’s blue in the face and then have a minor heart attack.” He shook his head. “Is she any closer to getting help with the deliveries?”
    Jamie had been helping out at the florist with deliveries since their mum’s heart attack, and was still doing so at the weekends. He’d been a massive help and Meg didn’t know what they’d have done without him.
    “I think she had a friend whose son was interested, but I’ll follow up with her, promise.”
    “Cool. Only if this deal takes off, I might need my weekends back to work on that.”
    “I get it,” Meg said. “I’ll speak to her. You still okay for this month?”
    “Course — me and Greg.” Jamie paused. “I have something else to tell you.” He winced as he spoke.
    “Sounds ominous.”
    “Dad’s been in touch.”
    Meg stopped chewing and put down her cutlery. “He’s being persistent, isn’t he? That’s twice in a few months.” She sighed. “What should we do?”
    Jamie shrugged. “I don’t know. Part of me wants to tell him to piss off. But then part of me wants to meet him, to see what he has to say. But with Mum how she is, I don’t want to upset her.”
    Meg shook her head. “Mum has to be our priority. It’s too soon after everything for unnecessary stress for her. So just tell him now’s not a good time. Can you do that?”
    Jamie nodded slowly. “It seems a bit mean, though. He really does want to be in our lives for good this time. He sounds like he’s changed.”
    Meg furrowed her brow. “You always were the softer one. He’s been out of our lives for this long, he can wait a bit longer. Agreed?”
    “Agreed.” Jamie pushed some food around his plate. “It’s just, none of us are getting any younger, are we? Mum’s heart attack put that into clear perspective.”
    “I know. But he can wait — he’s made us wait a lifetime.” Meg’s tone held steely finality. “Anyway, let’s change the subject — how are Greg and Jupiter?”
    Greg was Jamie’s boyfriend and they’d been living together for two years. Jupiter was their cat, and every time Meg went round there, she swore she wanted to come back as Jupiter. A more spoilt and loved animal she had yet to meet.
    A slow smile spread across Jamie’s face as Meg knew it would. It always did when he spoke about Greg — and that was exactly what Meg wanted. Someone who made her light up just like Jamie was doing right now.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    9
     
    The next morning, Kate knew she could postpone it no longer. Once she’d made it to work and sorted through her morning emails, she snuck off into one of the smaller meeting rooms in the office and closed the door quietly. She plugged her laptop into the network, called up the Fabulous Flowers website, took a deep breath and dialled their number. Her knee jigged up and down under the table and her blood began to tumble around her body, as if competing in some amateur gymnastic event.
    “Hello, Fabulous Flowers.”
    It was her. Kate gulped.