I’m pacing up and down by the front door, looking between my clipboard and my watch.
‘How are we doing?’ asks Becca, a panicked looked on her face.
‘We’re still missing Carla, and the mums.’
Becca nods. ‘I’ll phone Carla, and have you tried your mum?’
‘Yes, but she won’t answer the phone when she’s driving, it’s far too dangerous in her book.’
‘Even with hands-free?’
‘Don’t get me started,’ I say, taking a deep breath. ‘Marissa’s going to be here any minute.’
‘Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll make it on time.’
I look at my watch for the zillionth time.
‘They better.’
Who knew planning a surprise baby shower would be so stressful? I thought it was bad enough co-ordinating everyone’s diary to make sure Marissa’s nearest and dearest would be able to attend before the baby graduated from university, but on top of nearly everyone running late, Marissa’s been getting Braxton Hicks for the last few days and I’ve been terrified she was going to go into labour early and my hard work would be wasted.
I peer into the lounge; at least everyone is having a good time. I’m looking forward to Marissa arriving so I can relax and start to mingle.
The door buzzes and I walk over to the intercom with trepidation.
‘Hello,’ I say, hoping that Marissa’s not early.
‘Hi, it’s Carla.’
‘Oh, thank God,’ I say, sighing with relief. ‘Come on up.’
I tick her off my list and circle mine and Marissa’s mum’s names. I’m starting to wish that I’d personally gone and collected them. Marissa’s mum Karen is a little bit of a liability and is a terrible secret-keeper so I made Mum invite her out for coffee and offer to pick her up. But they were supposed to be here half an hour ago.
There’s a knock at the door and I open it for Carla, who’s one of our old school friends, and she wraps me in a warm hug.
‘How are you?’ she says, squeezing me tight.
‘I’m OK,’ I say, nodding. I know she’s really asking how am I after Ben. It’s what happens when I see someone for the first time in a while.
‘Good,’ she says, drifting off towards Becca to do the same.
The door buzzes again and I pray that it’s my mum’s voice that I hear.
‘Hello, Izzy?’ she says. Thank God.
‘Come up quickly!’
I tick them off my list and I pop my clipboard down in the kitchen. I help myself to a couple of canapés, feeling relieved that I might just have pulled this off.
There’s a knock at the door and I open it. Marissa’s mum Karen waltzes straight through into the lounge and clasps her hands over her mouth when she sees the party.
‘Oh my goodness, this is amazing. A baby shower, for us,’ she says, turning to me and enveloping me in a big hug.
I want to point out that we’re throwing Marissa a shower, but I bite my tongue. Karen’s always had a bit of an issue with attention. Her mother-of-the-bride outfit was all white and looked suspiciously like a low-key wedding dress.
She pulls away from the hug and I notice that she’s wearing a sparkly T-shirt that says KEEP CALM, I’M GOING TO BE A GRANDMA. Something tells me she might have had an inkling this was happening.
‘It’s such a surprise,’ she says, turning to the room again. ‘I had absolutely no idea. It’s so wonderful you could all make it.’
The door buzzes again and it can only be one person.
‘Right everyone, hush, hush, this will be her,’ I say, thinking at least that it’s temporarily stopped Karen from being the centre of attention. An excited hush falls over the room and all eyes are on me walking over to the intercom. ‘Hello,’ I say, trying to keep the nervous excitement out of my voice.
‘Hi, Izzy? It’s me, Aidan.’
There are a few murmurs round the room at the male voice.
‘Oh, hi,’ I say, wishing that the whole room wasn’t listening to this. It’s been two weeks since we slept together, which was also the last time I saw him. It’s not that I haven’t wanted to see him, it’s just that I know if I do I’ll have to tell him about Luke and I haven’t been brave enough. So instead, much to the delight of my boss, Howard, I’ve been jumping at the chance of any overtime in the evenings and over the weekend, as an excuse not to see him.
‘Can I come up? We need to talk.’
I take my finger off the intercom and sigh. We do need to talk but now is not the time. Marissa is due in five minutes and I’ve got a room full of women, not to mention my mother is here and no doubt she’s hanging off every word.
‘Now’s not really a good time,’ I say, turning and looking at Mum who’s smiling like all her Christmases have come at once.
‘It seems like it never is. But I really want to see you.’
‘I want to see you too,’ I say in a low whisper, not comfortable that everyone is hearing this. ‘But now, really, really isn’t a good time.’
‘Right,’ he says and I can hear that his patience is wearing thin. ‘I guess I should have believed you when you said you weren’t interested in a relationship. It was just that that sex was—’
‘Come up!’ I scream. I buzz open the door and keep huddled over the intercom panel, too embarrassed to make eye contact with the room.
‘Izzy Brown, you’ve been keeping secrets,’ says Mum, walking up to me with a huge smile on her face. I bet she’s already planning her hat for the wedding.
‘It’s very early days,’ I say to her.
‘Doesn’t sound like it’s that early,’ she says. ‘I want to hear all about it.’
I look at all the other women who are still staring at me.
‘Yes, Mum, and as I said to Aidan – now is not a good time.’
There’s a knock at the door and I hurry over to open it.
Despite our audience, my heart swells as I see Aidan standing there.
‘I’m sorry to drop in on you like this, but I had to see you,’ he says.
‘And I wanted to see you too,’ I say, realising I’ve been a complete idiot putting my fake relationship with Luke first.
He leans over to kiss me and I hear a cough from behind.
Aidan breaks away and I watch a look of horror spreading over his face when he sees the room full of women.
‘Ah, when you said it was a bad time…’ he says, clocking the balloons and baby shower paraphernalia.
‘Yeah, I wasn’t lying. I do want to see you,’ I say, reaching out and squeezing his hand. ‘But it’s Marissa’s baby shower.’
‘Um-hmm, so I see.’
‘Did you want to stay?’
‘As much as I’ve always wanted to bob for dummies,’ he says, pointing at the big sign next to a big tub of water, ‘I think I’ll leave you to it. I’m actually on my way to my mate’s for the weekend in Southampton and I saw the signs for Basingstoke and I thought I’d come by on the off chance. Can we meet up one night in the week or next weekend?’
‘Come round again next weekend,’ I say, relieved that he doesn’t seem too mad at me. ‘That way we’ll have time to talk properly. I’ll call you.’
He raises an eyebrow.
‘I promise I will.’
He smiles and he turns to go when the intercom buzzes again.
‘Hello,’ I say, watching him go.
‘Hey, buzz me up, I’m busting for a wee and I might not make it,’ says Marissa.
I gasp, I’d momentarily forgotten all about her arrival and I press the button releasing the door. I turn to Aidan and notice he’s gone really pale.
‘Did everyone hear what I said?’ he says, whispering.
‘Yep, including Mum.’
He turns to look over his shoulder and she gives him a huge wave; she’s positively beaming and despite the fact I’m mortified, I realise how nice it is seeing her looking happy.
He gives her a little wave and tells us all to have a good time before he hurries out the door. But there’s no time to dwell on him now.
‘Right, everyone, hide,’ I shout. ‘She’ll be here any second.’
Some of the guests squeeze behind the sofa and others behind the dining table. Everyone’s just in their place when Marissa knocks on the door.
She doesn’t waste any time with pleasantries and barges straight to the loo.
‘You would not believe the week I’ve been having,’ shouts Marissa from behind the bathroom door. ‘My mum is driving me bonkers. Did you know she wants to be there at the birth? Can you imagine? She’d be barging the midwife out the way and catching the baby as she pops out so that it would all be about her and how she single-handedly delivered the baby.’
I look over in horror at the direction of the standing lamp that Karen’s feebly attempted to hide behind. She’s pursing her brightly painted lips.
‘I’m sure it would be lovely to have her with you. Offer that loving support,’ I shout back. I can hear her washing her hands on the other side.
‘Have you hit your head?’ she says, walking out of the bathroom. ‘We’re talking about my mum, not yours. Do you know she’s asked me not to have the baby the second week in December because she’s got her work Christmas do and she doesn’t want to miss it.’
‘Surprise!’ shouts Karen, jumping out into the middle of the room, forcing Marissa to turn and face the lounge. I didn’t think anyone could look more shocked than Aidan did earlier.
Marissa’s other friends and family belatedly jump out and shout half-hearted surprises at different times. It’s not quite how I’d planned it.
Marissa’s doing an awful lot of deep breathing and I’m starting to wonder if throwing a surprise party for a heavily pregnant woman was a good idea. What if she’s gone into so much shock that the baby comes along right now?
‘Oh my God,’ says Marissa, staring at me. ‘A baby shower. Wow. Aren’t I the lucky one? Everyone I love in one room. And even my mother is here.’
She looks at everyone and then back at me with her eyebrow raised.
‘Thanks, Izzy,’ she leans over and hugs me and whispers in my ear. ‘Shit, do you think my mum heard?’
‘Yep,’ I whisper back.
‘Bollocks and I can’t even drink.’
‘None of us can,’ I say, regretting that we’d made it a dry shower in solidarity of Marissa.
She puts a big, brave smile on her face and turns to face the room.
I watch her tense as her mum slips her arm around her daughter.
‘Darling, isn’t this wonderful, a baby shower for our little one?’ says Karen.
‘Yes, it’s great,’ she says, wriggling away and greeting everyone who has come up to fuss over her and her bump.
‘So… Aidan seemed nice,’ says Mum, sidling up to me.
‘Yes, he is. Right, we’ve got a big schedule of games, we should really get started,’ I say, grabbing my clipboard then flicking over the itinerary.
‘Oh really, don’t we get a little bit of time for a chat?’
‘No, no, we’ve got to do the ice breaker. Right, everyone!’ I shout over the excited chatter. ‘Let’s do the “guess the person from their baby picture” game.’
Everyone pushes towards the photos pegged to a line of string hanging along the length of the room and I stand back and catch my breath. It might not have gone to plan what with Aidan, late arrivals and Karen’s attention-seeking, but I’m determined to get this back on track and give Marissa the baby shower she deserves.