Rachel stepped off the ladder to admire her handiwork. She’d woven strings of fairy lights amongst the exposed cables. A few dozen candles flickered on the tables and window ledges. More fairy lights glowed along the mantelpiece of the old Victorian iron-fronted fireplace. And Sissy’s banner hung above it.
‘It’s uneven,’ Sissy said, standing with her back against the opposite wall to get as wide a view as possible. She was already dressed for the party in her pale blue day dress with white swallows on it. A matching blue ribbon held her wispy locks away from her face.
‘Is it? Are you sure?’
‘Yes.’
Rachel smiled. Of course she was sure. This was Sissy they were talking about. ‘Okay, which end should I move?’
‘The left. It’s too low.’
‘How much?’
‘An inch.’
Rachel climbed back up the stepladder to untack the drawing pin. ‘Is that good?’
‘Another inch.’
She moved the pin. ‘Good?’
‘Another inch.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Another inch.’
She repinned the banner. ‘Now?’
‘It’s too high.’
When Rachel turned around to protest, she caught Sissy’s expression. ‘You’re kidding, right?’
‘Got you! It’s even.’
She climbed down and appraised the sign. It really was beautiful. Sissy had drawn it using her trademark coloured squares. In finely shaded blues and greens against a yellow and orange background, it read Happy Birthday Sarah!
‘Sissy?’ Sarah called up the kitchen stairs.
‘Don’t come up!’ she and Rachel yelled together. Sissy was treating their decorating as a top-secret mission. She’d turned up with her usual assortment of drawing pads and pencil boxes but had yanked Rachel into the kitchen as soon as Sarah went upstairs.
‘I made something for Sarah’s birthday,’ she’d said, rummaging in her bags for the large sketch pad. Folded carefully between its pages had been the birthday banner. Close up it was even more impressive, with fat orange roses and tiny yellow sparrows mosaicked around the edges. ‘Don’t tell Sarah,’ she’d said.
‘Never.’ Rachel had promised to keep the secret.
Of course, Sarah knew something was up. Sissy was about as subtle as a hand grenade. ‘Don’t worry, I’m not coming up,’ she said. ‘I just wondered if you’re hungry. I’ve got the sausage rolls out of the oven.’
‘Let’s have sausage rolls,’ Sissy said to Rachel. ‘But don’t tell.’
Rachel crossed her heart.
Sarah would have found an excuse to deflect the attention if they’d admitted that the party was for her birthday. So over the past few weeks it had been branded variously as a celebration of Rachel’s work coup, an anti-Valentine’s Day party and, when they ran low on excuses, a baby shower for Magda.
The house was already heaving with their friends when Sarah’s brother came through the door with an elegant blonde wearing a simple black fitted dress. Behind them stood a hot-looking guy that Rachel didn’t recognise.
She smoothed down the front of her blue and green tartan dress and hurried over to play hostess. She still wasn’t completely sure about the outfit. She felt like a cross between the Disney princess in Brave and a throw cushion. It did set off her auburn hair nicely though.
‘Hi Robin, welcome!’ She kissed his cheek. ‘Sarah’s just in the kitchen, I think.’
‘No, I’m here,’ she said, coming up behind them.
‘Happy birthday, old girl,’ said Robin, kissing his sister. ‘How’s it feel to be twenty-nine? Ancient I bet. And look who wanted to come along.’
‘Hi Sebastian, hi Lucy,’ Sarah said.
Sebastian, Sebastian. How did Rachel know that name? Ah, of course. Sarah’s ex, Robin’s best friend and destroyer of confidence. He had some nerve turning up.
‘Robin!’ Sissy bellowed as she lunged.
‘Whoa, Sissy, easy there.’ He laughed. ‘You remember Lucy?’
‘Yeah, whatever,’ she said, holding her hand up.
Sarah’s face went as red as the tea dress she was wearing. ‘Sissy! Don’t be rude. I’m so sorry, Lucy.’
‘Sissy …’ Robin’s tone of voice warned.
‘Hello Lucy,’ she said glumly, before perking up. ‘I made the banner for Sarah.’
‘It’s gorgeous,’ Lucy said, obviously eager to get into Sissy’s good books. ‘You are really talented.’
‘Thanks, I know.’
‘Where should we put the bottles, Sarah?’ she asked.
‘Down in the kitchen please, in the ice buckets if they’ll fit. If not, then you can just put them on the side, thanks.’
Lucy grabbed Robin’s hand as they made their way through the crowd toward the kitchen.
That left Sarah and Sebastian staring at each other.
Was Sarah uncomfortable with her ex there? They hadn’t talked since she convinced him to sign up for RecycLove.com. Maybe for good reason. Rachel felt protective of her friend.
‘So, Sebastian, how are you finding the website?’ she asked. May as well talk about it.
‘It’s awesome! That’s the other reason I wanted to stop by, Sarah, to thank you.’
‘Oh really? That’s very kind. You’ve met some nice women then?’
His smirk told Rachel that he wasn’t looking for nice women.
‘What about you?’ he asked Sarah. ‘I bet you’re popular.’
He kept staring at her as if he wanted to say more.
Of course she’s popular, you buffoon, Rachel wanted to scoff. Not only is she one of the nicest people on the planet, but she’s also gorgeous. Just look at her. Her dress gave her curves and the matching red lipstick accentuated the sexy pout of a silver-screen film star. She even had the hang of Rachel’s liquid eyeliner flick.
But Sarah was typically modest. ‘I’ve had a few dates with one guy,’ she said. ‘He seems okay.’
‘He’s not here, is he?’ He waited for her to shake her head. ‘Good, then I can flirt with you.’
‘Oh, well, yes, I suppose,’ she said. ‘But I should go say hello to my boss. He’s just arrived.’
With that she left Sebastian standing there. Rachel stifled a laugh. She was sure Sarah hadn’t meant to leave her ex high and dry, but he looked like someone just took away his chocolate cake after the first mouthful.
Scattiness had its advantages.
Rachel was just about to tell him off for slating Sarah on the assessment when she saw James come in. She excused herself and went to the door.
‘Wow, you don’t usually make such an effort,’ she said, kissing him on the cheek.
He stared at his suit self-consciously, adjusting his white shirt collar. ‘Too much? I didn’t wear the tie.’
The grey suit was just woolly enough to look trendy instead of dorky. ‘No, no. Suits you.’ She rolled her eyes at her own unoriginality. ‘Why the fancy dress though?’
‘Can’t a girl just want to look pretty?’ He handed her two decent bottles of red.
‘And you’ve upgraded from Tesco’s own brand,’ she said. ‘Sarah will be impressed.’
That had driven her mad when they’d dated. Just because he drank ales he thought all alcohol should cost less than four quid. He treated his wallet like a time capsule, to be opened every fifty years.
‘Speaking of girls looking pretty, you’re looking divine tonight, Ms Lambert. New dress?’
‘Why thank you, it is. Not too Braveheart though?’
‘Aye lass, you’d give King Edward a run. I wouldn’t cross you. Where’s your housemate?’
Rachel caught a flash of red on the other side of the crowded sitting room. ‘She’s over there. Doesn’t she look fantastic?’
He stared at Sarah, smiling. ‘Seriously stunning. I know you think I’m just full of shit, but I don’t remember her looking that good.’
‘That’s because she didn’t look that good before I made her over.’ She wasn’t sure why she said that. She didn’t own Sarah.
‘Crafting her in your own image?’ he said.
‘Don’t be ridiculous.’
‘But look at her, Rachel. She’s you, only blonde with longer legs.’
Was he right? Rachel watched Sarah for signs of Rachelness.
Oh God, she realised, he might be right. There she was in the cut of her dress and chunky black leather boots and her freshly tonged wavy hair, her own statement lipstick and signature eyeliner flick.
How had she not seen what she was doing?
‘Wow, what a narcissist I am,’ she said to James. ‘This is really bad.’
‘It isn’t the worst thing in the world to have another Rachel around. You’ll come with me to say happy birthday, right?’
She was about to make a crack but he looked rather shy so she bit her tongue.
When Sarah saw James she hugged him like they were long-lost friends. She was definitely a bit squiffy already.
‘I take it you remember James then?’
‘Of course! We all went to see that film with Sigourney Weaver and the lizards.’
James looked confused. ‘Alien? I don’t remem—’
‘She means Avatar.’
‘Ah, that’s right. I’d forgotten that. I was thinking about Hyde Park that time during the Christmas market.’
‘When you spilled mulled wine down Rachel’s back,’ Sarah said, looking guilty. ‘That was my fault. I shouldn’t have asked James for a sip.’
‘No,’ Rachel said. ‘It was James’s fault for bringing a drink on a roller coaster. Who does that?’ She’d been furious with him for the rest of that night. It was just the kind of thing that she’d hated about going out with him. Everybody else thought he was great fun, but she was the one who had to live with the consequences. She never did get the red wine out of her coat.
‘Oh, I almost forgot,’ James said shyly. ‘This is for you.’ He handed Sarah a small envelope.
Rachel recognised the Caffè Nero logo.
‘It’s nothing, really. I just thought you could treat yourself to coffee.’
Rachel stared at him.
‘What?’ he demanded. ‘Aren’t you supposed to give presents at a birthday party?’
‘Yes, of course you are,’ she said. ‘It’s just, well, a little out of character for you, if I’m honest. It’s nice though. Really nice!’
‘Well, maybe I’m a new man.’
He and Sarah grinned at each other like idiots until Sissy turned up and started tapping her sister insistently on the shoulder. ‘I want to change clothes, please.’
‘Why? You look so pretty.’
‘I know. I have another outfit. I have wardrobe changes.’
‘Oh well then, let’s go. Excuse me, will you? I’m on wardrobe duty.’
She let Sissy lead her away by the hand.
‘Excuse me too,’ said James. ‘Need the loo.’
It was much later when Rachel saw Sarah and James with their heads together again, intent on their conversation. She hesitated for just a second before going over. But that was ridiculous. They were both her friends.
As soon as they noticed her though, they stopped whatever they’d been talking about.
‘What’s going on?’ She tried to keep her question breezy. La la la, I don’t really care about the answer.
‘Oh nothing,’ Sarah said. ‘Ace turnout, isn’t it?’
James scanned the room, intent on the guests. Whatever they’d been talking about didn’t include Rachel.
‘I’m getting some more wine,’ she finally said, sensing that they wanted to be alone. ‘Want some?’
‘No thanks,’ they both said.
‘Suit yourselves.’ She went towards the kitchen, feeling left out.