SAM
I had it all figured out. The next step in Operation Chasing Charlie was to view him at home. Not his London flat. No, this mission would take me further afield, to the countryside, to his parents’ house. Well, not to the house itself but certainly nearby. My trusty sidekick Facebook told me that was where he was going tonight. I had made do with the single glance of him across the courtyard outside his work and had somehow made it to Friday without contacting him but now I was hungry for more. It was like a scab sitting there on my knee just asking to be picked. I had to know – was he still unhappy? Or had he been having a particularly bad day when I saw him? If he was still unhappy this weekend, I’d feel better about the fact that he still hadn’t been in touch. If he was happy . . . well, I didn’t want to think about that.
I sat on the Tube, turning over my plan and feeling very pleased I actually had one. It was preferable to giving in to my miserable heart, which was busy feeling utterly lost and really wanted to go to bed and cry for a long time. I was still reeling from the anti-climax Charlie’s birthday party had proved to be. But I wasn’t going to give up now. Not after all the hard work I’d put into luring him so far. I would keep on moving forwards. I had to get there; I just had to be patient.
A bunch of women sat opposite me, obviously friends going home together after work. They were deep in discussion about a mutual friend and the steamy affair she was having with her boss, completely oblivious to the other passengers on the train.
‘She may as well be wearing a sign around her neck—’
‘Totally glowing—’
‘It’ll only end in tears.’
‘No, it’ll be worth it. Look at her!’
‘I saw her workmate the other day, whatshisname, Robert?’
‘Is that the cute one?’
‘What, the cute gay one or the cute dark one?’
‘Aren’t they both dark?’
‘OMG, stick to your story.’
‘OK, so he said that—’
‘Isn’t Robert the one with the square face? You know. He looks like a Lego man.’
‘No! He left ages ago, got a job somewhere else—’
‘That’s right! He got a job in marketing at Legoland.’
‘Really?’
‘No!’
How long had it been since I had had time like that with my girls? I thought back. I couldn’t remember. Too long. Far too long. I sat up straighter. I had the distinct impression my head had been pulled out of a hole. Had I been so wrapped up in this Charlie business I’d become the kind of girl that dropped her friends for a man? Had I really become that kind of person? I shook my head. I couldn’t bear listening to the friends a minute longer so I stood and moved towards the door, ready to leap out at Queen’s Park. The need to immerse myself in my friends was suddenly urgent, as pressing as the need to think non-stop about Charlie had been ten minutes ago.
Hurrying along Harvist Road, I imagined a relaxed Friday night in with Mara. I’d ask all about how she was and really listen to her. Be the best friend I could be.
But there was no one there. Not even a note. I frowned. Friday night, and Mara wasn’t home? My tummy dropped. Friday night. It was Friday night and no one had called me to organise meeting up. I blinked, thinking back. We hadn’t met up last Friday night either. I called Claudia but her phone was off.