Six weeks later Jake was gone. And my heart was left broken.
With a resigned sigh, I click off Google and Jake disappears from my screen.
I force myself to open my Word document to get the questions compiled for tomorrow before I go to dinner with Will tonight.
I don’t go to interviews unprepared. Especially if said interview is with my old best friend and one time love of my life.
Chapter Two
I arrive home from work, after somehow managing to compile a list of suitable questions for the interview with Jake tomorrow, drop my handbag on our coffee table, sling my jacket on the arm of the sofa and kick my shoes off.
Simone is in the kitchen. We share a modest two bedroom converted ground floor flat in Camden, which we rent from Simone’s cousin who is a property developer. Our rent is really reasonable as Marc and Simone are close. We would never have been able to afford it otherwise.
I wander in to the sound of the kettle boiling.
“Want one?” she asks holding up the coffee jar.
“I’d love one, thanks.”
I get the biscuits out of the cupboard, then Simone hands me my coffee, and with the biscuits under my arm, I follow her back through into our small living room.
I sit next to her on the sofa, putting the pack of biscuits between us.
“So how’s your day been?” I ask, as I munch on a biscuit.
This is my opener to telling her about Jake.
‘How’s your day been Simone? … Mine you ask? Well, tomorrow morning I’m going to be interviewing Jake Wethers.’ – cue lots of screaming from Simone and maybe a little from me.
“Good,” she beams, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear. “In fact, it was actually great.” She turns to face me, tucking her legs under her bum. “We landed Penners.”
“You did?”
“We did! And then afterwards Daniel took me into his office to tell me they’re promoting me to senior Ad Exec!”
“Argghhh!” I scream.
“I know!” she screams back.
“That’s brilliant, Simone! I’m so pleased for you! And mega proud!” I give her a one armed hug, trying not to spill my coffee on her.
Simone works for an Advertising agency. She’s been working on landing Penners for ages, so I know how big a deal this is for her. She loves her job, and as proven, is very good at it.
She’s also stunningly gorgeous and has no clue as to the actual effect she has on men. With her lovely swishy, long blonde hair, saucer blue eyes and skin the colour of cream.
She is sweet, kind-hearted and über wonderful, and I just love her to bits.
“We should celebrate tonight,” I enthuse, getting more and more on board with the idea as I talk about it. “I was supposed to be having dinner with Will, but I’ll cancel. We can get dressed up, have cocktails at Mandarin’s …”
“No.” She waves me off. “You can’t cancel on Will.”
“I can, and I will.” I start to laugh at my own joke.
“You’re a dork.” She nudges my leg with her foot, chuckling.
“And you wouldn’t have me any other way,” I grin.
“That I wouldn’t.”
“Look, he’ll understand, Will’s a very understanding man.” I take another bite of my biscuit and drop crumbs all over my T-shirt. I brush them off. “Tonight isn’t a big deal, we were only having dinner. Seriously, you and I will go out and celebrate – I’ll call Will now.”
Honestly, I could do with the distraction of alcohol tonight because my nerves are fraught over the whole Jake interview thing, and Simone is my very best drinking partner.
“You’re sure?”
“I’m definitely sure.” I grin.
“Then you are definitely on.”
Putting my coffee down, I lean over and retrieve my phone from my bag.
I have a text waiting from Vicky:
Good luck tomorrow, darling girl. Come straight to my office when you’re done with Jake, I want ALL the details ;)
A winky, smiley face. Christ, she’s making it sound like a bloody date.
A white hot thrill shoots through me at the very thought.
Jesus, Tru, sort yourself out.
A: Jake is way out of your league, and always was.
B: It actually is just an interview.
And C: You have a very lovely boyfriend by the name of Will. The one who you’re about to cancel on.
I lean back on the sofa and speed dial Will’s number.
“Hey baby,” he coos down the phone. “You okay?”
“I’m fine … I was just wondering, would you be majorly pissed if I cancelled tonight? It’s just that Simone found out today she landed that big client she’s been working on for months and also that they are promoting her to Ad Exec! So I thought I should take her out to celebrate.”
“Of course I don’t mind. Go out, enjoy yourself. And tell Simone congratulations from me. Rain check for tomorrow night, darling?”
“Definitely.”
“Love you.”
“You too.”
I hang up, tossing my phone on the table.
“Get your best on,” I say, grinning across at Simone. “Because tonight, you and I are celebrating.”
I take a quick shower, washing my hair. I blow dry it, and run my straighteners over, smoothing it out.
My hair is dark, thick, naturally curly … basically unruly. I wear it long to try and drag the curl down. I inherited my wild hair from my mum. She’s Puerto-Rican. My dad is English.