Joe said, ‘Plus it was quite fun having it as a secret. Just between us. And of course I won her over in the end.’
‘With his legendary modesty and charm.’ Carmel was pretending to roll her eyes, but in reality she exuded happiness.
‘Not to mention my stupendous sexual technique.’
She gave him a nudge. ‘Yes, definitely best not to mention that.’
‘This is so brilliant.’ Sitting down next to Carmel, Tasha grinned at Joe and Rory across the table. ‘I can’t believe you didn’t tell us, but it’s made my day.’
‘It’s my cheapskate way of giving you a Christmas present that doesn’t need wrapping up,’ said Joe.
Carmel leaned against Tasha. ‘Shall I tell you what really did it? It was the way he looked after Rory in hospital and during the weeks after the op. He was just so lovely to him, it completely won me over. I realised what a good person he was. Kind. Patient. Nicer than I’d always thought.’
‘I’m going to have that carved on my gravestone,’ said Joe. ‘Here lies Joseph James. Nicer than you thought.’ He paused. ‘And great in bed too.’
The middle-aged waitress, arriving to take their order, pointed at Rory with her pencil and exclaimed, ‘Got it! I’ve just realised who you are!’ Rory looked up at her.
‘You think he’s Ryan Reynolds, don’t you?’ said Joe. ‘Sorry, he isn’t. But I am Brad Pitt.’
‘And I’m Angelina Jolie,’ said the waitress. She turned her attention back to Rory. ‘This time last year. There was a girl over by that bin out there . . . we were all watching her search through it and you went out with one of our bin liners to help her find whatever it was she was looking for.’
‘She’d lost her credit card,’ said Rory.
‘A gang of teenage boys on skateboards were giving her a hard time. You sent them packing. Then when she finally found the card, you made her wave to us over here in the café! And we all waved back!’
‘You did.’ Rory nodded. ‘I remember.’
‘And then you both headed off in separate directions and everyone in here went Aaaahhh because we wanted you to go off together, like in one of those lovely Christmassy films on the telly. But you didn’t,’ said the waitress. ‘We were so disappointed.’
‘Ah well, never mind,’ said Joe. ‘He managed to find himself a girlfriend in the end.’
‘Of course he did, handsome chap like him. And you look lovely too, dear.’ The waitress’s lit-up plastic antlers waggled as she nodded and beamed at Tasha.
‘Thanks.’ Tasha held up her left hand. ‘We’re engaged!’
‘I say, that’s a sparkler! Just goes to show, it was all for the best – you’re the one he was meant to be with after all.’
Tasha smiled, unoffended; her hair was far longer now than it had been a year ago. She was also blonder. Plus, the waitress had only ever seen her from a distance.
‘This one’s called Tasha,’ Rory told the waitress. ‘Ask me how we first met.’
‘Ooh, was it romantic? Go on, do tell.’ She gave him an encouraging nod. ‘I love stories like that.’
‘Well,’ said Rory, drawing out the moment, ‘it was Christmas Eve, Tasha was out doing some last-minute shopping and she lost her credit card in a litter bin . . .’
‘Oh my goodness!’ The woman’s mouth had formed a perfect oval of delight. ‘Really? It was you?’
‘It was me,’ Tasha agreed.
‘That’s why we call her Bin Girl,’ Joe added helpfully.
‘That’s why you call her Bin Girl.’ Carmel gave him a nudge. ‘The rest of us use her real name.’
‘Well I never, this is fantastic.’ The waitress was enthralled. ‘Oh, but frustrating too – I want to tell all the other people who were in here last year that the two of you did end up getting together, and I can’t because they’re not here. Well anyway, you’ve made my day. That’s just wonderful. No wonder you both look so happy.’ Her antlers bobbed as she beamed at them. ‘This must have been the best year of your lives.’
Tasha pressed her foot against Rory’s under the table. They smiled at each other. Aloud, she said, ‘Oh it definitely has.’
Chapter 54
‘OK, now push,’ ordered the older, slightly bossier midwife.
‘I don’t want to. It huuuuurts.’
Flo gasped and grabbed the bed rail as another great wave of pain squeezed her insides with a tightening iron grip.
‘Come on, nearly there now, you can do it.’ The younger midwife was stroking her arm, taking on the good-cop role and being encouraging.