Page 33 of The Best Ex of My Life

‘No,’ I lie. ‘But then again, it’s different with me and El. He’s already texted me three times today giving me tips about how to stop my beef going dry, so we’re good.’

‘I suppose it is,’ she agrees, before a grin breaks out across her face. ‘I can’t wait to see Elliot and Teddy tomorrow. I bet they’re so cute together. Cuter than even me and Matthew, and that’s saying something.’

‘I don’t believe that.’

‘Oh, you should. They are so into each other. Didn’t either of them tell you that Elliot’s asked Teddy to go away for the weekend? With his entire family, no less. A wedding or an anniversary or something. How sweet is that? There’s no way he’d do that unless he was really into her. I’ve got to hand it to you, you played a blinder setting her up with Elliot, Lizzie.’

‘Sure did,’ I mumble before lifting my phone and staring at the words of the list, trying to focus on what else I need to get. Suddenly, it feels like this is all taking too long. It’s hot, and I’m tired and desperate to get out of here. I move on, Karina following after me. I give her instructions of what to get, and we decide what alternatives we can use when it turns out there’s no molasses or barberries to be found, but we keep our focus on getting everything done, or at least that’s what it looks like.

In my mind, I can’t stop replaying what Karina’s just told me.

A weekend away?

Teddy and Elliot are going on a weekend away? That’s a pretty big step in anyone’s book, and I can’t believe I didn’t know about it.

Why would they have hidden something like that from me?

Chapter 14

Jordan arrives an hour before everyone else. In his pale blue Oxford shirt, dark jeans and wide, easy smile, he looks like he was born to attend amateur dinner parties hosted by a questionable cook with a mismatch of guests, after which, he will most likely be sleeping with his new girlfriend for the first time. He pulls me into his arms, and I hug back tightly hoping some of his calm energy will rub off on me.

‘Wow. You look incredible,’ he purrs into my ear. ‘I’ve never seen you in all black before. It’s very, very sexy.’

I look down at the new black corset top I’ve paired with my trusty black jeans. My boobs are pressed up, and there’s a slither of skin showing between the top’s hem and the waistband of my jeans that I’m not unaware makes the most of my figure.

He leans down and picks up his bag – Samsonite, black, very smart. ‘Do you want to show me where to put my stuff?’ he asks. It sounds a practical question, but there’s a glint in his eye that tells me if we went into the bedroom now, he’d have no intention of coming straight back out. That’s not going to work right now though, not when I’ve a million things that need to be done before anyone else arrives.

‘Sure. Second door to the right.’

Jordan returns a few minutes later and hovers behind me in the narrow kitchen as I pulp up mango and strawberries for the welcome cocktails, roll out pastry, then try, and fail, to find the olives I bought. He keeps asking if I’m sure I don’t need help, but there’s a million things to do, and the effort of explaining any of them to him will slow me down, so I refuse. I suggest he goes into the lounge, to relax on my window seat with a beer, but he stays where he is.

In retrospect, I shouldn’t have asked him to come early. It was my suggestion he help set things up with me. I thought it would be nice for us to greet everyone else together rather than him arriving on his own. I thought it would help me feel less worried about tonight if I could start it with him first, but now he’s here, wanting to help, being perfect and lovely as always, I can’t help but feel a little overwhelmed. Almost like he’s in the way.

‘Shit, shit, shit,’ I shout when the doorbell goes at precisely the same time the whipped cream for later falls out of the fridge.

‘Here, let me get that,’ he says, stepping forward to pick up the glass bowl which mercifully hasn’t smashed and wiping a few splodges of cream that have escaped with a tea towel. ‘You greet your guests, and I’ll rearrange this fridge, so you don’t take your life in your hands every time you open it.’

‘Thank you.’ I smile at him properly, without distraction, for the first time since he arrived. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m so stressed.’

‘It’s fine. You answer the door, and I’ll be out in a minute. It’s going to be great,’ he tells me, and he looks so genuine, so unaware that I’ve never done anything like this before and already know it’s going to be far from great, I’m torn between laughing at him and kissing him for his optimism.

I do neither and leave him to answer the door on my own. I open it to find Teddy and Elliot both looking alarmed.

‘We heard the bang,’ Teddy tells me.

‘Oh that? That was nothing. Everything’s fine,’ I say, my voice bright and unnatural.

‘Good. In that case, are you going to let us in? I’ve rushed straight from work to pick up El, and I am desperate for a drink,’ she declares before turning to Elliot and smiling at him, rolling her eyes at the same time. I realise I’ve not properly opened the door to them yet.

‘Yeah, sorry, come on in. I’ll get you both a cocktail.’

Once inside, Teddy covers me in a hug and lets out an excited squeal right into my ear.

‘I love that we’re doing this,’ she says.

Elliot doesn’t hug me, of course, but does give me an out of character arm rub.

Since Karina told me about the weekend away Elliot had planned for him and Teddy, my intentions for tonight have changed. It’s no longer just about helping Karina out, it’s about finding out what’s going on with Teddy and Elliot.