Page 76 of Kiss Me Like You Mean It

‘Hey, speak for yourself. I’m eighteen months younger than you.’ Kat digs her elbow into his side.

We pore over the cards for a while, talking and laughing as I try to commit as much as possible to memory. We polish off most of the food, and I slip a plate of leftovers into the fridge for Phoebe, while Nico shakes his head. Kat opens another bottle of wine.

Then Nico opens another.

This is how I end up with a card attached to my forehead with a piece of washi tape from Mei’s bag, and a slight slur to my words, asking, ‘Am I older than sixty-five?’

Luke, who has a picture of Annie stuck to his own head, squints at me and snorts out a laugh. ‘I guess so. The kids have written “one hundred and ninety”, but that can’t be right.’

‘The oldest person to ever live was one hundred and twenty-two when she died,’ Tara nods wisely, listing a little to one side. ‘So something fishy is going on.’

‘A clue!’ I exclaim. ‘I must be someone very old.’

Nico grins at me, his arm thrown across the back of my chair. ‘Calm down, Poirot.’

‘You’re just upset because you’re still miles off,’ I say, though in fairness, he does have a picture of Button, Art and Annie’s Yorkshire terrier, taped to his head so it’s not really any wonder he’s confused.

‘Wait, wait,’ I say, banging my hand on the table. ‘Am I mean?’

‘Mean as a rattlesnake,’ Kat agrees.

‘I’m Mrs Platt!’ I hoot, ripping the card from my head and everyone cheers and does the same.

‘Lee wins,’ Mei declares. ‘We’re such good tutors.’

She offers up her hand for a high-five and I accept happily. I don’t get enough high-fives in my day-to-day life, I decide.

Luke points at the Mrs Platt card, his expression haunted.

‘That woman’s going to be the death of me. Her granddaughter got her a smartphone and now she WhatsApps me surveillance reports on her neighbour’s cat’s “suspicious behaviour”.’

‘Poor baby,’ Tara croons, and she reaches out to pat his hand, while Luke stares down at her fingers, dumbstruck.

‘I think my friend likes your friend,’ Nico whispers, his lips brushing against my ear and sending delicious shivers through me.

‘It must be bad, he usually has way more game than this.’

I smile. ‘I think you’re right.’

‘Always, Daisy.’ His voice is a low rumble that does things to my insides. ‘I’m always right.’

Chapter Twenty-Four

Nico

It’s after midnight by the time everyone leaves and Lee and I are clearing up the takeout containers and empty wine bottles.

‘That was fun,’ she says, sounding surprised.

‘It was. It’s nice that Tara came out here to surprise you.’ I watch as her smile widens, as she shakes her head like she can’t believe someone would show up for her like that.

For the last few days I have kept my word and done nothing except be an excellent friend to her. Instead of avoiding her, I’ve insisted on us spending time together so that she’ll know precisely how fine I am with everything.

The reality is that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that kiss, which despite its innocence has taken over the top spot as one of the most erotic moments of my life. At night while I toss and turn uncomfortably on the awful sofa, and Lee sleeps on the other side of the wall, I think about her face and her voice and her soft, laughing mouth until I fall asleep and dream about her.

I want to ask her more about this man she was seeing in London. Was it this Adrian guy who’s still texting her? Is it over or are they still seeing each other? Does she want him the way that I want her?

I’m a mess. But Lee doesn’t need to know that. I told Luke I wasn’t going to make the situation more complicated and I meant it. Still, maybe there’s a casual way I can ask her about her love life. Friends do that, right?