Page 42 of Always, in December

Erin nodded. ‘I met Max at university there.’ She put her hand on Max’s arm lightly, gave a little squeeze, so though she didn’t actually say she was his girlfriend, it was heavily implied. Max saw Josie’s eyes flicker towards Erin’s hand, and knew she’d clocked it. He felt his body stiffen. He couldn’t move away in case that offended Erin, but he wanted to, just so that Josie knew it wasn’t like that. Or at least, it wasn’t when he’d met her, anyway. He forced himself to let out a slow, silent breath. Fuck.

Josie nodded, cleared her throat. ‘That’s nice.’

Erin let her hand drop from Max’s arm but shifted a little, so the side of her body brushed against his. ‘And how did you two meet?’

Josie glanced up at Oliver, but though his arm was around her he was now doing a quick scan of the room. Clearly, whatever threat Max posed had been assessed and dismissed. Maybe he was just so confident in his and Josie’s relationship that bumping into him was no big deal, a funny story they’d tell the grandkids. Prick. ‘At work,’ Josie supplied.

‘Seriously, are there no snacks coming out?’ Chloe blurted out. She gave Max a look as if to say let’s move, clearly sensing the awkwardness. And she was the only one on his side of the circle that would understand why. He didn’t want to move away yet though – what if Josie disappeared immediately after and he didn’t get the chance to speak to her again?

He looked at Josie instead. ‘So, how are you?’ He took a sip of his drink, tried to make it casual. Tried not to let on that he’d been thinking about her since he left, wishing he’d said more in his note to explain. Or that he hadn’t realised how much he’d regret it until he was on the plane and it was too damn late to change it.

She gave a little shrug of her bare shoulders. ‘I’m good, thanks.’

‘Still into your photography?’ He was thinking of the photo she’d taken of him, the one on the beach that she’d given him for Christmas.

She nodded. ‘Yep.’ She let her arm slip from Oliver and curled a strand of her hair back into her bun. She paused, glanced at Oliver again. ‘Actually,’ she began again, her voice firmer now, ‘I’ve started up an Instagram account for it, now that I’ve got the time.’

Oliver squeezed her shoulder, bringing his attention back to the group. ‘She’s taking the world by storm, my girl.’ Max tried hard not to grit his teeth.

‘Well, I’d love to see,’ Erin said graciously – though whether she meant it or not, Max couldn’t be sure. Josie hesitated, doing that lip-bitey thing again. Then she seemed to relent and got out her phone, showing it around to general compliments. The top photo was one in Central Park, posted yesterday, and it looked more beautiful on her phone screen than it had done in real life. So, it could have been her he saw, then. Not that he could ask – it would raise too many alarm bells for almost everyone in their little circle.

‘Honestly, you don’t have to keep looking, it’s really not that exciting,’ Josie said quickly, reminding him of when she’d shown him her photos on the beach, how reluctant she’d been to do so. But Erin kept scrolling down, with Max and Chloe looking over her shoulder and Liam clearly trying to look interested. Josie shifted her weight a little awkwardly and he wished he could cross to her, squeeze her hand reassuringly, or just run a hand down her arm.

‘The photos are incredible,’ Max said, causing Josie to glance at him. ‘You know, I’ve got a friend who’s a photographer – I could introduce you if you like?’ Chloe’s eyebrows shot up and Max shrugged as if to say what? He was just being friendly, that was all.

‘No thanks,’ Josie said, a little too quickly. ‘It’s just a hobby really, I’ve got my freelance work in the meantime.’

‘Well, they’re cool anyway,’ said Chloe, taking the phone from Erin and handing it back to Josie. ‘How long have you been doing it?’

Josie seemed visibly relieved to have her phone back. ‘Well, I started this account when I got to New York.’

‘So you live here now?’ Max asked, before he could help himself.

She nodded, and that same weird smile was back. ‘That’s right. Oliver and I moved out here in January.’

There was a beat where everyone seemed to be waiting for Max to respond, resulting in a slightly awkward beat of silence when he didn’t. ‘That’s cool,’ said Liam, stepping up. ‘Are you loving it?’

Her smile seemed genuine this time, a hint of that open warmth he remembered from Christmas. ‘I am. We’ve done all the touristy things and it’s been so cool, right?’ She looked up at Oliver, who once again had been browsing the room.

‘Huh?’ Oliver said. ‘Right. Yes, that’s right. It’s been epic, right, babe?’ Babe? Josie raised her eyebrows at him, though whether at the ‘babe’ or at him just repeating the same question back to her, Max wasn’t sure. ‘Look, I’m really sorry all,’ said Oliver, in what Max considered an overly pompous voice, like he was playing up the English for the American audience, ‘but I’ve just got to speak to a couple of people – here for work, after all.’ He gave a rueful headshake, like he wasn’t just loving that fact.

‘And I’m going to have to go to the ladies,’ Josie said immediately, as if she’d just been waiting for the opportunity to get out of the conversation. To be fair, Max could hardly blame her – it wasn’t exactly riveting conversation here. Oliver nodded, gave her shoulder one last squeeze, then strolled purposefully round the other side of the bar. Josie turned, hesitated, then looked back at Max. ‘It was nice to see you again – sorry, I should have said that earlier.’ She smiled a little, her gaze flickering quickly to Erin and back again. ‘You’re well?’ She added it like an afterthought, and he could only nod. ‘Well. I hope you all have a lovely time – and enjoy New York, if you’re visiting.’ She directed the last part to Chloe and Erin, like she was setting up stakes here and not just a visitor herself.

Chloe raised her glass to toast Josie. ‘Cheers.’

Josie walked away with quick, long strides and Max watched her retreating back for a moment, downing the last dregs of his drink.

‘Actually, I think I need to go to the loo too,’ Erin said. She finished her drink, put it on the bar behind her. ‘Be back in a min, ok?’ She squeezed Max’s arm as she swept after Josie. Max took half a step after her, almost thinking to stop her – what if she cornered Josie or something? But Chloe swung round to face him, closing him, Liam and her off from the rest of the room.

‘Who on earth was that, and why do you look so worried about it?’ Max looked towards Liam for help, but he just shook his head, still looking faintly bemused. Fat lot of bloody help he was. ‘She’s the girl, isn’t she?’ Chloe pressed.

‘What girl?’ He set his empty glass down behind him. From the look on his sister’s face, he knew he wasn’t quite pulling off the nonchalance.

‘The girl.’ She nodded when he said nothing, his silence apparently answer enough, then folded her arms, tapping her fingers against one elbow. ‘She’s cute.’ To Max’s eye, ‘cute’ seemed like an incredible understatement for the way Josie looked tonight.

‘Hang on,’ Liam said. ‘What am I missing here?’

When Max just shook his head, Chloe turned to Liam. ‘He fell for this girl in London when he was stuck there last year, and then he just left her, and hasn’t spoken to her since. That is said girl,’ she added unnecessarily.