Page 44 of Leaning In

“You’re right. I just have to make the most of it.”

“See?” James loosens his tie before pulling it off, the joy at the end of the school day.

We lapse into a comfortable silence, the pub humming quietly around us. I reluctantly finish my beer and glance at the time. “Right, I should get going. If I turn up late to my sister’s party, she’ll never let me forget it.”

“Are you bringing anyone?”

“Who would I bring?”

“Amber.”

I frown. “Who?”

“The girl we met in the pub who gave you her number?”

Oh. I never did end up sending her a message. “No, just myself and a bottle of wine that I’ll purchase on my way there. Oh, and a vague willingness to socialise.”

“Dangerous combo,” he laughs. “Well, tell your sister congrats from me. And remind her that some of us are still living in glorified shoeboxes.”

“I live to keep her humble.” I stand and pull on my jacket. “See you Monday?”

“Unless I win the lottery,” he calls after me. “Then I’m moving to Greece, buying a vineyard and building myself a tennis court.”

He waves at me as I leave. James jokes about hating teaching, but I know he loves it just as much as I do. Though I’d rather grade one thousand essays than teach Year 9 the Pythagorean theorem. The mere thought of it makes me shudder.

I pick up a bottle of wine and two packets of fancy crisps from a corner shop on the way to my sister’s house.

“Hey.” I pull Kath into a hug when she opens the door. She’s wearing a blue dress and her hair is pulled back in some sort of complex plait. “You look nice, what have you done with your hair?”

“Claire did it,” she says, touching it with a smile. “She came over early to get ready with me.” Her face falls momentarily. “She’d been seeing this guy Alexander, not for long, but he ended things and she’s really cut up about it. Just… be gentle with her tonight. She’s had a rough few weeks.”

I try to keep my expression neutral. I distinctly remember when Kath mentioned Alexander. She sat across a table from me with an expression I’m sure she learnt in medical school in a “breaking bad news” seminar. The fact that Claire was seeing someone then immediately became engraved on my brain. Apparently Claire’s mum even liked him. Lucky him.

A petty part of me thinks that if even the Mum-approved Guy didn’t last, maybe I shouldn’t have taken the whole thing so personally.

I’m not proud of that feeling.

I frown at my sister. “When have I ever not been gentle with her?”

“That came out wrong,” Kath sighs, scrubbing a hand over her face. “I’m just worried about her and I know things are a bit awkward between the two of you.”

A bit awkward.

Right. Because being insulted by someone’s mum and then ghosted can do that to a guy.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be supportive.”

Kath gives me a grateful smile and I follow her inside, trying not to think too hard about the fact Claire’s single again.

As I walk into the house, I immediately spot a few of Kath’s school friends. Josh pulls me into a hug and takes the bottle of wine from my hand. The two of us go hunt for some glasses, and spend the next twenty minutes chatting about the latest football scores. He’s still bitter because my team recently beat his. He shouldn’t be bitter, everyone knows Fulham are the best team… even if their record doesn’t always show it.

Eventually I glance across the room and spot Claire, clutching a very full glass of wine. The smile she’s wearing looks flat.

Something in my chest tightens, and I try to ignore it. After what happened I shouldn’t have the instinct to check if she’s ok. But somehow I still feel a bit sad for her. Which is quite frankly irritating.

Then Kath calls my name, and when I look back up I can’t see Claire anymore.

Chapter 18