Page 45 of More Than Just Friends

At least he’d finally seen sense and given Ali the aisle seat.

‘What’s her match like?’ Shania replied.

‘I think he’s a dick, but she seems to like him. He’s called Adonis.’

‘You’re joking?’ Colin laughed.

‘Nope.’

‘Is he sexy?’ Shania asked.

‘Hello? I’m right here,’ Colin said.

‘What? If you can call Kayleigh a babe, I can ask if Adonis is sexy!’

‘If muscle men who use cheesy chat-up lines and are more slippery than a car salesman covered in gallons of baby oil are your thing, then maybe.’

I explained to Colin and Shania about the coach seat situation, gave examples of some of the cringey lines I’d heard him use and told them how he kept picking flowers from the hotel grounds to give to Ali, but would pretend that he’d walked miles to source them.

‘Sounds like a right wanker,’ Colin said.

‘Exactly! He’s not right for her,’ I agreed.

‘It was sweet of you to look out for her when she was scared and spend time with her during the excursions,’ Shania said.

‘It’s just what best friends do,’ I replied.

‘Friends, eh?’ she said.

‘Not you as well!’ I rolled my eyes. ‘I get enough of this bollocks from your husband.’

‘Alicia’s pretty too, right?’ Shania said, ignoring my previous statement.

‘Yeah, she’s beautiful,’ I said without thinking. Something told me I was going to regret using that adjective with them. That was clearly a trap. Shania had met Ali multiple times and knew exactly how she looked.

‘Beautiful, eh…?’ I could feel the smile in Shania’s voice. Shit. I’d played right into their hands. ‘And the spark thing you don’t feel for Kayleigh, do you feel it when you’re with Alicia?’

‘It’s not like that!’ I said quickly, determined not to say the wrong thing this time. ‘We’re friends.’

‘So you keep saying,’ Shania replied.

‘Oh, he feels the spark,’ Colin added unhelpfully. ‘Trouble is, it’s unrequited. Alicia’s had the poor bloke firmly in the friend zone for decades. He thinks she walks on water, but she still sees him as her dorky, nerdy mate.’

‘Wait. You haven’t seen her in ages though, right?’ Shania asked.

‘Correct,’ I said.

‘So how did she react when she saw your glow-up? Surely she must’ve reacted then?’

‘She mentioned it,’ I replied flatly. ‘Her sister, Sammie, had stuff to say about it too.’

I filled them in on everything Ali had said when we met at the restaurant on the first night, along with the fact that she’d mentioned I’d always been cute, then added the stuff Sammie had said earlier about me looking like a male model (which was obviously ridiculous) and being a stud muffin.

‘She definitely likes him!’ Shania declared excitedly.

‘No, Sammie’s got a boyfriend,’ I corrected.

‘Not Sammie, you plonker!’ Shania said. ‘Alicia! She likes you! I always thought she did, but Colin disagreed.’