Page 5 of More Than Just Friends

Once I got home, I shrugged off my jacket, toed off my shoes, then jumped in the shower.

Just as I was about to crawl into bed and switch on the TV, my phone rang.

Colin really was persistent.

But when I glanced at the screen it wasn’t Colin calling. It was Alicia.

‘Hey!’ I answered on the second ring a relieved smile spreading across my face. ‘Two phone calls in one week? You feeling okay?’

‘Ha, ha, very funny!’ She laughed and the sound made my chest expand. ‘I have news, so I thought it was better to do it on a call.’

‘Wait. Don’t tell me. You’re engaged?’ I joked.

When Alicia, or Ali as I preferred to call her, had phoned me a few days ago, she said she’d found the one and proceeded to gush for twenty minutes (yes, I counted) about how amazing her date with some city stockbroker went.

Of course I’d made enthusiastic noises and tried my best to act interested like I did every time she’d had two dates with a guy and swore blind that he was her forever, which happened far too often for my liking, but, hey, that was what best friends did, right?

Then when everything went to shit, I’d be there to listen to her sobbing down the phone about how she couldn’t believe they hadn’t called et cetera and reassure her that all men weren’t ‘bastards’ – which she’d inevitably declare at some point during her rant.

I thought it’d be the same story with her date last night, but for a change she actually sounded happy, so something major must’ve happened.

‘No, silly! Of course I’m not engaged.’

‘Wait. You’re not calling to tell me I’m gonna be an uncle, are you?’ I joked.

‘Nooo! It’s hard enough looking after myself. I’m not ready to be a mum yet. I’m excited because I’m going to the Love Hotel! In Santorini!’ she screamed.

‘Come again?’ My brows shot up. ‘What happened to Ned or Jed, the date you had yesterday?’

‘You mean Johnnie. He ghosted me. Wanker,’ she hissed.

‘Sorry.’ I shook my head. I hated the fact that I wasn’t surprised. Somehow Ali seemed to end up dating dickheads who never appreciated her. I wished she realised her worth.

‘But it doesn’t matter, because like I said, I’m going to the Love Hotel, baby! Woohoo!’

‘That’s… cool.’ I swallowed hard. ‘I don’t get it though. Did you win the lottery? And if so, where’s my Ferrari?’

‘No!’ Ali giggled. ‘They’re running some new dating trial thingy and although I’ve got to wait for the official confirmation, it looks like I’m going to be a part of it!’

I paused.

I was happy for her, but also a little jealous.

Not because she was going to find the love of her life.

God, no.

Like I’d said when Colin made that ridiculous statement earlier, Ali and I were best friends. She was like a sister to me.

Did I have a crush on her once upon a time? Yeah. But that was just a phase. Puppy love. I’d had loads of girlfriends since then. Okay, not loads. But I’d had hookups, dated and had relationships and the fact that they hadn’t worked out categorically wasn’t because I was hung up on my best friend.

Ali didn’t see me like that and the feeling was mutual.

Like I said, I was glad she’d get to go to the Love Hotel. They had an almost flawless track record for finding the perfect match for their guests, so I was sure she’d finally get to meet her Mr Right.

When I said I was jealous, I meant that I envied her because she’d get to go to the hotel and to Santorini.

‘I’m excited for you. And a little jealous,’ I admitted.