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Kirsty shot her a bemused smile. “You’ve only known her five minutes.”
Maya waved her hand. “Yeah, but we’re best pals now. She’s the equivalent of the girl you meet in the toilets when you’re out clubbing and she becomes your BFF for the night.”
Kirsty laughed and Maya realized they couldn’t stay there any longer. She was keeping Kirsty from her party. Time to put on her big-girl pants and reenter the room as if all were well. “Let’s bite the bullet and head back down.”
Kirsty stood. “Don’t worry, I’m your moral support.”
Maya followed her onto the landing. “We need to act casual and like nothing’s wrong.”
They descended the stairs.
Kirsty turned her head. “He’ll know something’s up. You’ve been in the loo for twenty minutes. He’ll think either that you’ve been upset by seeing him, or that you weren’t having a number one after all.”
Maya let out a groan. “I don’t know which of those is worse.”
They stepped onto the downstairs landing, and Kirsty swaggered toward the living room door.
“Why are you walking like that?” Maya whispered.
“I’m being casual,” Kirsty whispered back.
“Casual? More like constipated.”
“Shh.” Kirsty opened the door.
The chatter of the room greeted them, and Maya was reassured to find no one stopped talking to stare at her. Sam wasn’t there—he must have gone back to the kitchen.
Lifting her drink from where it had been deposited on the coffee table, she rejoined Isabelle and Una.
“All right?” Isabelle asked as she sat down.
“Absolutely. Fine and dandy, thank you oh so very much.” Maya squeezed her eyes shut briefly.
“That’s good,” Una said, taking up her natural position of practically lying in Isabelle’s lap. “You dashed off in a hurry, and we were worried you were ill.”
Maya laughed, aware that it sounded high pitched. “No, no, feeling great, thanks.”
Isabelle sipped her wine with Una still leaning across her lap. Maya half expected Isabelle to start petting Una’s head.
“You know the naked waiter?” Isabelle asked.
Maya swallowed. “Yeah. What a coincidence, eh?” She laughed and it still sounded squeaky. “He’s my best friend Liv’s twin brother. They’re from my hometown and I wasn’t expecting to see him here.”
Una raised her eyebrows. “Or to see so much of him.”
“Nope,” Maya said, trying not to remember how hot he’d looked in that little apron. “Definitely not.”
The door opened and the man himself entered.
Maya kept her eyes steadfastly on Una, hoping to God that she wouldn’t be expected to recount any of what Una was saying because she couldn’t take a word in. Out of the corner of her eye, she followed Sam’s movements around the room as he handed out drinks and gave the ladies some chat. Something he’d always excelled at. Bastard.
Maya cleared her throat. “Does anyone need anything from the kitchen?”
“Ooh,” Una said, handing over her empty wineglass. “I’ll take a refill.” The woman could clearly put it away.
Isabelle shook her head. “I’m fine.” She glanced down at Maya’s still-full glass of Diet Coke with a bemused expression.
Maya shot them a weak smile as she strode out of the room without casting her eyes on Sam’s whereabouts.
