A Beginner's Guide To Salad

by Jennifer Joyce

  I glanced around the room. Most people were standing in clusters and chatting but a few were dancing. Mostly the old timers and a couple of people who had been pissed before they’d even arrived in true school disco style.

  ‘I thought you didn’t dance.’

  Billy’s skinny shoulders rose into a shrug. ‘I’ll make an exception for my best mate.’

  I didn’t know how we would ever mend our fractured friendship, but I knew I wanted to more than anything. Billy and I had been through a lot together over the years and he’d become my surrogate brother when Stephen moved to New York. I really didn’t know how I would cope without him in my life.

  ‘What about Clare? Are you going to get back together with her?’

  Billy twirled me around, catching me by the waist. An image of his hands on my naked flesh popped into my mind but I elbowed it away.

  ‘No, she deserves better than me. Someone who cares about her and not some other woman.’

  ‘You’ll find someone else, Billy.’

  ‘I hope so.’ Billy dipped me but stopped moving as he pulled me back into an upright position again. ‘And what about you and Jared?’

  ‘Oh that.’ I shook my head. ‘Not going to happen. He stormed out of Mum and Dad’s and hasn’t spoken to me since. It doesn’t help that he thinks I’m a tramp.’

  ‘I wouldn’t be so sure about that.’

  I batted Billy’s arm. ‘I could be a tramp if I really put my mind to it.’ And I hung out with blind people.

  ‘I didn’t mean that.’ Billy twirled me around again but grabbed me by the shoulders to stop me halfway round before pointing towards the door where Jared stood. He was studying the room, searching for me but I was frozen to the spot. Jared was here and I didn’t dare think what that meant. I saw Billy wave his hand from the corner of my eye and then he was gone as Jared strode towards me. His eyes were on mine the whole time, their gaze burning but I was unable to turn away. Jared was here.

  ‘You’re here.’

  ‘I am.’

  ‘But how did you get in without a ticket?’ Like that was the important bit! I’d have kicked myself but my shoes were a bit pointy and I didn’t want any injuries.

  ‘When you’re this hot, you don’t need tickets.’ Jared winked at me and we both laughed. It felt great to be able to joke around with him and I allowed myself to hope that our friendship could remain intact. ‘But seriously, I had to do a bit of flirting. I think the woman at the desk thinks we’re engaged.’

  ‘Congratulations. This calls for a glass of champagne.’

  ‘Hardly. The woman on the desk is about a hundred years old.’ Jared gave a shrug of his shoulders. ‘And I sort of like someone else.’

  ‘Oh?’ Hope, hope, hope. My heart hammered and my palms began to ooze sweat, which was unfortunate given the circumstances and most unsexy.

  ‘And I’m hoping she feels the same way about me.’

  My heart pretty much exploded from my chest and splattered against Jared’s lovely suit. Which, by the way, he looked hot in. ‘She does. Very much so.’ Throwing my arms around Jared, I kissed him, feeling far from safe as I had the previous night. My insides sizzled as flesh met flesh and I wished we were somewhere slightly more private than a school hall crammed to the brim with other people.

  ‘You did mean me, didn’t you?’ I asked, pulling away.

  ‘That was very presumptuous of you but yes. I definitely meant you.’

  I doubted I had ever felt happier than I did that evening in Jared’s arms. I found I didn’t actually care that we were surrounded by people. There would be plenty of alone time for Jared and me, I was sure about that.

  ‘Erm, Ruth?’ Theo was tugging at my arm and wouldn’t stop, no matter how much I swatted at him. In the end I tore myself away from Jared’s lips to glare at my annoying housemate. ‘Does this mean I’m dismissed from fake boyfriend duties?’

  What fake boyfriend duties? I hadn’t seen Theo since we’d arrived, the useless git. ‘Yes, you’re dismissed. Thank you for all your help.’

  I rolled my eyes but Theo didn’t notice. ‘You’re welcome. So I’m free to be Theo Logan, hot, single guy?’ I rolled my eyes again. ‘Good, because there’s a girl who’s been giving me the eye all evening.’

  ‘Go, Theo.’

  He grinned at me and then he was gone, the girl in question’s heart already half broken.

  ‘Shall we get out of here?’ Jared asked and I nodded, taking his hand in mine. I wasn’t thin when I left the reunion and I hadn’t proven anything to Zack but I couldn’t have cared less. I was happy and that was all that mattered in the end.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  The hugest thanks to my family, particularly my husband Chris for all your support and encouragement and for listening to me bang on about covers (you were almost always right with your advice – and that’s the best you’re going to get).

  Thank you to my mum, who has always encouraged my writing and kept me stocked up in books throughout my childhood. I’ve almost forgiven you for reading my rubbish stories, even though I hid them so well.

  Thank you to my daughters, Rianne and Isobel. Just because.

  Millions of thanks to all the authors (aspiring and published) and readers who I’ve met through Twitter and my blog, and to the wonderful Novelicious ladies. I’m very proud to be a member of such an amazing, supportive team.

  Thank you to Google (my very best writing friend) and YouTube. Without you, I may have had to actually attend a spinning class myself.

  Thank you to ‘the other Ruth’ Durbridge for editing the book.

  Finally, thank you to Ruth Lynch, who inspired me to finally get off the sofa and join the gym.