The Plus One

by Natasha West

  ‘Come on, Ed. Leave the girls alone’ she said with a nod to a grateful Charlie and Amy. And off they went as ‘Back for Good’ phased into ‘Get the Party Started’. Several middle aged relatives looked momentarily flummoxed, but it was a wedding. Everyone had a duty to keep the dancefloor occupied and no one was prepared to walk away. The floor was soon filled with people incompetently dancing to Pink. It was a hard sight to see. But Charlie and Amy barely noticed as they turned back to each other, laughing nervously. They both knew that Ed’s interruption, plus the tempo change, had shattered the romantic moment, but that was OK. Because they both had hope that it wouldn’t be the last chance they would get to enjoy one.

  Charlie’s aunt Susan, who was sixty-five but had had enough free champagne to think she was twenty-five, was busting quite the moves on the dancefloor and swung out her arm in her drunken dance fever, narrowly missing Charlie’s face. But the waft of wind Charlie felt, uncomfortably close to her eye, made her realise the dancefloor was not a safe place to be having an intimate moment. She pulled Amy to the edge of it.

  ‘Come on. My aunt looks about ten seconds from breakdancing and I don’t want to be there when she snaps a hip.’

  Amy followed, laughing, when she suddenly remembered something. Call it an innate professionalism, but there was a situation that needed to be dealt with. She couldn’t just ignore why she’d come here today. It hadn’t been to win back a childhood sweetheart. It had been to do the job she took very seriously. Even the knee trembling kiss she’d just had with Charlie could only make her forget that for so long.

  ‘I really need to give you a refund’ she said quietly into Charlie’s ear.

  Charlie’s was surprised.

  ‘What?’

  ‘I can’t very well take your money now, can I? I mean, it’s not…’ She broke off, suddenly realising that what she was saying was maybe a little presumptuous. They’d had one kiss. Maybe she was reading this wrong, she thought, descending into a mild panic. Maybe Charlie thought the this was just an extra perk of her Lucy rental? Her head had been so swept up in this sudden romantic turn that she’d assumed Charlie was with her. But what if she wasn’t?

  Unfortunately, Charlie didn’t understand what Amy was saying. Or asking.

  ‘Hey, you earned your money. I don’t want a refund’ she said, thinking that she was making a nice gesture. But Amy took it as an affirmation of what she’d feared. Surely Charlie still thought she was on the job to say that to her. And whatever else had taken place, Charlie obviously thought it was just a part of that job.

  ‘Do you think this is just something that I do?’ Amy said, her voice going up a little more than she intended. Luckily, the music was pretty loud and no one was within earshot.

  ‘Do I think… Hang on. What?’ said a confused Charlie. Amy seemed annoyed. She could see that. Things had taken a wrong turn somewhere. But Charlie was buggered if she knew where.

  ‘Do you think I just throw my lips on all my clients?’

  ‘Did I say something wrong?’

  Amy could have cleared all this up with the simple question, ‘What is this to you?’ but if one thing could have been said of Amy, it was that she had her pride. She’d felt she’d been pretty clear with the things she’d said to Charlie about the past and her wish to change it. And Charlie was still telling her to keep the money.

  Charlie was still in the dark, groping for the emotional light switch. But it was nowhere to be found. She was sure she’d said something stupid, but what?

  ‘I’ve upset you somehow, but I don’t know how…’

  ‘Don’t you?’

  ‘No. No, I don’t.’

  ‘Why don’t you think about it for a second. What impression might telling me to keep the money for the job I was paid to do here today give me?’

  Charlie considered that for a second.

  ‘I know there’s a right thing to say here but I’ve never been great at that.’

  Amy didn’t want to take any further chances that they might be overheard and nodded at the door.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Out in the grounds of the hotel, alone in the floodlights, Amy turned to Charlie. She really didn’t want to have to do this but Charlie wasn’t giving her any choice.

  ‘I’m paid to be your pretend girlfriend. So if I keep the money, then that’s all I still am to you. I’m not… Anything else.’

  Charlie sighed, annoyed with herself. Of course that was it. What a pillock she was not to have seen it.

  ‘So if I ask for a full refund, does that help?’

  Amy crossed her arms over her chest.

  ‘Depends why you want it. Is it just because you’re bloody cheap?’

  Charlie couldn’t help but smile. Somehow, she was starting to enjoy this. It was like the old days. Same old Amy, always keeping on her toes. She’d loved that about her before. And she was pleased to discover she still did.

  ‘It’s true. I am cheap. But that’s not why I want my money back. I want it back so that I can ask you out without there being any kind of professional conflict.’

  Amy uncrossed her arms. She was a little thrown.

  ‘Is that what you want?’

  ‘To ask you out?’

  Amy nodded. It was suddenly Charlie’s turn to be worried.

  ‘Would you say yes if I did?’

  Amy could feel the irritation draining as she watched Charlie waiting for her answer, not quite able to meet her eyes. It brought back some fond memories of the girl in the huge t-shirt, standing at the side of the lake with that ‘who me?’ look on her face.

  Thinking of that girl, Amy couldn’t help but grin as she rolled her eyes.

  ‘Of course I’d say yes, doofus.’

  Charlie felt her stomach do a back flip. But she didn’t want to let on how happy she was so she just shrugged and said ‘Maybe I will then.’

  Amy remotely wasn’t fooled by Charlie’s cool act and she was about to give her short shift about it, but her eye was caught by the activity beyond the glass doors, the noisy party contained within them spilling sound out into the cool night air. It reminded her that there were bigger things to discuss.

  ‘So what do we do now? I mean, I’m still supposed to be Lucy. And I will give you that refund, but I want you to know, whatever we’re… doing in the future, I’m still going to do the job I came here to do.’

  Charlie considered that for a second.

  ‘Okay, yeah, technically everyone in there does think you’re Lucy. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be Amy to me. I mean, maybe we could have that date right now?’

  Amy found the idea somewhat intriguing but she wasn’t sure about the logistics of it.

  ‘How would that work?’

  ‘I don’t know. Can’t we figure it out as we go? Because I couldn’t care less about Lucy anymore’ she said, pushing through her nerves as she reached out for Amy’s hand. ‘I want Amy to be my date.’

  Amy gave a bemused giggle as she let Charlie take her hand.

  ‘You’re quite the silver tongued devil, these days, aren’t you?’

  Charlie grinned.

  ‘It’s been a long time. I’ve been working on my game.’

  That gave Amy pause.

  ‘It has been a long time, hasn’t it? I mean, we really don’t know each other anymore.’

  ‘No, I guess we don’t.’

  They both stared at each other for a moment, as though they could read all they needed to, here and now, with one good piercing glance. But of course, all they saw when they looked at each other was the person they’d known before.

  Neither one of them had been what they thought of as ‘themselves’ today. Amy for obvious reasons. Charlie, who was not only at a family function, which came with its own particular set of personality handcuffs, but because she’d had to play pretend with Amy all day. She hadn’t wanted Amy to see her and she hadn’t wanted to see the real Amy either. It hadn’t just been a case of impressing her family. She’d
been protecting herself from someone who had the power to really hurt her. She’d been scared.

  And Charlie knew she still was, if she was honest with herself. But she hoped the reasons for that fear might be a little different than they were a few hours ago. Now the fear came from hope. Hope that this could be the start of something.

  But the start of what? Amy was right. Charlie didn’t know her. And she wasn’t known to her either. And wasn’t that what made this all so special? Sure, there was an attraction. But no one had had a chance to make a real mistake yet. Not since they were teenagers, at any rate.

  But Amy had explained herself and apologised. Charlie decided that she was willing to accept both. She just hoped that willingness didn’t stem from between her legs. God knows, Amy was just as gorgeous as she always had been. Charlie had been disappointed about at that at first. In the intervening years, she’d vaguely hoped that Amy had peaked in school, maybe gotten a little schlubby with age. But now she thought there was a chance she was going to get to look at that face beyond today, she was grateful that time had been kind to Amy. Very kind indeed.

  Looking at her now, even in a crappy car park, she was simply beautiful. But was she beautiful inside? Charlie didn’t really have a clue.

  Worse, she didn’t know whether she had what it took to hang onto someone like Amy. She’d obviously managed to charm her in some regard once upon a time. Enough to have sex with her anyway. Which had been enough in the moment and later, not nearly enough. Remembering that, Charlie’s head was suddenly a whirl of terror. Her stomach was beginning to hurt again.

  Amy’s head wasn’t in a much better place. Here they were, holding hands outside Charlie’s sister’s wedding, both having been on their respective guards till quite recently. And now they’d both decided to drop them. For Amy, that was frightening. She’d never been good at that. That’s what had made her decide on acting, and later the Rent-a-Dating. She was good at projecting what people wanted. She was less good at showing them the truth.

  They both realised they were smiling uncomfortably at each other. Charlie couldn’t take another second of it.

  ‘I don’t know how we do this’ she said with her hands spread out desperately.

  ‘Me neither’ Amy replied, grateful that she wasn’t alone.

  They both giggled nervously.

  The door of the hotel unexpectedly exploded open. It was Dawn.

  ‘What are you two doing out here? Never mind. None of my business. But they’re serving the evening buffet, if you want to get to it before the rabble decimates it.’

  Charlie groaned.

  ‘Christ, I’m still digesting lunch!’

  Dawn put a hand on her hip, unconvinced.

  ‘There’s mini burgers and chips.’

  Charlie re-appraised her stomach’s ability take more food and balanced it against the allure of tiny junk food. The slider won.

  ‘Well, I suppose I could probably make a bit of room. For the sake of politeness.’

  ‘How very kind of you, Charlotte’ Dawn said. Charlie winced at the mention of her full name in front of Amy but it seemed her attention had been seized by Dawn.

  ‘What about you Lucy? Not on a diet, are you?’

  Amy laughed dryly.

  ‘Always, Dawn. But weddings are cheat days.’

  Dawn laughed heartily at that. Charlie marvelled yet again at her ease with her mother.

  ‘See you in there then!’

  And off she went, buffet bound.

  Amy turned to Charlie saying ‘We better get in there. We don’t want to miss the food, Charlotte.’

  Charlie groaned.

  ‘I was hoping you’d missed that.’

  ‘I don’t miss a lot. You’ll have to get used to that.’

  Charlie grinned, but it was an anxious reflex. Would she get a chance to get used to it?

  Chapter Sixteen

  Charlie and Amy walked hand in hand, back into the hotel to see that the dance floor was considerably diminished as the party goers sloped, ever so casually mind you, toward the buffet. No doubt dancing had proven very hungry work.

  Charlie and Amy slipped onto the end of the queue. Charlie realised with displeasure that they were standing right behind Paige and her drippy boyfriend Olly.

  Paige turned and smiled to see the couple.

  ‘Oh, hi you two!’ she said with more enthusiasm than Charlie would have expected. ‘Isn’t this a beautiful wedding?’

  ‘Yeah. Maddie nailed it.’ Charlie said, trying to dial back the annoyance she felt at having to even have this brief exchange with Paige.

  ‘And Josh, of course.’

  Charlie shrugged.

  ‘Yeah, I hadn’t forgotten the groom’s name, thanks’ she said dryly.

  Paige laughed as thought Charlie had said something funny and then turned as she reached the food.

  Amy leaned into Charlie once Paige was safely out of earshot.

  ‘What’s all that about?’

  Charlie rolled her eyes.

  ‘I know. She’s the worst.’

  Amy raised an eyebrow.

  ‘Really? Seemed like she was being nice to you and you were kind of a…’

  Charlie waited for the noun Amy was going to choose, but it never came. Amy had obviously thought better of it.

  ‘Kind of a… what?’

  Amy shrugged.

  ‘You were just a bit mean to her.’

  ‘You don’t know her. The niceness is an act.’

  ‘Are you sure about that?’ Amy asked.

  Charlie’s hackles had been slowly rising throughout this conversation. They were now fully upright.

  ‘You don’t know her, Lucy.’

  Amy realised she was on a wobbly bridge right now. Charlie seemed a little angry. And perhaps she was right. Maybe she didn’t know Paige. Maybe she was a secret arsehole. But that’s not what it had looked like.

  Sure, Amy could let this go. But she was here on false pretences and somehow, she’d become more herself than she’d felt in a long time. If she wanted to re-connect with Charlie, connect with the person she’d been with her, a person she’d liked being, then now was not the time to be pretending any more than she strictly had to.

  ‘So how’s it an act? Why exactly is she the worst?’

  Charlie, a mini burger halfway into her mouth, turned in surprise. She’d thought this conversation was done with. Apparently not.

  She chewed her food quickly, thinking about her answer as she swallowed a too-big piece of bun. Maybe she should try to explain herself. They’d just decided to try and be on a date and already it was going to shit. She didn’t want that, not over Paige of all bloody people. She was going to have to get into it, whether she liked it or not. Otherwise, it would just seem like she being nasty for no good reason.

  ‘She’s always just there, getting in my face’ Charlie said.

  ‘There where?’

  ‘Always next to my sister!’ Charlie exclaimed.

  Amy just looked at her. Charlie shook her head.

  ‘Alright, fine. I get it. You don’t have to say anything.’

  ‘Then I won’t’ Amy said and touched her arm briefly, gently. ‘It’s actually quite amusing.’

  Charlie groaned.

  ‘It’s not funny. I’m an idiot. I get it.’

  ‘You’re just a bit jealous of your sister’s closeness with her. I don’t know, I guess I might be in the mood to find that adorable right now.’

  Charlie’s mouth turned down at the corners.

  ‘I thought you weren’t going to say it!’

  Charlie sighed and then realised something.

  ‘Wait. Did you just say I was adorable?’

  Amy shrugged enigmatically. She wasn’t going to repeat it.

  Charlie wasn’t sure how to respond. She knew there was some slick response, and maybe she’d been doing OK since she’d found herself snogging Amy on the dancefloor, but she suddenly felt a bit tongue tied. She’d lied to Amy about
having game. She’d never had a drop of it, except under the influence, which she wasn’t right now. Every ounce of alcohol that had touched her system today seemed to evaporate on contact. She was stone cold sober and now she’d been thrown in the deep-end of the flirting pool with someone who was almost too hot to exist, Charlie realised with horror.

  Charlie and Amy now had full plates and Charlie knew what she needed.

  ‘Hey, how about something to wash this down?’

  At the bar, Charlie ordered them two drinks apiece, plus a shot each. Amy listened to the order with a raised eyebrow.

  ‘Easy tiger!’

  ‘Oh, it’s just the wait at this bar is ridiculous. I’m just stocking up so I don’t have to come back for a while.’

  ‘Ok’ said Amy, a little doubtful.

  At the table, Charlie and Amy nibbled at the contents of their plates. Amy noticed Charlie drink her bottle of lager in four swallows.

  ‘Hey.’

  Charlie looked over as she started the next bottle.

  ‘What’s up?’

  ‘That’s what I want to know. Do you have some sort of problem I should know about or…’ she said, nodding at the dead soldier.

  Charlie looked at the bottle. She had to admit, it looked bad. She couldn’t think quickly of a good excuse for the speed at which she’d downed the booze. Lying had never been her strong suit. She’d have to come clean.

  ‘OK. The thing is…’

  Amy was waiting. Charlie looked at her, hoping against hope she was going to come off sounding like a dickhead right now.

  ‘I’m nervous. I’ve never had a first date where I was sober. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever had a first date. I just kind of ended up drunk in someone’s bed and it always went from there.’

  Charlie realised how terrible that sounded and she was sure she’d just lost serious Amy points. But Amy took a deep breath.

  ‘You do realise that I’m nervous too, don’t you?’

  Charlie was stunned.

  ‘You? Nervous? Are you sure you know what that word means?’

  ‘You think I don’t get nervous?’