Chapter 23 #3
Karen waves me close, darting a glance at the passengers at the tables close by who are doing that pretend-to-read-the-menu thing again but whose eyes are trained on us. ‘Jellybean asked Jasper if he wanted to try a festive fling!’
‘SHE WHAT!’ I see red. Probably because of the sanctity of her own relationship. How dare she try and steal another man when she’s got one of her own! Greedy much? ‘I’ve got half a mind to go over there and have it out with her.’
The Unlucky in Love Travel Club goes completely silent. Deathly silent, even. What? Am I overreacting? Aren’t they as incensed as I am? Best to play it down, maybe? I lock a natural smile into place, one that shows my teeth.
Princess grimaces and gives me a quick shake of the head and points to her own genial smile. I relax my facial muscles as best I can and say in a low voice, ‘Because… um… don’t we think that’s a little offensive, considering she’s in a relationship with Gummy Bear?’
‘That’s what we’re considering,’ Karen says, taking a hearty sip of wine. ‘As in… what if Jellybean was speaking on behalf of Gummy Bear too?’
I gasp. ‘A ménage à trois?’ Could this get any worse?
Now I’ve got to fight off men and women?
! I catch myself, Firstly, Jasper isn’t mine.
Secondly, I’m not the jealous sort. But all of a sudden I am, and why is that?
Train politics, probably. Being stuck with couples who act like they’re smitten with one another then try their luck with a side piece? I’m incensed!
CJ lifts her palms and Jasper all but slides down his chair as if he wants to slip away to avoid this conversation. ‘It could be, but we don’t have enough details to know for sure.’
‘Jasper?’ I ask. ‘What do you think?’
‘I took it as a joke. I didn’t think anything of it.’
‘Then why tell the group?’
‘Ooh, that was me who told the group,’ Princess says, a smug smile lifting the corners of her mouth.
‘I overheard Jellybean and then extricated our pure-of-heart boy and then reported my findings. That woman was practically salivating over poor Jasper here. And if she’s going around propositioning men, then I think we have our suspects, don’t we? ’
Jasper’s complexion pinkens further. Honestly, isn’t he used to being approached by flirtatious women?
Especially after a dance performance that steamed up the train carriage, so much so that we were all a little hot under the collar.
He can’t really be that aloof to it, surely?
Either he is, or it’s more that he doesn’t like the attention.
Could that be it? And he only danced so well, determined to win the battle for Princess?
‘I’m in agreement with Princess. I’m sure they’re the couple who’ve called it quits. Didn’t Sabrina originally say the reason for the impending split is because of a suspected cheating scandal?’ Barry says, his eyebrows knitting. ‘And Jellybean has shown form with Jasper.’
‘Ooh.’ I think back to Sabrina’s comments. ‘Yes, she did say that! But didn’t she also say it was the guy who went rogue?’
Karen hits the table with a palm. ‘Yes! That’s right. I’d forgotten that. So either Jellybean is getting payback for Gummy Bear already cheating, or else they’re in an open relationship or just love adding a third person when the mood strikes.’
‘Golly,’ I say, a little scandalised. Rox is always calling me a prude, so there is that to consider too.
Jasper shakes his head. ‘If you’d have seen Jellybean’s face, it was all tongue-in-cheek. If Princess hadn’t ripped me away by the ear, I’m sure there would have been some kind of explanation.’
Thank God she’d been there to rescue him.
‘You are so na?ve,’ Princess says. ‘That girl was undressing you with her eyes.’
He frowns but stays silent.
Sabrina enters the fray and Princess fills her in on the latest. ‘Oh.’ Sabrina laughs. ‘No, she didn’t mean an actual fling. In the bar, the cocktail special this evening is called a Festive Fling! It sounds like she was simply asking if you’d like to try a Festive Fling cocktail…’
Jasper lets out a belly laugh. ‘I told you it was nothing.’
It’s my turn to blush. ‘Poor Jellybean. We misjudged her so badly.’ Jasper crosses his arms and gives me the ‘I told you so’ stare-down. I screw up my nose. ‘Sorry.’
‘I’m sorry too,’ Princess says, bowing her head. ‘I may have grabbed your ear a little too hard trying to extricate you from her clutches.’
‘It’s still ringing.’
‘I can’t help but think I played a part in this whole charade too,’ Karen admits. ‘Sorry, Jasper. You’re looking at the queen of snap judgements here and I’m beginning to see it might be the thing that holds me back from finding love myself.’
‘What do you mean, snap judgements?’ I ask. If anything, Karen’s been the opposite in most conversations, listens intently and then makes informed comments.
‘Oh, you know, fifty first dates and not one of them made it to a second. I’ve got this defective part of me that can’t seem to look past an ick.
The guy could say he was into playing poker and I’d be out of there in a flash – imagining our future, card-game nights with his buddies, me relegated to the bedroom.
No thanks. That’s what my brain tells me, that I’m always going to be shoved aside for whatever reason. ’
‘Ah, so you reject them on the first date before they can potentially reject you?’ Jasper asks with a sad smile.
‘Wow, yeah, I guess that’s exactly what I’m doing.
Isn’t that crazy?’ Karen lets out a surprised laugh.
‘I hadn’t quite made that connection, Jasper, but that makes perfect sense.
I’m getting in first, rejecting them over the silliest things, so they don’t get to reject me first. For example, my last date mentioned that he wasn’t a fan of spicy food, so I ended the date right then and there, despite having felt a spark between us.
I regret that, but what I told myself was to think of all the spicy food I’d miss out on for the rest of my life.
When really, it was about rejecting him first before he could reject me. ’
‘You were protecting your heart,’ I say. ‘And now you’ve recognised that you’re self-sabotaging, you can easily fix that without lowering your standards or changing who you are.’
‘Huh. That makes so much sense.’
CJ drums her fingers on the table. ‘Do you still have his number? You could reach out to the guy, right? But don’t explain, don’t apologise, just say you’re ready for the second date whenever he is.’
‘But what about the spicy food thing?’ Princess’s face is a picture, as if she’s mourning the loss of spicy food too.
‘Maybe he’s never tried the right kind of spicy food?’ Barry says. ‘He might be open to trying it. I would be, if that was a deal breaker for my beloved.’ He gives Princess a longing look.
‘Oh no, it’s too late,’ Karen says, dropping her head. ‘He’s probably chalked that date up as a disaster.’
‘You’re doing it again,’ CJ says gently, patting the top of Karen’s hand. ‘Making excuses as to why it won’t work. Be vulnerable, just this once, and see what happens.’
I hold my breath, hoping that Karen agrees.
There’s a full minute of silence as if we’re all too afraid to talk and interrupt her contemplation. Finally, she blurts, ‘What have I got to lose? I’ll text him now.’
We shriek and clap for our friend.
‘And if he turns me down, well, at least I’m more aware of my dating foibles now, so that’s progress.’
‘Right!’
Princess claps her hands together. ‘Karen, you’re a fox, and don’t you forget it. Who’s up for the staff Christmas pantomime held in the library in an hour?’
‘Me!’ I say. ‘And you, Jasper? We can have a drink in the bar beforehand.’
‘If you’re up for a Festive Fling, I am too.’ The sizzling look he shoots my way just about stops my heart right then and there.
‘I – ah – eee – k.’ Great. I can only squeak.