Chapter 45
Tilly opened WhatsApp and started a group video call. Jasmine answered first.
‘Well? What happened?’
Tilly didn’t really know what to say. She’d swung from loving what had happened to overwhelming regret by the bucketload. ‘Yes, yes, it was fine.’
‘Fine? What do you mean fine? I’ve been waiting on tenterhooks here.’
Tilly sighed. ‘Yeah, as I said, fine.’
‘So what happened? You don’t sound very happy.’
Tilly coughed. ‘I, umm, he ended up coming back.’
‘Oh, my God! Did he stay?’
‘No, he did not stay. Thankfully.’
‘Oh, that’s disappointing.’
‘He just came back for a drink.’
‘And?’
Tilly felt embarrassment whoosh up to her cheeks. ‘Well, oh God, I was a bit tipsy, and I jumped on him more or less. I can’t believe it.’
‘You did not! That’s so not like you, Tils.’
Tilly groaned and swore. ‘I know, but I did. It gets worse. First of all, I didn’t hear anything from him today, and then I got a weird noncommittal text, so, yeah, I think I messed it up. I was hasty, and I don’t know, I’m just so embarrassed. It’s making me cringe.’
‘Oh, right, I didn’t think you were going to say that. What did the text say?’
‘Just a great night and about the tide.’
‘The tide! What the? Nothing else?’
Tilly sighed. ‘No. Anyway, I’ve decided that last night was a huge mistake. I’m not going to pursue it. It was just a kiss. Just a silly, tipsy kiss between two people who'd had too much gin. That's all. Nope, I am not even going there. I need to nip this in the bud. It’s simply not a good idea.'
Pia joined the call. 'I'm here, hello. Sorry, sorry. What did I miss? How was it?'
'Tilly kissed Otto. She jumped on him,' Jasmine added.
'I said I more or less jumped on him.' Tilly put her face in her hands. 'Oh, God, why the flipping heck did I behave like that? How do I get myself into these things? He’s going to be avoiding me like the plague.'
'Okay, okay.' Pia leaned into the screen. 'Tell me everything from the beginning.'
Tilly told her. The gin, Otto coming back, the sofa, the whole sorry catalogue. Pia listened with both hands pressed together under her chin and said nothing. Tilly tutted and shook her head. 'I've decided it was a mistake, and I'm leaving it.'
'Hmm.' Pia tilted her head.
'What does hmm mean?'
'I'm just thinking. What exactly did the text say? Word for word.'
Tilly looked down at her phone. 'Great night. Watch for the high tide later and keep an eye on the back decking.'
'That's it?' Pia queried.
'That's it.'
'He said great night.'
'He did say great night, yes, so that’s something,' Jasmine agreed.
'He also talked about decking,' Tilly noted.
'Well, yes, but he said great night first. Tils, a man who thought it was a mistake, doesn't say great night. He says nothing, or he says something boring about the weather.'
Tilly looked between them both. 'I think I got the wrong end of the stick. What a complete idiot I am! I think he was being kind, I read it wrong, and now he's being polite and backing off like crazy. I don’t blame him! I would just like to quietly forget the evening ever happened.'
'Has he done anything else?' Jasmine asked. 'Since the text?'
'No.'
'And what did you text back?'
'I haven't. What am I supposed to say? I couldn’t give a hoot about the tides.'
Jasmine made a face. 'It’s simple. You just need to send back something normal, short and unbothered. So he knows you're not weird about it.'
'I am weird about it. That is the whole point!'
'He doesn't need to know that.'
Pia nodded firmly. 'Jasmine's right. Just reply about the tide, keep it easy and leave it. Technically, it wasn't a mistake because you fancy the pants off him. That's not a mistake. I mean, this could actually go somewhere.'
Tilly looked out at the water for a moment. 'Not happening.'
Jasmine nodded. 'You're going to reply about the tide, and then you're going to get on with your day.'
'And stop catastrophising,' Pia added.
'I'm not catastrophising.'
'Babe,' Pia said gently.
'Fine.' Tilly smiled. 'I am a bit. It’s just that he’s my neighbour and I have to face him come what may.'
‘It will be fine if you put it to bed now.’
That was the problem: essentially, Tilly didn’t want to put it to bed, she wanted to hop in a bed. However, Otto’s message had taken the wind out of her sails. ‘I’ll message him now.’