sipped my wine. Heaven. Next to Mikey I always felt… safe. Cared for. In fact pure bliss, an hour later, when my head lay on his chest again and, lights dimmed, he stroked my hair. I imagined this was how it must feel as a child, to have your dad’s arms wrapped around you when things went wrong; to know he was there, whatever the circumstances, whilst other people in your life would come and go.
‘Dave came into the diner, today,’ he said quietly.
I swallowed, stomach tingling at just the mention of my boyfriend’s name. Dave had the sexiest lopsided smile and kisses that sent me to a place where sad memories or stressful work problems never got in. ‘Good for him.’
‘Wearing that God awful coat. He’s… really sorry – about last night.’
So Mikey did know exactly what was the matter. Almost knocking his chin, I sat up. ‘Since when are you Dave’s defender? You’ve hardly spoken to him the last year.’
‘Yeah, I have!’ His cheeks flushed.
I raised one eyebrow. Dave and my flatmate were hardly best mates. I didn’t get it – as well as having me in common, they were both kind and compassionate. Dave also liked action movies and Mikey watched football sometimes.
He sighed. ‘Okay, look… can you blame me? He jumps a mile high if I touch him and judges me as if I’m some stereotypical camp gay character out of a Hollywood movie.’
‘Not always!’ Good old Mikey simply pursed his lips. He no doubt had plenty of harsher things he could say about Dave, but had probably bitten them back over recent months, for my sake. ‘Okay, so Dave’s, um, not quite as in touch with his feminine side as you.’
Mikey snorted. ‘That’s got nothing to do with it. Straight guys I know give me a hug. Dave’s just… just…’
‘Reserved? Very British?’
‘Socially awkward, more like – but only in my company.’
‘You always were special,’ I said, in an attempt to raise a smile. ‘Anyway, I thought tonight was about me? How typical to make it all about yourself.’
‘Jazz!’
I grinned, the ache in my heart forgotten for a nanosecond. Is there anyone better than a best friend who can help you laugh your way out of a dismal situation?
He shrugged. ‘Okay. Fair comment. So, Dave explained how he’d messed up.’
‘That’s putting it mildly. I just hope he’s got the sense to keep his distance before I leave for New York where I can cool off.’
An odd expression crossed Mikey’s face and he busied himself topping up our glasses. ‘So he was drunk – that’s not the worst crime in the world.’ Seconds later his face fell. ‘What I mean is…’ He shook his head. ‘Crap. When am I going to learn to take my foot out of my mouth?’
‘Don’t worry.’ I forced my mouth to upturn. ‘Clearly I’m so well balanced, it’s hard to remember I had an alcoholic for a dad.’ Despite everything, I half-chuckled. ‘Perhaps Dave should be more like you Mikey. We’ve always got on so well.’
‘You’re forgetting that little matter of you having women’s equipment…’ He shuddered and I couldn’t help laughing. ‘Plus you are possibly the untidiest person in the world. And eat the most God-awful vegetarian food.’
‘You’re OCD about cleanliness,’ I replied. ‘And there’s nothing wrong with being a veggie. You even serve chickpea burgers at the diner now.’
‘Excuse me for not being a fan of germs.’ He glanced at me. ‘And yes. Agreed. Thanks to you the diner’s menu rapidly moved into the twenty-first century. I have to admit those Quorn tacos you made the other night were awesome. I guess, all in all, we’re a good match.’
I nodded. But me and Mikey as a couple? I couldn’t think of a funnier idea. Although hands up, when we’d first met, whoosh, the biggest crush hit me out of nowhere. With his protective manner, well-groomed looks and love of white wine, cooking and dancing, he seemed like the ideal man. But after a few weeks living together, I soon realised there would definitely never be any romance. We both fancied the same movie heroes, I liked rugged, hairy chests and he wasn’t into soft fleshy curves.
‘Remember when we first met, exactly… four years ago this March,’ he said, as if reading my mind. ‘Only you could move two days before a new job, and magically expect to find lodgings, just like that.’
‘Ah ha, but I did, what with you just having split up with your boyfriend. You were mesmerised by my explanations of the latest food tests at Chemi-Vate labs and couldn’t believe how many E-numbers existed.’
Poor Mikey. Talk about being in pieces after his break-up. Yet he didn’t talk about it much at first and had taken months to really open up. My flatmate didn’t exactly suffer from trust issues, just… well, talking openly about his personal life had lost him friends in the past.
‘And you couldn’t get over me serving onion rings in cute baskets and hotdogs pierced with mini American flags.’
I smiled. ‘Every morning for a week I visited your diner for pancakes, or eggs easy over with hash browns on the side, and bombarded John with ideas for vegetarian burgers. Then he suggested you rent me your spare room – almost as if it were meant to be.’
Mikey sipped his wine. ‘And maybe it’s fate that you and Dave should be together – why not give the poor bloke another chance?’
‘I just need time.’ Hand trembling slightly, I put down my glass. How could Dave propose to me whilst pissed? Say on our wedding day, we shouldn’t make a fuss? Like I wasn’t special… like our love didn’t deserve a special ceremony with family and friends, with carefully chosen food and music that meant something to both of us? My throat constricted. If he was like that now, what would he be like ten years down the line? Taking me for granted? Cheating on me? Knocking me around, like Dad did Mum? And it wasn’t as if I’d ever thought about marrying him. Not really. Because getting married in her twenties, before any career was established, had proved to be the undoing of my mum.
‘But Jazz–’
‘Mikey! Enough already. Don’t pressurise me. Let me recover from the shock of last night. Okay – he’s great bloke and, and I…’ Thoughts whizzed around my mind. Perhaps secretly I had really thought Dave was the one. Oh God. Here came that sob once more. Inhale, exhale… I sipped my wine. Get it together Jasmine Jarvis – Dave was nothing like your dad. ‘Despite his gruff exterior, he is the gentlest soul and….’ I gave a wry smile. ‘I love his indignation when I tease him about his obsession with Instagram. Do you know his latest thing is taking photos of his feet, in different shoes?’
Mikey pulled a comical face. ‘God help Instagram.’ He wrinkled his nose. ‘At least followers can’t scratch and sniff…. look, despite his dose of weirdness, you’ve always thought Dave’s a special guy, right?’ His voice wobbled very slightly. ‘People like that only come along once in a while.’
‘Like the man who’s stolen your heart?’ Poor Mikey. It had killed me over the last few months, to slowly witness his heart break.
Mikey turned away.
‘I love Dave,
