‘Oh god, I feel like shit,’ Lou said.
She was sitting on the terrace, her head resting on her arms, eyes closed, hoodie pulled up and covering most of her face.
‘I’m not too bad,’ Ella said from the other side of the table. ‘I think I might still be pissed.’
‘Are you seeing Nick today?’ Lou asked, resting her chin on her arms long enough to squint at Ella before flopping back down again.
‘Nah. Thought I’d hang out with you guys.’
‘Is he busy?’
Ella snorted. ‘No! Well, I mean, he’s working. But I totally could’ve gone to hang out with him at the shop.’
‘Where are Liane and Issey?’ Lou said after a while.
Ella looked up from her phone. Nick wasn’t meant to have his phone on the shop floor, but he did anyway. ‘In Liane’s room, I think.’
Lou looked over at the patio door, a small frown on her face, and then said, ‘Do you think they’re doin’ it?’
‘No!’ Ella said. ‘Really?’
‘I was just thinking … When I went to Liane’s room last night, they were both flushed and giggly and Issey had sex hair.’
‘Wow,’ Ella said. ‘But you know they’re close. They might’ve just been messing.’
‘Nah. I think they’re lesbian loverssssss.’
‘Wow,’ Ella said. ‘So they can tick that off the list then.’
Lou laughed. ‘Did you forget the point of the Fuck It List was not to worry about relationships so we could focus on work? We’ve all failed miserably.’
‘I haven’t,’ Ella said. ‘I’m working and I’ve got a relationship.’
‘Yeah, all right, you smug cow,’ Lou said. ‘We’re not counting you.’
Ella grinned. ‘I don’t even care.’
By the time Paige joined them, Ella was reading on her phone and Lou was asleep with her head on the table.
‘I’ve just been talking to my dad,’ Paige said, both hands wrapped around a mug of tea. ‘He sounded much better. The house sale is going through and he’s exchanged on the flat. I should get a cheque sometime soon, but he doesn’t know exactly when.’
‘That’s good,’ Ella said. ‘And how are you doing?’
‘I’m feeling better too,’ Paige said. ‘Thank you. Again.’
Ella shook her head. ‘It’s fine. As long as you’re OK. And you promise to tell us if you need us in future.’
‘We’re all nosy cows,’ Lou said, her voice muffled by her sleeve. ‘We’ll all be in your business all the time now.’
‘I thought you were asleep!’ Ella said, kicking Lou lightly under the table.
‘I am.’
‘Oh, here’s the lovebirds,’ Ella said, spotting Liane and Issey through the patio door. They were both in sweats, Issey’s hair all over the place, Liane’s held back with a scarf.
‘You told them?’ Issey said, shoving Liane.
‘I didn’t, dickhead,’ Liane said, stepping out onto the terrace. ‘But I think you just did.’
‘Shit,’ Issey said.
‘Seriously?’ Ella said, looking at Issey and then Liane.
Lou sat up, her eyes bleary. ‘I just said that, but I was joking. Mostly. Are you really?’
‘Yes,’ Liane said. ‘But it’s very new. So don’t, you know, shit all over it.’
‘I would never,’ Lou grinned. ‘God. I’m so happy for you!’
Issey dropped her forehead down on Liane’s shoulder, hiding her smile against her arm.
‘Oh god,’ Paige said. ‘PDA.’ But she was grinning at them too.
‘So we need to work out who won,’ Lou said, standing up suddenly and then grabbing the table. ‘Shit. Head rush.’ She sat back down again.
‘Won?’ Ella said.
‘The Fuck It List. Obviously. Keep up.’
‘I’ll get it,’ Paige said.
When she came back, she’d brought a bottle of cheap Prosecco with her. Someone had won it in the quiz at the pub and then left it behind, so Jonny said she could have it.
‘I am not drinking that,’ Lou said. ‘My poor fucking head.’
‘Hair of the dog,’ Paige said. ‘And anyway, we have to toast the List.’
‘She’s right,’ Liane said, pulling one of the wrought iron chairs up to the table.
‘So how are we going to do this?’ Ella asked. ‘I’m kind of hoping everyone remembers what they did and who they did it with?’
‘Mine’s easy,’ Lou said. ‘Nothing. With no one. But at least I focussed on my studies. Oh shit, no. I didn’t do that either. Ah well, always next year.’
‘You’ll be fine,’ Ella said, reaching across the table to squeeze her arm. ‘You had enough to deal with.’
‘Just Nick for you, right?’ Lou said. ‘Trust you to immediately meet a total sweetheart and fall in love. So not in the spirit of the Fuck It List.’
Ella grinned. ‘I’m not even sorry.’
‘Two for me,’ Paige said. ‘A girl. Which, by the way, was a pretty easy so-called challenge. And someone who once went to jail. Guy from the pub.’
‘So it’s down to you two,’ Lou said, pointing at Liane and Issey. Ironic.
Liane looked at Issey. ‘I don’t really want to say …’
Issey smiled at her. ‘Me neither.’
‘If you don’t say, you can’t play,’ Lou said. ‘Honestly, am I the only one taking this fucking thing seriously?’
‘Can we split it?’ Issey suggested.
‘There’s nothing to split,’ Paige said. ‘Not until I pay back the money.’
‘So we just toast it then,’ Ella said.
Paige stood up and twisted the cage off, then held the cork with the hem of her hoodie and twisted it off. Air hissed out and Issey gave a weak cheer.
‘Oh, shit,’ Liane said. ‘We didn’t get glasses.’
‘Doesn’t matter,’ Lou said.
‘I can go and get some,’ Ella said, starting to stand.
‘We can totally drink out of the bottle, Ella,’ Lou said. ‘Sit down.’
Ella rolled her eyes. But she sat back down.
‘To …’ Paige said. ‘What are we toasting to?’
‘To mostly totally failing the Fuck It List,’ Lou said. She took the bottle from Paige and swigged some. ‘Jesus Christ.’
‘To surviving this fucking year,’ Paige said, and drank, wincing. It was not good Prosecco.
‘To Issey and Liane,’ Ella said. ‘Who not only won the list, but found each other.’
‘Oh god,’ Liane said, but she was grinning.
‘And to Ella and Nick,’ Issey said. ‘For being so disgustingly cute.’
‘To all of us then?’ Lou said.
‘To all of us,’ Ella, Paige, Liane and Issey agreed.
And then they finished the bottle.