‘Oh…’ said Simi.

Jemima knew exactly what that meant. Simi didn’t have anywhere to go so she would be coming to stay with her. Her heart sank. Of course she wanted to help her friend, it was just that after fourteen hours of planes, trains and automobiles, she just wanted to get home and close her door on the madness of the world. She was so delirious with jet lag, she could barely remember the alphabet. Jemima peered across at Meagan, who probably already had an airtight excuse teed up as to why Simi couldn’t stay with her.

‘It’s okay, Jem. There’s a MegaMotel ten minutes away. Just drop me there,’ said Simi off Jemima’s silence.

Jemima sank back in her seat. There was no way she could let Simi stay in a hotel more famous for Legionnaires disease than a good night’s sleep.

‘It’s fine, you guys. I actually like MegaMotels,’ mumbled Simi.

Jemima sighed and her face broke into a kind smile. ‘Don’t be silly. You’re staying with me,’ she said.

‘Great, sorted,’ said Meagan. ‘You know I would have let you stay at mine but I don’t want to jeopardise our client/agent relationship.’

Jemima peered past Simi out of the back window where the cabbies were now shoving a community police officer in their direction.

‘I think we should get out of here,’ she said.

‘On it,’ replied Meagan as she swerved out of the taxi rank, beeping indignantly at a bollard.

Jemima squeezed Simi’s hand, embarrassed she’d even considered abandoning her in her hour of need. Everything would be okay in the end, she reassured herself. As Meagan whipped through a red light, Jemima just hoped that end didn’t happen in the next thirty-five seconds.

Chapter 8

Meagan

Meagan looked around Jemima’s compact flat. The way everything matched was unnerving. Is that what happened once you passed 40, your entire life became more and more coordinated until you and your soft furnishing were indistinguishable, Meagan wondered as she deposited the last boxes in Jemima’s living room. Behind her Simi slowly shuffled in, her whiff preceding her.

‘Right, lady. Shower,’ said Meagan.

Enough was enough.

‘I don’t think I can, Meag,’ whimpered Simi.

‘It wasn’t a question, mate,’ said Meagan. ‘You’ve already lost a boyfriend. You don’t want to lose me and Jem too.’

‘Meag?’ blubbed Simi.

‘It was a joke,’ she replied steering Simi towards the bathroom.

One day, Meagan groused, the world would get her sense of humour and life would become infinitely easier for everyone. She closed the bathroom door behind Simi and listened. There it was: the sound of running water – followed not long after by a pitiful rendition of Toni Braxton’s ‘Un-Break My Heart’.

‘You got her to take a shower?’ said Jemima as Meagan walked back into the living room.

‘She smelt like a steak bake, babes.’

‘Well, now she needs something to eat,’ Jemima murmured like a soap opera surgeon proposing a life-threatening procedure.

She pulled a twenty pound note from her purse, ‘Let’s get some food and cook her something.’