“Oh, come on. You were always so good. Studied hard, married your university boy straight up—you don’t want to go experience any of those things you didn’t do back then?”

“What things are those, huh?” Cora leant forward. “What were you apparently doing while I was studying my butt off?”

“Not telling.”

“Lisa.” There was definitely a pleading note to Cora’s voice. “Tell me.”

“Just a few parties. Made some mistakes, but don’t regret them.”

“You,” Cora said slowly, “are telling me nothing.”

“True.” The grin plastered on Lisa’s face grew wider. “Oh, Cora. I just—I just didn’t think sometimes. I went with things and learnt from them. Probably slept with a few too many boys. Tried cocaine.”

Cora’s mouth dropped open. “You did?”

At university, Cora hadn’t been a nun. She’d gone out, she’d drunk some. But she hadn’t pushed the edges. Hadn’t thought she’d wanted to. Plus, she’d always had Alec pulling her to his side at parties and talking her into blowing off plans to stay with him.

“Yeah. And it was a stupid idea. But, you know, it was something to try.”

There was something stronger playing at the edges of Lisa’s eye.

“Lisa, what else?”

For some reason, Cora’s heart was pounding.

“I slept with my housemate.”

Sex was never something that made Cora blush—she may not have had as much fun as Lisa throughout university, but it wasn’t something that caused her to feel shame. So why were her cheeks hot? “Your housemate was a girl.”

That devilish grin was back. “Oh, I know.”

“Was… Was it good?”

Why did Cora care?

The shrug Lisa gave did nothing to quench her curiosity. “It was an experience—it happened a few times, after parties.”

“And?”

“Cora, go find out yourself!”

The urge to mention that her new friend was a lesbian rose up Cora’s throat. She swallowed it down with a sip of water.

“I like men,” Cora said instead.

“Yes, I know. Me too. So go find a toy boy instead. I’m telling you all this because you need to let yourself have some fun. Or join a yoga class—I really don’t care, just do something for you.”

Cora’s mouth opened to say that she would, then snapped closed again. There was nothing in her mind to offer, nothing she knew she wanted to do. The hair on the back of her neck prickled as she realised she hadn’t thought about things to do for herself in far too long. Her chest felt hollow. What had happened to that list she once had? Long and full of blossoming ideas, places to go, things to check off?

Lisa’s eyes, deep and imploring, refused to look away, even as she watched Cora flounder for something to say.

Swallowing, Cora gave a nod. “Okay.”

Lisa’s lips curved up. “Good.”

“Maybe I’ll swim with sharks.”

Lisa barked a laugh. “Or go cliff diving.”

“Eat puffer fish.”

“Try parkour.”

“Go heli-skiing.” Cora felt lighter, now.

“Or, you know, see your friends more.” Lisa winked, reaching for the tomato sauce. “Whatever.”