‘Embarrassing myself? I don’t think so. How could I embarrass myself in front of you two? After all, we share our most intimate moments with you. And I have every right to be drunk.’ He held on to the back of Lucy’s chair and leaned forward. ‘We’re having a baby.’

Lucy and Chris didn’t react. Jamie interpreted this as a stunned silence.

‘Yes. We’re pregnant. And who knows – maybe you’ve got the moment of conception on your PC.’

The waiter appeared by Jamie’s side. ‘Is everything alright here?’ he asked.

Jamie put his arm around the waiter’s shoulder and breathed beer fumes all over him. ‘Everything’s fine, mate. In fact, everything’s fantastic.’ He released the squirming waiter, said, ‘Bon appetit,’ to Lucy and Chris and staggered across the restaurant to Kirsty, who looked more embarrassed than he’d ever seen her, her cheeks flushed pink.

‘Come on,’ she said sharply, pulling him out into the fresh air. She turned to look at him. ‘What did you say to them?’

‘I was just telling them that everything’s fantastic.’ He kissed her. ‘Everything’s fucking fantastic.’

Chapter Fourteen

Fourteen

Kirsty knelt by the toilet and threw up, one painful spasm followed by another. Finally, when she was certain she wasn’t going to be sick any more, she pushed herself upright and pushed the handle to flush the remains of last night’s curry away. She splashed cold water on her face and rinsed her mouth. Morning sickness already?

While she was cleaning her teeth, Jamie came rushing into the room, wearing nothing but his underwear. He threw himself onto the carpet by the toilet and vomited, making a terrible straining sound. When he had finished, he sat with his back against the bath. He was pale and clammy, strands of hair stuck to his forehead. His stomach hurt. He groaned.

‘I feel like death warmed up. I don’t think I can go into work.’ He took several deep breaths. ‘God, I’m hardly ever ill after drinking. I guess it must be because I mixed champagne and beer.’

Kirsty crouched beside him. ‘I was sick too.’

‘Were you? When?’

‘Just now, before you came in and made throwing up seem like such a drama. I’m quiet when I throw up.’

‘But you weren’t drinking.’

‘I know. And it seems a bit unlikely that my morning sickness would start the same morning you’re sick. Unless you’re going to be one of those blokes who has a phantom pregnancy. Please, Jamie, don’t be one of those blokes.’

Jamie stood up and spat into the sink. He took a swig of mouthwash and swirled a mouthful of neon blue liquid around his tongue and teeth before gargling briefly and spitting the mouthwash out. That was a little better.

‘Do you think it was the food?’

‘I don’t know.’