Stuck with You: the perfect feel-good romantic comedy!

‘If that’s all right with you?’

‘Of course. It’ll be like old times.’ She beamed at me before going back into the kitchen for the tea.

I thought about Alex. He hadn’t told me he was going to the pub tonight.

‘Did you tell him about the lift?’ she asked after a moment.

‘No.’

Rachel shot me a curious glance but I ignored her and stared at the TV instead. I didn’t want to talk about Alex. I didn’t want to even think about him right now. My insides felt heavy and I was suddenly exhausted.

‘Do you want a bath?’ Rachel said. ‘You look sort of dusty.’

‘Ooh, yes, please.’

‘I’ll run it for you. And I’ll find you some pyjamas.’

‘Great. Thanks.’ I got up and followed her through to the bathroom. ‘You know at sixth form?’ I said, leaning against the doorframe while water gushed into the bath.

‘Yeah?’

‘Was I a complete freak?’

‘Not a complete freak, no,’ Rachel said, as she poured bath oil into the bath. ‘Well, only when Daniel was around anyway.’ She laughed merrily.

That wasn’t what I wanted to hear. ‘Did I make it really obvious?’

‘Noooo.’

‘Because he said he remembered me fancying him.’

‘He did? Big-headed bugger!’

‘I just can’t remember really. I’ve blocked it all out. Other than the kiss, that is. I still remember the kiss very well.’ I sighed happily and Rachel rolled her eyes.

‘Well, the kiss might have been a giveaway that you fancied him, you know? You were all over him like a rash.’

‘I was not!’ I protested. ‘It was a sweet, innocent kiss.’

‘Girl, you were stuck to his face like a limpet!’

‘Oh, get lost!’

Rachel laughed as she pushed past me to go into her bedroom. ‘All the girls fancied Daniel Moore anyway. He was in the school band, for goodness’ sake. He had a different girl every week.’

My shoulders slumped. He had always been surrounded by girls at college. I’d been amazed when he’d turned up at the prom without a girl on his arm. I wondered if he still had women flocking around him, or if that was just a college thing.

‘Look at you! Moping over him already. You have a boyfriend, remember? He’s a crap boyfriend, granted, but you have a boyfriend nonetheless.’ She was rummaging in her chest of drawers now, red hair tumbling around her face. The oil she’d poured into the bath smelt heavenly as it mingled with the steam swirling through the bathroom.

‘I know, I’m not moping. It’s just that I have this really lovely memory of Daniel at the prom and I don’t want it ruined by memories of me being a complete dork or of him being a male slag.’

‘You did look very cute together at the prom. But he’s just one guy, and it was just one kiss a long time ago. There’s no point putting him on a pedestal and making yourself miserable over him. I never saw the appeal myself.’

‘Well, you had a crush on a different boy every week!’

‘Yes, and when I left sixth form I didn’t cry and mope for ages because I was missing one guy.’

I sighed. ‘You’ve cried and moped about other guys since though.’

‘Well, yeah. But I try not to. They’re just men, after all. Go on in there.’ She pointed to the bathroom door. ‘Your bath’s nearly ready. I want to finish watching my programme.’

‘You’re so bossy!’

‘That’s right. I am.’ She smiled and pushed a pair of pyjamas into my arms.

Rachel’s bathroom was as pretty as the rest of her house. A small mirrored alcove in the wall contained three pillar candles. I lit them with some matches I found on the windowsill and switched off the light. Slipping into the bath, I let the warm water lap around my aching limbs. The scrape on my leg stung for a moment, but then the pain went away and I relaxed. I closed my eyes, thinking about Daniel. I couldn’t believe that, out of all the people in this city, I had managed to get stuck in a lift with him. It already felt like a dream.

I thought back to my college days. Rachel was right; I’d been obsessed with him and it had been painful watching him with other girls. I had loved him with every inch of my seventeen-year-old heart and soul. Loved him in that unconditional, unrequited way most girls afforded to pop stars and actors. While my friends had pictures of Take That taped to their walls, I had drawings of Daniel. I’d even photocopied the sixth-form photograph and enlarged it so I could see his face better. He’d been in my English class and I could barely utter a word in front of him.

Thinking back now, I wasn’t sure why I’d felt like he was so unattainable. I had been quiet, shy and a bit clumsy (I was still clumsy, according to Alex), but looking at things through adult eyes, there was no real reason why he’d seemed so distant. I suppose it was all the hormones mixed in with my mental image of myself. I’d hero-worshipped him and turned him into an icon.

It had been painful, loving him so fiercely and knowing he could never be mine. I suppose that was why the kiss had been so special. It had eclipsed everything; the painful longing and the crushing sadness afterwards.

Maybe Rachel was right. I really didn’t need to reawaken my crush on Daniel. I’d been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Or rather, a box full of bad poetry and weird souvenirs.

I closed my eyes and tried to think of something else, but I ended up thinking not of teenage Daniel, but of grown-up Daniel. He’d been nice. Really nice, in fact. And then, out of nowhere, a memory surfaced of his hand on my bum, pushing me up through the gap while the firemen pulled me out. I sat up, sloshing water. Oh, how mortifying. Let’s not go there.

***

Rachel was already in bed when I got out of the bath. I climbed in beside her, settling down against her smooth black and pink sheets. Her walls were covered in big flowery wallpaper, of the kind that would have made Alex run for the hills.

‘I love your house,’ I said. ‘It’s all so girly. Our flat’s so miserable and grey compared to your house.’

‘Hmm. Well, you could either redecorate, or leave the boring bastard to his own miserable décor.’

I giggled. ‘Rachel!’

‘Well, you already said it’s not going well.’

Thinking about Alex made me feel miserable. I changed the subject.

‘So, I know you’ve got Patrick’s daughter this weekend, and you’re going away next weekend, but when am I going to meet him?’

‘I don’t know. He’s always working away so it’s a bit difficult to arrange something. Besides, we’re at the stage where I just want to keep him to myself when I do see him.’

‘Oh yeah? Saucy wench.’

‘Well, he is very sexy.’ She pulled the covers up to her chin and sighed. ‘You should see him in his work suit. He’s gorgeous. Anyway, have you set your alarm for morning? I take it you’ll be going home to get ready for work?’