“OK,” she said out loud. “But let’s go for coffee—not alcohol. I don’t want to turn up to Laura’s farewell dinner already tipsy.” That, and she didn’t think it was a good idea to have her inhibitions lowered right now.
“Deal,” Erin said with a nod, and proceeded to steer Josie through the city, down the famous Princes Street that was bustling with people, up a little slope and through some gardens, chatting away as she did so, apparently with a very clear idea of where she was headed. Five minutes into their walk, Erin seemed to realize that Max was still lagging behind and turned to demand that he catch up. She looked at Josie with those bright blue eyes—eyes that were hard not to feel jealous of. “Honestly, you’d think we were forcing him to board the Titanic or something.”
Josie managed a weak smile, whilst a part of her wondered vaguely what would happen if Erin and Bia went head-to-head. Once Max came alongside them, Erin linked arms with him too and steered both of them onto a new street—Broughton Street, Josie read, partly because she was deliberately trying to pay attention to anything other than Max, now that they were close enough to touch, if it weren’t for his tall, slim, beautiful—and, so far, lovely—girlfriend between them.
Erin carried on talking—either unaware of or determined to ignore the awkwardness—providing little titbits of history as they went. Personal history, rather than stuff to make the travel books—like where she and her friends had spent Cèilidh-Salsa dancing outside on New Year’s Eve, or where Erin’s friend had gotten so drunk she’d actually been sick behind the bin. It made Josie smile in spite of herself, picturing the city as something more than a beautiful tourist spot, but somewhere people actually lived, did stupid things, got into trouble.
Then, “Voilà!” Erin announced, stopping abruptly outside a little café. “We spent many hours in this place at university studying for our finals, Josie.” She smiled, a trace of something sad—nostalgia, perhaps—crossing her face. “Do you remember, Max?”
Josie looked over at him to see him nodding, that half smile playing across his lips. “I do indeed.” Oh great. A coffee shop that held nice, romantic memories for the two of them—wasn’t that just perfect?
It was a small-looking café from the outside, tucked away, with a black staircase leading down on one side and a wooden sign over the red door that offset the grey exterior. Artisan Roast.
Erin released Josie’s arm, and Josie took a subtle step away, pretending to examine the outside of the little building while Erin checked her phone. She heard Erin mutter, “Damn,” and turned around. Erin looked up, glancing between Max and Josie. “I completely forgot, I said I’d grab a drink with a friend of mine today—she’s having boyfriend drama.” Erin’s cheeks flushed, ever so slightly, after she said it. So, Josie thought, maybe not quite as oblivious as she pretended to be.
“Which friend?” Max asked. Was it just her, or was there a hint of suspicion in his voice? But that was ridiculous—Erin was the one who suggested this, why would she be trying to get out of it now?
“Amy,” Erin said immediately. “Remember Amy?”
Max stared at her for a moment, then said, “Fine. Invite her along. She can come for coffee.”
“Yes!” Josie agreed, perhaps a little too enthusiastically from the way both Max and Erin looked at her. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind if your friend came, Erin.” That way, it wouldn’t be just the three of them.
Erin frowned. “Don’t be silly, you don’t even know Amy—and you don’t want to hear all about her issues, trust me, it’s enough to dampen anyone’s mood. No, no,” she carried on, as both Max and Josie opened their mouths again, “this is a celebratory coffee, Josie. You and Max go in and grab one and I’ll go and see her for a quick drink down the road, OK? I won’t be long—she works at a pub and is due back on her shift in a bit.” She gave them both a broad smile and, literally leaving them no choice, turned away and sauntered off down the road, blond hair swishing as she went.
For a moment, Josie and Max just stood there, neither of them saying anything. Then Max cleared his throat, making Josie jump slightly. “Well, shall we?” He gestured toward the red door.
Josie nodded. “Right. Sure.” No need to feel awkward, she told herself firmly. They’d spent the whole morning together, for Christ’s sake.