by Jenny Colgan
‘Sometimes,’ I went on, ‘maybe the things you really want are …’
‘A bit boring and nerdy?’ He brushed his gorgeous dark hair out of his gorgeous dark eyes.
‘Closer than you think.’ I seemed to remember saying that before. ‘Oh wow!’ I announced, struck suddenly. ‘I don’t need to pretend to know lots about Star Trek any more!’
‘And you already know lots about spaghetti.’
‘Well, I certainly eat a lot of it.’
‘That’s what I meant.’
‘Wow. Do you think I could have a true scientific heart?’
‘I think,’ mumbled Finn, looking down, ‘you could have this true scientific heart.’
We wandered hand in hand, feeling as small as children, across the Perspex bridge over the massive vaulted Victorian hall, looking on all the great machines and massive works that filled the space.
‘That reminds me,’ I said, gazing out over it all, ‘I meant to tell you before: God died this morning.’
‘Oh, I don’t think he did really,’ said Finn, leaning out with me. ‘He’s probably just off playing dice somewhere.’
Epilogue
The end of July was beautiful. To celebrate it, and us, we staged an Addison-napping from his plush private hospital and took him to Hyde Park for a picnic. He grumbled all the way, but we insisted: he hadn’t had his long-promised birthday party.
Add was improving, slowly. He had a tendency to forget things, and couldn’t walk very far, but we were being cautiously optimistic. And his personality didn’t seem to have changed, if his antipathy to being out in the open air was any guide. We needed five rugs so that none of his exposed flesh touched the grass.
‘I’m going to be sick,’ I said, looking up at Finn from my vantage point of his lap.
‘Well, you shouldn’t have eaten four Penguins, should you?’ he said mildly, and continued examining a disgusting caterpillar he’d just picked up.
Kate poured some more champagne for us. She and Josh had a proper hamper filled with goodies, we had a plastic bag full of tangerines, and Claudia was having a McDonalds.
‘I want to propose a toast to us …’ Kate began. Suddenly, I spotted two people walking towards us.
‘Fuck! Fuck! Fuck fuck!’ I yelled, sitting upright.
‘Well, Holly’s pretty much summed up what I was going to say,’ said Kate, raising her glass.
‘No, look! It’s Carol and Farah!’
‘We all have to hide!’ I yelled. ‘Up!’
‘Great!’ said Josh.
‘Let’s hide behind Claudia,’ I said quietly to Finn, who batted me on the nose.
‘Under the blankets!’ said Josh.
‘Umm I don’t think …’ said Addison.
Carol and Farah were definitely heading this way.
‘Quick! Roll Addison!’ I ordered, and with much sniggering, we did so, then dived under. Of course, trying to lie very quietly and flatly anywhere is a recipe for disaster, so we giggled helplessly whilst trying to tell each other to be quiet.
‘I mean,’ Carol was saying, as they drew near, ‘this park is a disgrace. Look, somebody’s left a wheelchair over there.’
‘And a picnic!’ said Farah, hopping along. ‘Ooh, look, bananas!’
‘It’s disgusting.’
‘You’re disgusting!’ I said, before Finn clapped a hand over my mouth.
‘Did you hear something?’ said Carol. ‘Oh, let’s go. Farah, do you think you could fit up our chimney with a long-handled broom?’
As they walked off, I crept out, grabbing Finn by the hand.
‘Don’t come out yet,’ I hissed to the others. ‘They’re not quite gone.’
Finn put his arms around me, and we moved a little away.
‘It is nice,’ I said, putting my arms around him back, ‘to get you alone.’
He grinned at me.
‘In the open air of the busiest park of the busiest city in a rapidly overpopulating world …’
‘… where, for me,’ I said, stopping him with a kiss. ‘There is no one else but you.’
Then I kissed him again.
‘Holly! Are they gone yet?’ yelled Josh.
‘Yes – I’ve got grass up my nose and Claudia smells!’ shouted Kate. ‘Sorry, Claudia.’
There were loud kissing noises.
‘Huh? I wasn’t listening,’ said Claudia.
We looked around to the four forms wriggling under the blanket. Suddenly Claudia yelped.
‘Gosh, sorry,’ said Josh. ‘Thought you were Skates.’
‘You did not!’ said Kate crossly.
‘Ow!’ said Josh.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to: Ali ‘the golden’ Gunn, Rachel Hore and Fiona McIntosh: all, for everything. Nick Marston, Carol Jackson, Lorna McDonald, Jonathan Lloyd and all at Curtis Brown, and Nick Sayers, Anne O’Brien, Jennifer Parr, Yvette Cowles, Claire Round, Phyllis Acolatse, Vera Brice, David North, Martin Palmer, Adrian Bourne and all the reps at HarperCollins. Plus: Katie Stone for her unfailing support, Ben Moor for the science as well as being Ben Moor; Salty Sandra McKay, originator of McKay BMS; Susan Hoyer; Jason Foxwell-Moss for the chess and one or two other things; James Crawford for his kitchen; Shappi Khorsandi; Karen Murphy MRCS, official medical adviser to TTA (although all inaccuracies and exaggerations are of course mine); Katrina McCormack, Lisa Jewell, and Robin and Dominic, my brilliant brothers. This book was written listening to Equatorial by Chris Hoban.
About the Author
Jenny Colgan was born in 1972 in Ayrshire. After Edinburgh University, she worked for six years in the health service, moonlighting as a cartoonist and a stand-up comic. Film rights in her bestselling first novel, Amanda’s Wedding, have been sold to Warner Bros. Jenny now lives in the City of London and is working on her third novel and a television comedy-drama.
Also by the Author
Amanda’s Wedding
Looking for Andrew McCarthy
Do You Remember the First Time?
Working Wonders
Where Have All the Boys Gone?
About the Publisher
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United States
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