The Accidental Proposal Read Online Free PDF Page A

rice cakes out towards me. ‘How was Dan?’
    ‘Oh. You know. Same old Dan,’ I say, waving the packet away. I’ve tried Sam’s healthy snacks before, and quite frankly, the plastic lid from last night’s tube of Pringles probably has more flavour.
    Sam rolls her eyes, then helps herself to another rice cake. ‘It can’t be easy for him,’ she says, walking over to the sink and pouring herself a glass of water. ‘To hear news like that, I mean.’
    Aha! There it is. My ‘in’. Sam must mean the news of our engagement. I almost have to stop myself from doing a celebratory dance in the middle of the kitchen, although I feel a little guilty at the same time. Because of course it can’t have been easy for Dan to hear about Sam and me getting married, particularly when he’s feeling so low from his recent sacking . . . Ah.
    ‘You mean the Close Encounters stuff?’
    Sam nods. ‘Poor thing. What’s he going to do?’
    Damn . ‘He didn’t really mention it, to be honest.’
    ‘What did the two of you talk about?’
    ‘Talk about?’ I shrug dismissively, wondering whether she’s fishing to see whether I’ve said anything to Dan at all, although I’m growing increasingly conscious that she hasn’t referred to our being engaged even once. And short of me just coming right out with it, I don’t know how to, even if I dress it up in a funny ‘You know, Dan thinks . . .’ kind of way. It just seems so, well, preposterous that I have to ask her if I got the wrong end of the stick. Plus, what will I do if she says I did? ‘You know. The usual.’
    ‘You mean his favourite subject. Himself,’ she says, downing her water quickly.
    ‘No, we . . .’ I look up at the clock on the kitchen wall, conscious that time’s running out. This morning, at least. ‘Listen, Sam. I was wondering . . .’
    ‘Wondering what?’
    I click the kettle on, then follow her into the front room. ‘Well, I wanted to ask you something.’
    Sam glances at her watch. ‘Is it a quick one? I’ve got to meet a client by the pier in five minutes.’
    ‘Er . . .’ I don’t know what to say. I suppose it is a quick one – it doesn’t take long to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’, after all – but I’ve got a feeling it’s going to take more than five minutes for me to get round to asking the question. ‘No, that’s okay. It can wait till this evening.’
    ‘Well, if you’re sure,’ says Sam, kissing me quickly, then heading for the front door.
    That’s the problem , I want to say, as I watch her go. I’m not .
     
    8.51 a.m.
    I’m walking into work, feeling a little, well, flat. But I have to stay positive – after all, while Sam didn’t actually refer to us being engaged earlier, she didn’t mention the fact that we weren’t. I have to take that as a good sign.
    As I turn the corner into Ship Street, where Staff-IT, the IT recruitment consultancy I work for is situated, a voice I haven’t heard for the best part of twelve months makes me jump.
    ‘G’ issue ?’
    I look up to see Billy, Ship Street’s one-time Big Issue seller, grinning at me – although whether you can still grin when you’ve lost most of your front teeth is debatable.
    ‘Jesus, Billy, you scared me. Where have you been?’
    ‘Where haven’t I been?’ he says, gruffly.
    ‘I thought you must have moved,’ I say, then realize that’s probably not the most sympathetic observation to make to a homeless person.
    ‘Nah,’ says Billy, picking up a can of Special Brew from behind his rucksack and taking a quick swig. ‘I’ve been on me holidays.’
    ‘For a year?’
    ‘I’ve got a flexible employer,’ says Billy, nodding towards the dog-eared magazine he’s holding. ‘You all right then, Ed?’
    ‘Not bad,’ I say, pleased that he’s remembered my name. Normally he can’t even remember his.
    ‘And how’s that gorgeous girlfriend of yours?’
    I’m impressed – unless he means Jane, of course. But then again, he’d have to be very drunk