Free Drive Me Crazy by Portia MacIntosh Page B

diet,’ I replied, but that wasn’t enough of an explanation for the new guy.
    ‘Who told you that you need to lose weight?’ he asked. ‘Because if you really are doing this for yourself, someone needs to have a word with you, and if someone has told you that you need to, then I’ll be having two words with them and the second one is “off”.’
    I could have been almost touched by the new guy’s concern for me, but I was just so worried about Will walking out and catching us fraternising that I panicked, snapped at him and insisted that I was definitely doing this for myself and that my willpower was flawless. Now I’ve had to make a mental note to never eat junk in front of him again, because I just know he’ll be all smug about it.
    Despite my afternoon getting off to a rocky start, it’s not enough to take the spring out of my step as I climb the stairs to my flat. I feel on top of the world right now, so much so I can’t help but sing to myself as I unlock the door. I walk through the door as I get to a part of Huey Lewis and the News’s ‘The Power of Love’ that my limited vocal range just cannot pull off, only to be greeted by Amy and her gaggle of bridesmaids. Everyone laughs at me.
    ‘Sorry, just really happy today,’ I say by way of an explanation.
    ‘Why, have you finally met someone?’ Amy’s nosey younger cousin Jackie asks. That’s the thing about secret relationships, to everyone else I seem like I’m eternally single.
    I smile widely.
    ‘Oh my God, you have,’ Jackie squeaks, sounding delighted for me. I like Jackie; she’s like a fun, energetic little springer spaniel. The same cannot be said for Amy’s friend Lea who is, to put it bluntly, a fucking bitch. We’ve never really got on, and the amount I’m having to see her for wedding-related stuff is really bugging me. It’s only as I’m standing here in the living room with Amy and the other bridesmaids that I realise we’ve got one final dress fitting this evening, just to make sure everyone’s dress still fits nicely.
    ‘So you’ll be bringing a plus one to the wedding?’ Lea asks in disbelief.
    ‘Yep,’ I reply confidently. I see Amy pull a face, but I’m confident. My week with Will is going to be perfect, we’re going to work everything out and I just know he’ll come to the wedding with me. He’s really going out of his way to make this work. I’m sure he’ll understand that I need him to do this.
    ‘Well I’ll pencil it in,’ Lea says, making a note in Amy’s wedding planner.
    ‘Use a pen,’ I tell her, full of confidence. ‘In fact, I’ll get you one.’
    Before I have a chance to start launching stationery at Lea, Amy grabs my dress and steers me towards my bedroom to try it on. I completely forgot we were all meeting here, so I stopped at the shops on the way home to get a few bits for Friday, just in case I didn’t have time tomorrow. Everyone has tried her dress on except me.
    As Amy closes my bedroom door behind us, I notice the parcels on my bed.
    ‘It’s a good job I was in,’ Amy starts, ‘there was a delivery for you.’
    I tear open the larger box like a child on Christmas morning. Inside is a Louis Vuitton suitcase and a holdall, and a note that reads: ‘New luggage for the start of a new journey. Love Will.’
    ‘From your fancy man?’ Amy asks, and I nod. ‘They look expensive.’
    I open the second box to find a garment bag with a note attached that reads: ‘Not to be opened until day seven.’
    ‘Well, these are going to make my present seem shit,’ Amy sighs.
    ‘You got me a present?’ I smile. ‘Why?’
    Amy hands my a little piece of card with a silver bracelet attached. The card reads: ‘good luck’ and the bracelet has a little silver horseshoe charm hanging from it. I love it!
    ‘Aims, that is beautiful,’ I tell her honestly as I remove it from the card to put it on.
    ‘Just a little something to wish you all the best on your little life-changing trip,’