Free Second Chance by Jane Green

but he basically dragged her away. You ought to say something to her about her taste in men.’
    Tom laughed. ‘It’s none of my business, Holly. She likes him, isn’t that all that matters?’
    Holly sighed. ‘I suppose so, it’s just that Olivia was always so sweet and so naive around men and she doesn’t seem to have changed. What’s Saffron up to? Have you spoken to her recently?’
    ‘You should ask her yourself. She’d love to hear from you.’
    ‘It’s been too many years. I love hearing about her, but we’ve all drifted apart, and I doubt she’d want to hear from me anyway.’
    ‘I think she would,’ Tom said. ‘I’m sure she would. You all ask about everyone else but none of you will actually pick up the phone.’
    ‘It’s because I honestly don’t think any of us have anything in common any more,’ Holly said. ‘Other than a shared history, and frankly how many times can you reminisce about slow dancing in church halls, wearing donkey jackets and monkey boots?’
    ‘Oh God.’ Tom laughed. ‘I’d forgotten that. You looked terrible.’
    ‘Yes, well. You with your bad impression of Suggs weren’t so hot either.’
    ‘Ah yes. I try to forget. But I do think you would have things in common with everyone, of courseyou would. There was a reason we were all friends.’
    ‘I don’t know,’ Holly said doubtfully. ‘I think it was just being forced together for so long. You are funny, though,’ Holly said. ‘I can’t believe that you’re still in touch with everyone. How in the hell do you do it? I barely have time to answer the calls on my answerphone at night, let alone make time to phone a ton of people from my past. You’re amazing, you know.’
    ‘I know. Isn’t that why you love me?’
    ‘Speaking of love…’ Holly felt a familiar flutter. Here it was again. Like a constant merry-go-round, she was sitting across the table, aged twenty-five, looking at the face she knew better than any other in the world, her best friend’s, and all she could think of was what it would feel like to kiss him. ‘… are you… seeing anyone?’ She fidgeted on her seat. Nervous.
    ‘Why? Do you fancy me again?’
    It had become a standing joke between them, this falling in and out of love with each other, but to Holly’s embarrassment she found herself lost for words, a deep blush spreading across her face.
    ‘Oh God,’ Tom was mortified, ‘I didn’t mean that.
    Oh God, Holly. If you’d told me two months ago.’
    ‘Two months ago I was with Jake.’
    ‘I know.’ Tom smiled. ‘I was horribly jealous.’
    ‘Well, why didn’t you say anything?’
    ‘Because you were with Jake. What difference would it have made?’
    ‘I might have dumped him for you.’
    ‘Holly, Holly, Holly.’ Tom put his head in his hands. ‘We’re not destined to be together, you know that.’
    Holly’s blush faded as quickly as it had come. ‘I know.’ She sighed. ‘But what about if we’re both still single at thirty? How about we make a pact that we get married if we’re both still single at thirty?’
    ‘Thirty?’ Tom sounded slightly alarmed. ‘That’s only five years away. Can we make it thirty-five?’
    ‘Okay.’ Holly extended her hand across the table and Tom shook it firmly. ‘Thirty-five and we get married.’
    ‘Done.’
    ‘So go on,’ Holly said after a few minutes, mouth full of pitta and tzatziki. ‘Who is she, then?’
    And on it went.
    Holly has not had the heart to cook, but has made a salad, has picked up a gourmet pasta dish, a couple of baguettes and a tiramisu from the Italian deli down the road. Several bottles of wine are chilling in the fridge.
    Holly sets the table for four, everything taking five times as long as it usually does because she loses herself in a constant stream of memories about Tom.
    She finishes getting the table ready, then goes to the bathroom to attempt to mask the pain her face has been carrying the last few weeks. Murine eyedrops to wash the