Free Valentine's Wishes by Daisy Banks Page A

let’s go sit with Bal, and see if we can sort all this out. We’ve never had anything like this happen before in over three years, and it’s crazy to let this get out of hand.”
    Keri closed the door to the hallway to shut out the sounds of the birds chirping with loud squeaks. The immediate silence in the sitting room eased her aching head. She sipped her coffee and studied both the friends she loved. “Right, I’ll go first if it makes any of this easier. Bal, I am sorry about last night. I had no intention of getting off with your guy, even if you decide today you didn’t want him anyway. It’s not my style to do such a thing and you know it. I haven’t arranged to see him again, and if he calls, I won’t arrange to see him again. I’ll tell him I made a mistake because of the wine.”
    Bal blinked, the beautiful almond shaped eyes filled with tears. “Keri, I can’t blame you. I got kind of involved with James, and I don’t know how it happened. I don’t understand it. I only had one tiny glass of punch. I don’t know what happened.” Bal glanced over to Lucy who still frowned and pouted. “Luce, I’m sorry. I didn’t intend it to happen. I don’t like James in any kind of romantic way, he’s nice, but not the sort of man for me. Believe me?”
    “Are you seeing him again?” Lucy asked.
    “No, I didn’t arrange anything and I don’t even have his number to text him.” Bal sipped another mouthful of coffee.
    “Right,” Lucy said and the frown eased a little.
    “What about you with Jez?” Keri tried not to let her interest show.
    Lucy shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know how we ended up together. We didn’t make any arrangements. He can’t dance you know.”
    “Well, you spent long enough to find that out.”
    “Keri, the man I want is James, I told you both so the other night. I like him so much. It’s not only his bank balance I’m interested in.” Lucy wiped a tear away. “And somehow the whole thing got trashed last night.”
    Bal slid her arm around Lucy’s shoulders. “Don’t cry.”
    “I can’t help it.” Lucy sniffed. “James is the man I want, the situation seemed perfect and now it’s all gone down the tube.” She wiped more tears away.
    “No, it hasn’t. I’m certain we can sort this out.” Keri looked at each of the other girls. “Recriminations over and done, and once we’ve had some breakfast we’ll tidy up and then devote the rest of the day to working out how we can fix things.” She hugged both of them.
    * * * *
    By early afternoon the house was tidy, and her hangover had melted away. Keri sat with a pen and note pad. “Okay, what have you both come up with?” she called to Lucy and Bal who came in from emptying the dishwasher.
    Bal sat on the carpet and Lucy curled up on the sofa. “I suggest we invite the three of them to dinner and talk it out,” Bal said.
    Lucy shook her head. “No, darling, it would be impossible. James doesn’t know either of them, and I’m sure he’d be as embarrassed as I would.”
    “I think Lucy is right. If we invite them all here together, it would be a bit like returning to the scene of the crime, so to speak.” She tapped her pen on the paper.
    “Oh, I don’t know,” Bal murmured.
    “Come on, think.”
    “How about we throw another party?” Lucy said.
    “No, I don’t think so. I think, Lucy, you should ring James and talk to him, and perhaps Bal could get in touch with Surjan.”
    Bal’s eyes snapped wide at the suggestion. “But what would I say to him?”
    “Tell him you want to meet with him,” Keri said.
    “But I’m not sure I do.” Bal hung her head.
    “Now that’s not how you were acting this morning,” Lucy commented. “It was all righteous indignation this morning.”
    “Oh, all right, yes, I do want the chance to meet up with him again, if only to keep gran happy.”
    Lucy arched an eyebrow at Bal’s bowed head, and Keri quelled the need to say “ Yes, I really think