Free The Wrong Girl by Zoe Foster

section. Just before reaching them, she recognised who Mimi was with.
Jack Winters.
Her heart rate picked up, and she immediately smoothed her mess of a ponytail, as if that would somehow undo all the other physical mess. What was
he
doing here, Lily wondered; although being a chef, and this being one of Sydney’s wankiest food provedores, it wasn’t that far a stretch. Jack looked up and saw her standing there like a dork, licking her gigantic ice-cream. A small smile – a smirk? – crossed his face, then he went back to speaking to her mother. Lily looked down at her light-blue shirt, smattered with oil and tomato flecks, and her Converse and her jeans, and realised the best option here was to retreat. Casually turning around, pretending to look at the tinned legumes, Lily headed back towards the flower section, which, with its wild greenery, would conceal her until he’d left.
    She waited five minutes, and seeing her mother, now thankfully solo, head towards the register, wire basket brimming with cheeses and pasta, Lily binned the last of her gelato and walked towards her, wiping her hands on her bum as she did so.
    â€˜You’ve got something on your shoe.’
    Lily stopped dead, registering the voice, and looked down at her shoe, which was indeed giving a free ride to a long piece of wax paper.
    She bent down and ripped it off, chucking it aside before spinning around to face Jack, whom she most definitely did not want to turn around and face. He was wearing a white T-shirt, dark jeans and a plain navy cap.
    â€˜
Thanks
, Jack,’ Lily said, wondering how Jack got so far in life when he was so rude. He didn’t even say hello, for God’s sake.
    â€˜And something on your face.’ He wiped his own face as an indicator, that same smile-smirk painted on his stupid face.
    Lily blushed, her hands flying up to her mouth and chin, wiping frantically. She couldn’t decide if she were more annoyed at looking like such a mess, or at Jack’s lack of politeness in pointing out her numerous flaws.
    â€˜Anything else?’ she asked, more petulantly than she had intended.
    â€˜Just trying to help,’ he said, a cheeky smile on his face.
    â€˜ ’Kay, well, thanks. See you tomorrow. Get a good night’s sleep, it’s gonna be a big one.’
    She couldn’t resist, knowing how nervous he was already.
    He looked like he was about to say something but Lily began walking towards Mimi, fuming with something – embarrassment? incredulity? She couldn’t place it.
    â€˜
There
you are! Oh, Bean, I met
such
a divine man in the pasta section, he was so knowledgeable and so helpful, and he doesn’t even work here. Just a regular Joe, shopping like me. Tell you what,’ she lowered her voice mischievously, ‘he was a
beautiful
-looking fella. If I were thirty years younger . . .’
    Lily smiled at her mother, who was flushed with joy at her moment with Jack. If only Lily could say the same – but generally when
she
had an interlude with Jack, she walked away filled with disbelief at how rude he was. Maybe it was just her. Maybe he didn’t like her. Oh well, she thought, I don’t like him either.
    Lily didn’t mention she knew Jack, and worked with him. She didn’t have the energy, but also, she was pissed off that Jack, who was so rude to her, had managed to make her mother’s
year
with his soliloquy on fettuccine. She was over him already and they hadn’t even technically started working together.

9
    Lily returned home, desperate for a few hours of trashy TV and an early night to be ready for the first live show tomorrow. Instead, she heard squeals and music and laughter and, if her ears did not deceive her, splashing water.
    She gingerly set her keys and bag on the kitchen bench on her way upstairs. There was a shriek from Simone. There was laughter from Skye. And there was a male voice too. Lily almost