Perfect Strangers

‘I hope not,’ she said, running to follow her friend, but Fran had got lost in the crowd. Sighing, Sophie returned to Nick.

‘Who was the blonde?’

‘Fran? An old school friend.’

‘She seemed pretty pissed off.’

Sophie laughed wearily.

‘She can get like that,’ she replied diplomatically.

‘Do you need friends like that?’

His honesty disarmed her.

‘That’s the thing about boarding school, you get thrown together. I guess she’s like the sister I never had. Maybe we don’t have as much in common as we used to, we’ve grown apart, but I couldn’t imagine her not being around.’

She looked at Nick and shrugged. She couldn’t believe she was telling this complete stranger things she hadn’t even really admitted to herself.

‘Well, I’m glad you stayed,’ he said, clinking his glass against hers.

‘What’s the toast?’

‘To old friends. And new ones,’ he said playfully.

They were disturbed by a voice behind them.

‘Nicky boy, I don’t believe it.’

There was a man standing there with his arms open. He was tall, muscular, with dark tousled hair and a scrub of stubble that made him rough around the edges. But his black suit fitted his broad shoulders perfectly, although he wore it with white sneakers. New money, definitely, thought Sophie. She had met his type many times before in the Chelsea clubs. He probably had a yellow convertible Ferrari double-parked outside, cocaine in his pocket and a model waiting for him in the loos.

Nick looked as pleased about the interruption as she was.

‘Hey, Josh,’ he said without enthusiasm. ‘I’m surprised to see you here.’

‘How come?’ said Josh, his voice cocky, with a soft Scottish burr. ‘Everyone’s here tonight, aren’t they? If there’s a better place to do business, then I want to hear about it.’

He turned his attention to Sophie, his intense grey eyes disarming her.

‘I’m sorry. We’ve not been introduced. Josh McCormack. I’m an old friend of Nick’s, aren’t I, Nick?’

‘Sophie Ellis. Hello.’

He turned and ignored her, which irritated her more than it should have.

‘So how long are you in town for?’ he asked Nick.

‘Just another few days. Then back to Houston.’

‘So how was Paris? How long were you there for in the end?’

‘Four months. On and off.’

‘That’s right,’ said Josh, nodding. ‘You said you might stay a while when I saw you. Was it fun?’

‘Well, it was business, not a holiday.’

Nick took a sip of his drink and let the silence hang between them.