All of a sudden, a shadow loomed across what was hopefully becoming a promising conversation.
I turned around to see Sam, his face a bland mask that looked as though it might disintegrate if he attempted one of his usual friendly smiles.
‘Sam, hi!’ I chirruped, massively overcompensating for his lack of warmth. ‘You made it! That’s amazing!’ I did not sound amazed. More like dazed.
‘You must be Leon,’ Sam said, in a tone that for anyone else would seem reasonable, but for Sam was verging on frosty.
‘Yeah, hi. Nice to meet you. So, Ollie’s been talking about me?’ While addressing Sam, Leon kept his eyes directly on me.
‘Sam’s a forest ranger,’ I said, speaking about three times faster than normal. ‘He found Nesbit for me this afternoon.’
‘Someone must have left the garden gate open,’ Sam added, no longer bothering to hide his frown. ‘It’s vital to familiarise yourself with the basic countryside code before moving to the edge of a country park.’
Ah. That explained it. Sam blamed Leon for leaving the gate open.
Leon finally switched to face Sam. ‘I grew up on a cattle farm. I’m aware of the dangers of open gates as well as dogs running loose. I hadn’t even realised there was a back gate.’
‘Oh, I’m sure Sam didn’t mean to imply it was you,’ I gabbled.
‘Worth making sure,’ Sam said, before we all fell into an uncomfortable silence.
Sam took a long swig of his beer. ‘So, grew up on a farm. Tell us something else about yourself, Leon. Married? Girlfriend? Boyfriend?’
I turned to him in surprise. Sam had already asked me that. He might not have bothered listening to my answer at the time, but that didn’t explain why he was bothered enough to ask again. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was jealous.
Leon looked back to me and said, ‘No. I’m very single.’
‘Really?’ Sam drained his bottle. ‘Happily single, or looking for someone?’
Leon leant back against the table, adjusting his stance as if amused rather than intimidated by this interrogation. ‘Happily single. Not looking for someone, but hopeful that I might have found her.’
It was then that I realised how in changing position, he had moved to align himself nearer to me.
What the hell is going on here?
I glanced back at Sam, mentally pleading with him to stop being a jerk and start acting like Sam again. Before the conversation could get even more awkward, from somewhere out of sight came the announcement: ‘Ladies, gentlemen and most of all, Ollie Tennyson! You are about to witness the greatest show in Bigley, if not the universe! Scream, shout, stomp your feet and shake your booties as we welcome to the stage the awesome, the awe-inspiring… FREA-K THREE-K!’
And while Yasmin, Trev and Jaxx hooted and hollered, and Irene stuck two fingers in her mouth and produced an ear-splitting whistle as the rest of us offered a decorous clap, Kyle, Kyron and Kylo launched themselves over the back hedge and onto the dance floor.
Once the first dance was over, and the guests were calling for an encore, I sidled around to where I’d just spotted Sam slipping into the kitchen.
‘Sam, wait,’ I hissed, causing him to stop in the far doorway and turn to face me. After an awkward moment where I waited for him to speak, I carried on. ‘What was that about with Leon?’
‘What do you mean?’
Okay, I’d had two cocktails and a glass of Prosecco but I wasn’t imagining things. ‘You were rude to him.’
‘Just making small talk.’
‘While I’ve clearly done something to spoil our friendship, like – I don’t know – saying I don’t want to engage in some casual fling with you, that doesn’t make it okay to act like a caveman in front of every man who talks to me.’
‘Talks to you? He was practically drooling. If I’d not intervened you’d have had no chance at sticking to your man-free plan.’
‘I think I could have held him off for a couple more hours,’ I snapped, tears pricking at the backs of my eyes.
‘What?’ Sam frowned.
‘This is the last item on the Dream List. As of midnight I can date, kiss, do whatever I like with whoever I like.’
There was a stony silence. Sam was completely still.
‘And he’s the person you’ve been waiting for?’
‘What’s it to you if he is?’
Sam rolled his eyes. I felt a giant urge to kick him in the shin. ‘He’s a sleaze. That comment about how he’s hoping he’s already found someone, five minutes after he’s met you.’ He shook his head in contempt. ‘I can promise you he’s not interested in the kind of relationship you’ve been dreaming of.’
‘Well, I’m so pleased you were here to work that out in the two minutes you stood there and glowered at him!’ I said, grateful that the Frea-K Three-K were building to a loud enough crescendo that no one would hear me on the brink of yelling. ‘Equally, how wonderful that you seem to know the exact kind of relationship I want. Please, do enlighten me.’
‘You said yourself that you’re not looking for anything casual.’ Sam’s voice had grown quieter now, his eyes boring into mine.
‘Maybe I changed my mind,’ I flung back at him, my own words softening in line with his. ‘Maybe I just didn’t want anything casual with you.’
Sam jerked back as though I’d slapped him. He froze there for a long second, before regaining his composure. ‘Okay, well, I’m sorry for interfering. I was trying to be a good friend. Trying to protect you from a lecherous creep who you’ll be stuck living next door to once you’ve realised he’s nowhere near good enough for you.’
‘Okay, well, apology accepted!’ I said, almost choking on my unshed tears. ‘Maybe next time you want to be my friend, try harder! Try letting me enjoy my first ever party, rather than ruining it!’
At that, I turned and clattered back into the garden just in time to see the Frea-K Three-K’s human pyramid topple into a holly bush. When I glanced back into the kitchen, Sam had gone.
Good. I was fuming with him. If I wanted something casual with my new sexy neighbour on my birthday, that was none of his damn business. It was my party!
Only before I could get back to it, Steph came and grabbed me. ‘Ollie, you need to come with me.’
‘I don’t want to come with you, I want to enjoy my party.’
Acting as though I’d not even spoken, Steph dragged me back into the kitchen. There in the doorway to the hall was a sight that sobered me up instantly.
Leanne clutched at her jacket, her face contorted in fear and panic. ‘Ollie, tell me she’s here!’
‘What?’
‘Joan. She’s run away. Please tell me she’s turned up here for a birthday surprise.’
It took a few minutes for Leanne and Peter, who’d been finding somewhere to park clear of the partygoers’ cars, to explain. Joan was supposed to be at a sleepover with a girl from her school, but when Leanne called round to drop off a forgotten toothbrush, the girl’s parent said that Joan had cancelled.
‘We got straight in the car and came here. I’ve been calling you every ten minutes since we left.’