Background: Angela is shocked when William, an old friend from her past, who she hoped never to see again, comes back into her life, after he applies for a role at her work and successfully secures the job. William’s sudden reappearance puts Angela on edge. She’s terrified he’s discovered her secret, which she needs to protect her family from. William’s convinced Angela knows what happened to his former girlfriend, Caz, who hasn't been seen for twenty years, and that something terrible happened to her. The only person, who can help Angela, is her once best friend, Michelle, but Angela hasn’t seen Michelle for more than a decade. Faced with the threat of William’s return, they know they’ll need to work together to save their future, even if this does mean reopening old wounds, and revisiting a past they'd rather keep buried.

***********

March 1999

‘So, what do you reckon to my new cologne, ladies?’

William leans in and I see Michelle balk. Perhaps she’s going to run to the bathroom to be sick. I wouldn’t put it past her. I have to force myself not to look into his eyes, knowing mine will betray what I’m thinking if they do. His eyes are like a magnet pulling me in every time I see him, and I feel as though I could just melt in his presence.

Lauren and Hayley both put on over dramatic grins.

‘Oh so masculine, William,’ Hayley says, laughing.

‘What about you, Angela, what do you think?’ he says, the corner of his mouth twitching as his eyes meet mine.  

'Yes, I like it,’ I say, looking into my drink, my cheeks burning.

The longer he keeps looking at me like that, everyone else is going to realise how I feel. I’m sure he knows, it’s why he keeps focusing his attention on me.

‘Oh he’s such a show off,’ Caz says, squeezing William’s shoulder, but he still keeps his eyes on mine as Caz speaks. ‘But he’s my show off.’

We’re sitting outside a bar in Mayfair. It was Caz’s suggestion we come out this way. We’ve already been out for a good few hours. It was only in the last ten minutes when William joined us, Caz said he had a meeting first and would be joining us later. The bar’s heaving.

‘So what’s up with you then, Michelle, you not so keen?’ William says, focusing his attention on her, as he drapes his arm around Caz’s shoulders, which makes jealousy spike through me. 

‘It’s alright.’ She shrugs. ‘Cologne makes me cough if I get too close.’ 

‘Let’s get another round of drinks in,’ I say, stepping down from my seat, keen to move the conversation on. I know William’s going to keep digging into Michelle otherwise. ‘William, you’ll help, won’t you?’

I want to get him away from the table, before he has the chance to speak to Michelle further.

‘Course,’ he says. ‘You don’t mind do you, babe?’

Caz says nothing, as William follows me into the bar without waiting for her response, she’s inspecting her nails.

‘Where was it you said you were earlier?’ I ask William, as we reach the bar. I’m shouting to make myself heard.

‘Oh, was just somewhere in Stratford with a few mates, had a bit of an altercation that needed dealing with, but everything’s fine now. So tell me a bit more about yourself. Whenever I see you it’s always with Caz, I never get the chance to talk to you on your own. This is a rare treat.’

He’s interested in me. I try my best to control my breathing. God, why the hell do I feel this way about him? He’s Caz’s boyfriend. He’s off limits.

‘I . . . I want to work with books, I mean, I want to work in publishing, but at the moment I’ve just got a position in this flower shop, not far from our flat. It’s not the best job in the world, but at least I’m being paid.'

‘Oh yes, Caz mentioned you have a thing for books. I can’t actually remember when I last picked up a book it was probably in my early days of school. Books have never held my interest.’

‘Oh, you just need to find the one, and then you’re hooked for life,’ I say.

William clasps hold of his drink as the barman places his beer in front of him.

‘No, I couldn’t sit there reading. I get fidgety if I sit around for too long,' he says, taking a slurp of his beer. 

I realise my foot is bouncing away to whatever music it is the bar’s playing. William’s noticed.

‘Fancy a dance?’ he says, placing his hands on my hips. 

My heart leaps. I glance over towards the dance floor at the mass of people congregated there. I do want to grab hold of him and pull him onto the dance floor, place my hands on his waist. I shiver.

‘No don’t be stupid, Caz is just outside, what will she say?’ I say, pulling myself away from him. 

‘Oh she won’t mind,’ he says.

He leans in closer towards me so I can feel his breath on my neck.

‘No stop it,’ I say my heart fluttering as I push his chest back. ‘Let’s just take the others their drinks.’

I hand the barman the money, and take two drinks off the bar. As I do, I think how I should’ve been holding that note back to go towards saving for the course next year. It’ll already be a couple of months underway by now, I think bitterly. The people on the course this year may already be landing their first jobs in publishing by the end of summer, and I won’t be.

William follows me closely out of the bar. I can still feel his breath prickling the back of my neck.

************

Character List:

Angela Watkins - Protagonist 

Paul Watkins - Angela's husband

Rebecca Watkins - Angela's daughter 

Michelle Blake - Angela's former best friend 

Kirsty - Receptionist (Angela's friend) 

Olivia - Angela's boss

William Harris - Angela's former friend 

Caroline (Caz) - Angela's friend 

Hayley - Angela's former friend

Lauren - Angela's former friend