“Catch you later. Make sure you enjoy the place. I love knowing you’re there.”
I wave goodbye and blow a kiss, and then I finish my dinner, wondering if now is the time to reach out and let my sister in on my news. Yes, it is. I take the plunge and press the call button.
Sarah answers almost instantly, grinning at me onscreen from her kitchen, wiping her counters down.
“Hey! I’ve been meaning to call you!”
“Ditto.”
She’s still wiping the counter when she asks the token questions, deliberately avoiding the mention of Jack’s wedding, since she can’t stand the sound of his name. I’ve been holding back on calling her for that reason.
“You alright? How’s life?”
My grin must light up her screen, because she stops wiping.
“Wow. You look happy.”
“I am. I have some news.”
She picks up her phone, her attention all on me.
“Tell me! What’s been going on?”
“I’ve met someone.”
“Hell, Malvern must really be the place for you! You’ve barely been there five minutes.”
That’s when I let my sister into my excitement, gushing as I tell her all about Ant and how crazily well it’s going. She can see in my eyes how serious I am. She knows me well enough to read my mind.
“I haven’t seen you smile like this since the cheating dickhead first sent you a Valentine’s Day card,” she says, but this time I don’t argue with her about it.
Jack didn’t cheat on me. At least he said he didn’t. Sarah didn’t believe him, though. She’s despised him ever since.
“I’m in Ant’s house right now,” I admit. “He’s already given me a front door key.”
“Jesus, wow, ok. Show me!” she says. “Show me his house!”
I switch the camera view so she can see my surroundings. Her mouth is open as I walk around the ground floor, as taken aback as I was when I first saw the place. I show her the gorgeous open plan kitchen diner and the living room. I show her the conservatory and the views over the huge garden, and the huge gym Ant has set up.
“The guy must be seriously loaded,” Sarah says.
I kind of hate hearing it said like that, because that isn’t why I want him. Not in the slightest.
“Show me upstairs next!” she says, and it feels weird when I climb the stairs on video view, since I haven’t really explored the place for myself.
I show her the main bathroom, its glorious light cream tiles with its huge bath and double shower. I show her Ant’s bedroom next, with the amazing sleigh style bed and the Egyptian white sheets, surrounded by gorgeous gloss black furniture – a perfect stark contrast.
I show her the ensuite, with the shower so big it’s like a walk-in wet room at a spa resort.
“Next!” she says. “I want to see it all!”
I explore the balcony landing, tipping the phone up so she sees the grand brilliance of the wooden beams overhead. The door next to Ant’s bedroom leads to a huge study, with books on shelves from the floor to the ceiling and antique chairs alongside them. Along from that is the contrast of a prestigious corporate office, with a few classy desks set up with dual monitors.
“Keep going!” Sarah laughs. “This guy must be a superstar in Berlin to afford this place.”
“He designed it with an architect. Built it from scratch.”
“Holy fuck.”
I cross the landing and the doors on the opposite side all lead to bedrooms, every one of them classy and stylish, worthy of a top-class hotel. I predict I’ll find another of the same when I reach the final door on the top floor, but no. This room is nothing like the others.
Luckily the phone camera is angled high, so Sarah can’t see the full scope of it.
It’s plain and white, with a mattress on the floor topped with black rubber sheets. There is no plush carpet in here, only a cheap looking brown vinyl, and there are cameras positioned everywhere. Luckily, my sister can’t see the mattress on the floor.
I walk straight back out of there, to the safety of the landing.
“Looks like a movie set in that one with all those cameras,” she laughs. “Does Ant have crazy virtual reality business meetings or something?”
“Yeah, maybe,” I say, trying my best to play it cool.
I’m grateful that my sister is still as naïve as she has always been. She’s never been a dirty girl.
Then again, neither have I.
The conversation turns back to how amazing Ant is and how lucky I am. She gushes about how keen she is to meet him.
“I mean it, Cass! As soon as you can! When are you going to tell Mum and Dad? Have you told Michelle yet?!”
“You’re the first person I’ve told.”
“Everyone is going to be so happy for you! How about you bring him with you to Harry’s party?”