" thanks again for coming along today. it's always good to have a second opinion" says luke smiling at me
"no problem" I say lightly and take a sip of wine "hope you enjoy the suitcase"
"oh it's not for me" he says after a pause "it's for Sacha"
"Oh right" i say pleasantly "who's sacha? your sister?"
"my girlfriend" says luke and turns to beckon the waiter
and i stare at him unable to move
 
His girlfriend. i've been helping him choose a suitcase for his girlfriend
suddenly i don't feel hungry any more. I don't want fishcakes and rocket salad. i don't even want to be here. my happy glow is fading away and underneath i feel chilly and rather stupid.
luke brandon's got a girlfriend.
of course he has.
some beautiful, smart girl called Sacha, who has manicured nails and travels everywhere with expensive cases.
I'm a fool aren't I?
I should have known there'd be a Sacha somewhere on the scene. I mean, it's obvious.
 
Except... except it's not that obvious. In fact, it's not obvious at all. Luke hasn't mentioned his girlfriend once. Why hasn't he? why didn't he just say the suitcase was for her in the first place?
why did he let me sit on the floor beside him in harrods and laugh as i marched up and down, testing the wheels? I wouldn't have behaved anything like that if i'd known we were buying a case for his
girlfriend. and he must have known that. he must have known.
A cold feeling strats to creep over me. this is all wrong.
 
"all right?" says luke turning back to me
"no" i hear myself saying "no it's not. you didn't tell me the case was for your girlfriend. you didn't even tell me you HAD a girlfriend"
Oh God, i've done it now.. I've been completely uncool, but I don't care.
" i see" says luke after a pause "sacha and i have been together a while now" he says kindly "i'm sorry if i gave... any other impression"
he's patronizing me. i can't bear it.
"thats not the point" i say feeling my cheeks flushing red "it's just... it's all wrong"
"wrong?" he says, looking amused "Rebecca, you're getting all this out of proportion. I wanted your opinion on suitcases. End of story"
"are you going to tell your girlfriend you asked my advice?"
"of course I am" says luke with a little laugh "I expect she'll be rather amused"
I stare at him in silence feeling mortification creep over me.
"look i'm sorry you didn't know about my girlfriend" he raises his eyebrows quizzically, and i want to hit him, " but... we can still be friends, can't we?"
"I'm sorry" I say in a wobbly voice, and stand up "i haven't got time for lunch after all" and before he can say anything else i turn, and quickly make my way out of the restaurant , half blinded
by disappointed tears.
Becky Bloomwood