Page 94 of Break the Ice

That was actually quite funny for Joshua. He looks over at me curiously, urging me to play along.

‘I bet there’ll be a tiny ice rink. “Ice Ice Baby” on the DJ playlist.’ Maddie nods, chuckling.

‘Do you think there’ll be a slushie machine?’ I ask.

Joshua grins. ‘One can only hope. It’ll be posh slushies though, alcoholic ones, with edible gold.’

He smiles at me from across the car and I look away for a moment. Don’t get wrapped in how handsome he looks tonight, Phoebe. Why is his complexion so bright? Envelop yourself in the high drama of this party. Be useful. Remember the mission. ‘And can I ask… is there a plan when it comes to she who must not be named?’

‘Avery?’ Joshua asks.

I watch as Maddie snarls a little at the mention of her name. ‘You not a fan?’ I ask her.

She shrugs her shoulders, pouting. ‘I know we grew up together and everything but I always thought she looked down her nose at me, even before she dumped my Joshy.’

Joshua smiles at her but looks annoyed that his ex ever made his little sister feel that way. ‘There’s no plan when it comes to Avery. Just be there.’

‘Hold your hand?’ I ask. ‘Surely Maddie could do that. I could really turn it on. I could be really flirty all night. I could get handsy and twerky?’ I say, laughing nervously. Maybe not a great idea, but, as this is not a date, maybe the only alternative is to keep it light with plenty of comedy. ‘I can come up with the best stories, announce to everyone at the bar that you’re exceptional in bed.’

Joshua chokes for a moment and widens his eyes at me. I mean, it’s not a lie, but Maddie bends over laughing, and I can see Lenny’s shoulders shaking in the driver’s seat.

Joshua shakes his head at me slowly. ‘Just be there. Don’t twerk. Don’t make it too obvious…’

‘…That I hate her?’ I say. ‘That I think she’s a gargantuan bee-atch?’

‘You don’t even know her,’ he replies.

I don’t reply to that because there’s a little sliver of emotion in his retort that tells me he still cares a teensy bit for her, that there is good there that he fell in love with. That he doesn’t quite hate her yet. I hate that he may cling on to that. I don’t like the way it makes him tense between the eyebrows.

‘Could I at least have some fun with it?’ I tell him.

‘Define fun?’ he asks.

‘I could pretend to be someone else? I could say I’m the current Olympic silver medallist of the triple jump.’

‘Or not?’ Josh says.

‘Or would it be funnier if I went the other way? I could shock everyone and say we met on OnlyFans. You took a liking to my feet.’

‘NOOOO…’ Josh protests amidst his sister’s hysterical laughter.

I smile. ‘Can I introduce myself as the Baroness of Snoddington?’

And for a moment his shoulders relax and he smiles. The last time we were in a car together, we were not headed to a fancy snow ball. We were trapped in the snow, with a pooch in the back seat. Our learned friend, Steve. Learning nothing if everything about each other, crawling past towns with the most ridiculously British names, breaking the ice quite literally.

‘Snoddington,’ he says, laughing.

‘What happened in Snoddington?’ Maddie asks.

‘A shitload of snow, that’s what happened,’ I tell her.

Joshua looks at me and beams. ‘Just be yourself. Just you is perfect.’

I see Maddie looking down unable to hide her smile, but I can’t seem to reply with any sort of words. Ooft, emotions. He can’t be doing that. Don’t be nice because nice and dashing is a tough combination to resist. ‘Well, then I will try. I may make up a few things though. To add to my own fun,’ I tell him.

The car starts to slow down and I peer at the queue of cars outside the hotel and the hotel itself towering over us, the glowing awning over the entrance, the flags flying overhead. Large sparkling Christmas wreaths and gold features add to the art deco feel, the grandness of it all. I spy a woman walking past our window in a coat that looks like it’s made out of a badger. It’s very Cruella. Our car stops and the door opens. Joshua helps his sister manoeuvre her dress out of the car while Lenny opens the door on the other side and puts a hand out so I can balance myself.

‘Thank you, lovely,’ I say as I stand. I pause as I adjust my skirt. ‘Hold up, Lenny. What are you doing for New Year’s? Please tell me you’re not going to be looking after us all night?’