The driver, The Girlfriend and Me

COTA

I stepped off of the plane in sunny Texas. Sunny Texas where I would be celebrating my birthday.

After around a month of not hearing from her, I finally got a text from my sister.

Staying at Aunts if you want to see me. Have a nice birthday.

It may have been blunt, but at least I knew that she had been thinking about me.

As I arrived at the track for the first time, I rang her.

This number is no longer in use.

Shit. Alice why? When I need to talk to you, you've changed your number.

I turned my phone off to get the idea out of my mind and walked onto the track.

"Sophie! Let me help you" Jack, Nicos personal trainer, said as he noticed me.

"Are you on commission or something, Jack? You never want to speak to me, let alone help me"

"No, I just feel like helping"

"It's not got anything to do with the fact that it's my birthday in two days, does it?"

"It's certainly possible"

"Oh god! You better not be like this on my birthday! I feel like I'm not on earth!"

"Fine, carry your own bags" he joked.

"Oh ha ha ha. Come on, help the heavily pregnant woman out!"

"If I must!"

He carried my suitcase to my motorhome.

"But you will be okay, right?"

"Yeah of course. I've been carrying this thing around for eight months now, I think I can put up with it now"

"I don't mean that, I mean, are you okay with nice being with Laura? Especially over your birthday period"

"I've had to put up with it for a while now" I said, going red.

"He has been coming to scans, right?"

I went silent. He hadn't gone to any at all. He'd never turned up.

"Sophie? He didn't turn up did he?"

I felt tears roll down my hot cheeks.

"I thought he was better than this. What are you doing about the birth?"

"We decided on natural over the phone with my consultant. As soon as my waters break I need to go to the hospital"

"When are you due?"

"The 25th of November"

"Abu Dhabi?!"

"Unfortunately so!"

"Please don't tell me your working"

"Yes..."

"Sophie! I can't let you! It's not good!"

"But I want to do my job!"

"Can't vijay just let you have a small job?"

"That'll just be notes! I want to be happy! Once I've had Eva, it'll be hard to come back to the job!"

"Then just relax for a while! Especially over your birthday!"

"I'll try!"

"Anyway, I better get going! I'm doing Nicos media stuff today as you're pregnant!"

"Okay, I'll see you around Jack"

"See you Soph"

I sat down and patted my huge stomach.

"Aren't you getting big" I whispered as someone knocked at my door. It was pretty quiet so I took my time getting there.

I was shocked to find Jolyon standing there.

"Jolyon?"

"Can...can we talk?"

He had a genuine look of concern on his face. So I'd did the unthinkable and let him in.

"Take a seat" I said. He was staring at my bump which had another bump inside it as Eva was laying in a very awkward position.

"The baby?"

"No Jolyon, it's a melon" I joked.

"Oh right! Is this a new thing now?" He joked back.

"Yep, I got Nico to impregnate me with a melon"

"I've missed the friendly banter"

"I've missed you Jolyon"

"This is what I've come to talk about"

"What do you mean?"

"Us"

"By my calculations, there isn't an us..."

"I mean friends"

"Okay, I'm listening"

"So...I think...I think I may have treated you and Carmen badly"

"Badly?"

"Shittily"

"Jolyon, you were acting like a complete dick!"

"I know I was! And believe it or not, I've been thinking about my actions and all that"

"And?"

"I should never have tired to pressure you into being with me, especially as the baby was in the prime stage of growth"

"You shouldn't have, but I'm prepared to forgive you"

"You are?"

"Yes I am. But I do have something in return"

"What?"

"We can only be friends. I can't be doing with any more than that"

"I respect that"

"Good then!"

"How's Eva?"

"She's good! Like to sit in awkward positions though"

"As I can see!"

"She's just starting to turn down now. In a few days she'll be in the perfect position for me to give birth"

"So you can go any day?"

"Not just yet. They turn down with about a month to go and then begin their decent out of the -"

"Woah woah woah woah woah woah woah! To much!"

"I was going to stop! I'm not that bad!"

"I've really missed talking"

"Movie night in my motorhome?" I asked.

"Of course"

We both got into our pyjamas, grabbed a load of snacks and went to the bedroom.

"So, what first?" He asked as I turned Netflix on.

"I don't mind just so long as you don't mention Netflix and chill!"

"I promise! So, can we watch the FP2 highlights?" He asked, changing the app to BBC

"Sure!"

"Come here! You're officially old tomorrow!"

"What do you class as old?!"

"Anything over 25"

"I'm already old then! I'm 26 tomorrow!"

"Shit...I forgot about that!"

I playfully slapped him.

So we spent my last night as a twenty five year old watching free practice highlights, eating snacks and cuddling with the odd playful slap thrown it. It felt better that it was just as friends and not boyfriend and girlfriend.