Charles jumps up from George’s sofa before Phil can kick him with his socked foot. ‘I’m listening! Hannah’s older brother is the human equivalent of the colour beige.’
‘We’re five minutes past that.’
‘Oh. Sorry. What did I miss?’
‘Never mind.’ George smiles and raises his tumbler. ‘Get me a refill while you’re up.’
‘Another beer for me.’
Phil chugs what’s left in his bottle and sets it down on the coffee table, between the empties from their previous rounds and Spencer’s boot-casted leg.
‘Can you find me a cushion?’ Spencer asks, stirring in the armchair.
‘Anything for you, Alex?’
‘No, but I’m gonna steal your spot, my bum is numb.’
Alex hauls himself up from the carpet he had settled for instead of bringing a chair from the dining area.
Charles goes to George’s guest room to grab a pillow and to the kitchen for beers. He then makes for the drinks cabinet, humming the song coming out of the speakers, but he quickly realises there’s no other background noise, because his friends have gone silent.
Puzzled, he whirls around to face their stares. ‘What’s going on?’
‘It’s your turn.’ Phil spreads his legs over Alex’s laps. ‘Why did you gather us?’
‘For the unmatched pleasure of your—’
‘Cut the crap. You always summarise your way out of conversations at the beginning. Today, you’ve been waiting for us to be done with our boring life updates. What’s up?’
Charles edges towards George to hand him his whisky. His friend is on stand-by, waiting for a sign that he should come to his rescue. And Charles is tempted to blink twice, unsettled to be put on the spot, losing the little control he felt he had. But it was stupid to scenarise the evening. They’re not characters he can stage. They will improvise and take him aback. He needs to adapt. And trust them.
‘I have news, yes. Pretty big news, it’ll be a lot to take in so—’
‘Hang on!’ Alex narrows his watchful eyes. ‘Does big mean bad, and we all need toswitch to something stronger than beer?’
‘No, you should be fine.’
‘Okay, good. Good news, then? About Elsy?’
‘Partly…’
‘Oh! Are you guys moving—’
‘Did you dump her?’
‘—in together and— Jesus, Spencer!’ Alex leans over Phil’s legs to slap the toes sticking out of the cast. ‘You and your crush are sick!’
‘I don’t want Elsy, I’ve got a date!’
‘You sounded excited!’
‘Didn’t mean to.’
Alex shakes his head and Charles giggles awkwardly.
He really should have prepared his friend who, just yesterday, was sending him his favourite destinations for a cruise together with their girlfriends.
‘The truth is that Elsy and I, we… Well, we…’
