“Okay, well, always here for you, brother. By the way, don’t forget Saturday night.”
“Saturday night?” I have no idea what he’s talking about.
“Ethan and Jessie’s engagement party?” he reminds me. “No exceptions, no excuses. Straight from Mum’s lips.”
Great. I’d completely forgotten. And when Mama C says no exceptions or excuses, she means it. I have to be there. With Greer. Fuck my life.
If I thought this craptastic week couldn’t get any worse, I was wrong. Because the morning after my chat with Will, I get a call from my father. He’s in town for a couple of days, and wants me to have lunch with him and his new fiancé. A woman he met on the cruise that was more important than helping Ty. Her name is Honey. Which gives me a pretty good visual. I think this will make wife number four. Or is it five? I’ve lost count.
I arrive at the swanky restaurant with views of the harbour a good ten minutes late. Because I don’t want to be here. My father is sitting at a table by the window with a woman, who has her back to me. Even from this distance, I can see she’s not his usual type. Her hair is salt and pepper grey, and she’s dressed smartly. This is a new low. How young can she be if he’s had to bring her mother with them?
“Dad,” I say, not extending my hand as he rises from his chair.
“Josh. I’m glad you could join us. This is Honey, my fiancé.” And he puts his hand lovingly on the shoulder of the woman at the table.
“Thisis Honey?” I can’t keep the incredulity out of my voice.
“Silly name, I know. My parents were hippies.” Honey rolls her eyes.
I take a seat, and Honey offers me a glass of wine from the bottle already on the table.
“Jim tells me you’re a creative director. I’d love to hear about it.”
This woman is not what I was expecting. She’s easily within ten years of my father’s age. She’s smart, articulate, unpretentious, and takes no shit when my father starts blustering.
By the time lunch is nearly over, I discover I like her a lot.
“Isn’t she wonderful?” Dad says, gazing after her lovingly as she makes her way across the restaurant to the ladies’ room. That look alone is a new development.
“She is, yes,” I answer with surprise. “Not your usual type, though.” I still don’t quite know what to make of this. Of her. With him.
“No. She’s not. But Josh, after my last divorce, I knew something had to change.” If I didn’t have thirty-two years’ experience with him, the earnest expression on my father’s still-handsome face might convince me. “I went to counselling. I can’t tell you how much of a difference it’s made to my mindset. And then I met Honey. It’s amazing what meeting the right woman can do for your outlook.”
Of course, Dad being Dad, the counselling hasn’t changed him enough to turn him into a proper father for Tyrone. Yet. Maybe Honey will be a good influence there. The thing is, I no longer care. Neither Ty nor I need him. We’re getting along fine without his interference.
But meeting Honey and hearing the way Dad talks about her makes me think. If he can change his ways at the ripe old age of sixty-something, maybe there’s hope for me? For Greer and me? Nope. I can’t think like that. Can I?
Will and I climb out of the Uber on Saturday night to find the party in full swing. Super. Just what I need in my current frame of mind. At least it will be easy to avoid Greer in this crowd. Because avoiding her is exactly what I should do. What I have to do. Which is why the first thing I do is scan the crowd for even a glimpse of her. I feel like a puppy, desperate for attention. A treat. A smile. A word. Even a look. If she would just fucking look at me. But she doesn’t.
I still haven’t made a decision about the Melbourne job, and I don’t even know how to go about making it. The pros and cons list didn’t work. Neither did the toss of a coin because whatever came up, I immediately started talking myself into the opposite. I’ve promised to give them an answer by Monday. No pressure.
Will, Ethan, Ben and I all went to school together and there are a lot of people here I haven’t seen for years. It’s almost as if Mama C has a sixth sense and is trying to convince me to stay. Which she wouldn’t do if she knew what had gone on between her baby girl and me.
Speaking of Greer, she doesn’t even look my way. Which might be a good thing because if she did, I wouldn’t be surprised if I fell to my knees and begged her to forgive my stupidity right here in front of everyone. And that’s not fair. She’s right. I am a coward. If I’m not prepared to fight for her, I don’t deserve her.
I grab a drink and spend time catching up with old friends before the music is suddenly turned off. We all look in the direction of the house, where Harry and Stella stand with Ethan and Jessie and an older couple, who I assume are her parents. Time for the announcement.
“A little quiet, everyone,” booms Harry. “We have an announcement to make.”
Everyone cheers and whistles.
“It’s been such a long time coming; we might all be forgiven for having given up hope. But Ethan has finally proposed to Jessie, and she has agreed, reluctantly, I imagine, to take him on. Jessie has been like a daughter to us for many years, and Stella and I are thrilled it will finally be made official. Please raise your glasses. To Jessie and Ethan.”
There’s more cheering and whistling, and Jessie’s father attempts to make a speech but can’t be heard over the uproar.
While everyone else has their eyes glued to the happy couple, I only have eyes for Greer. And even though she plastered on a wide smile throughout the whole speech and was the first to hug and kiss both Jessie and Ethan, I can see the sadness behind her eyes. Watching the way Jessie whispers to Greer, it’s clear Jessie’s up to date on what’s gone on between Greer and me because, over the heads of everyone, she shoots me a glare sharp enough to cut steel.
I did that to Greer. Double fuck my life.
