“So, how are you and my niece or nephew?” I return for a gentle kiss to her cheek and a pat of her belly.
“We’re fine.” She actually glows. “Did Mase tell you it’s a secret?”
“Yeah, so my lips are sealed.”
“It’s just you, Sara and Anita that know,” she explains with her expression clouding over, but she recovers quickly. “So, I was wondering if you’re free to come out next week, Tuesday. We could check out that new club?”
“Are you allowed out to dance?” I know that Mase is beyond protective and jealous where Liv’s concerned but a pregnant Liv is going to send him into protection overdrive.
“You leave Mase to me,” she says with a suggestive wink that makes me laugh but also makes me envious of my brother’s together life compared to my own chaotic one that I was more than happy with until a few short weeks ago.
“What the hell, yes. But if Mase kicks off it’s on you.”
She seems totally unbothered at the prospect of having to deal with an angry, overprotective husband and I envy that she has no doubts in her mind that she won’t fuck up her dealings with Mase, moreover that she won’t just make things worse, unlike me with Anita and suddenly my suspicions rise.
“Liv, you’re not matchmaking, are you? With Anita?” I remember the time Sara did that exact same think to Liv.
“Dec, I love you, but really? After my sister found you with your temptress twins and what I’ve seen today, why would I fix her up with you?”
I can’t really disagree with her observations as she leans in and kisses my cheek before excusing herself.
“I’ve got to go. I’m due to meet Mase for lunch and if I don’t get there first he’ll become suspicious and realise I’ve been using public transport,” she says with mock horror and an aghast expression mimicking Mase’s total opposition to Liv being unattended on public transport.
Anita
Somehow, I have avoided being alone with Dec since that day with him and the two blondes. I hate to admit, even to myself that seeing him hurts me. The knowledge that what we shared really meant so little to him, unlike me. Although I am still seeing Jack it is very much on the way out for us both, no more than a bit of fun really. The sex is okay, however, it’s nothing compared to Dec, but then Jack is a nice enough guy, friendly and honest. I dismiss my own conscience when it points out that Dec is also a nice guy, friendly and honest. So why did I accept a casual fling with Jack but not Dec?
It is fortunate that before I can answer that question Olivia enters the restaurant looking happy, aglow, and stunning, as usual. The heads turning as she passes other diners confirms that.
“Sorry if I’m late,” she gasps as I stand to greet her.
My dismissive wave of a hand suggests her time keeping is not an issue. Liv virtually growls at her phone ringing as she pulls it from her bag.
“Hi, babe,” she says and smiles despite her furrowed brow for Mase. “No, I haven’t. In fact, I’m about to have lunch with Anita. No, the same place where I met you the other day.”
She is silent as presumably Mase speaks. The waitress appears to take our drinks order. I go with a fruit juice concoction dressed up as a cocktail and with two fingers held up Liv opts for one too. I love how much Mase loves my sister, but I think he would drive me crackers with his possessive traits, not that I imagine ever finding anyone who’d care enough about me to want to possess me.
“Mase, I have been in the office until ten minutes ago so no trains, tubes, buses or anything else. Right, I am going now…then don’t make me hang up on you. Okay, yes, I love you too, bye.”
I watch her as she drops into the seat opposite me, and she looks tired suddenly.
“Problems?” I really hope there are none because if Liv and Mase can’t make things work then nobody can.
“Mase is panicking,” she begins and sadly smiles again. “He is scared for me and the baby. After I lost the last one and his guilt that he didn’t prevent it...”
Her voice trails off and her eyes glaze with tears for her lost baby.
“The other day I met him for lunch and before I did that I went out on the train.” She grins knowing there is nothing wrong in that. “He doesn’t like me using public transport after I told him about the time I was dry humped by a fellow commuter.”
I stare at her recount and can only imagine Mase’s reaction to it.
“Don’t be surprised if he rocks up here at some point,” she jokes, I think. “So, now he keeps checking up on me. Jimmy had trackers put on me once before,” she says flatly. “I am sure Mase is seriously considering doing it again.”
She laughs, as do I but sense her seriousness. Mase and Dec’s dad, Jimmy, is a lovely man, but there’s something about him that scares the living crap out of me and the fact that he could rather than would put trackers on my sister only confirms that my fear is well placed and totally warranted.
“Anyway, enough about my beautifully crazy husband and double O Jimmy. Tell me about you and your love life.”
I am still talking by the time we’ve finished lunch. She now knows that I don’t see a future with Jack, nor Dec, not really because he clearly sees no future with any one person anytime soon and that is my ultimate goal, no matter how unlikely. She doesn’t attempt to dispute this. I also tell her about my disastrous fling at uni, just that there was one and that I loved him, thought he loved me, no more than that. She empathises but doesn’t push for more.
