‘You really do,’ her grandad chimed. ‘Now, I know you’re not a baby’ – he winked – ‘but your nan’s right, you make us all so proud. Can we give you some sweetie money?’ He reached into his pocket where his slim brown folded wallet lived and peeled out two twenty-pound notes.
‘Blimey, Dad, that’s a lot of sweeties!’ Lawrence joked.
‘You don’t have to do that, Grandad.’ Domino looked at the floor and let her hair fall over her face.
‘I know we don’t have to, but we want to. You’re our only granddaughter!’ Winnie linked arms with her husband.
‘For now.’ Domino smiled and raised her shoulders, excited. ‘Aunty Cleo might have a little girl.’
‘Oh, Dom! Won’t it be lovely, another little baby running around?’ Her nan lay her head on her grandad’s shoulder. ‘It feels like only minutes ago we were chasing you around on your fat little legs. Look at you now! A proper stunner. Not an ounce of fat on you.’
‘Here you go, darling.’ Her grandad pushed the notes into the palm of her hand.
‘Are you sure, Grandad?’ she asked softly. He was always generous, and she loved him for it.
‘Of course! You treat yourself.’ He smiled.
‘Thank you.’ Domino put the cash into her micro bag and threw her arms around his neck. ‘Love you.’
‘And we love you.’ He patted her back.
Her phone beeped. She read the text from Ruby.
‘That’s my friend who’s come to pick me up.’
‘Do they want to come in for a hot chocolate or some cheese?’ Winnie indicated the cheese board that was still heavily laden. Cassian sat between their mum and dad, picking at the crackers.
‘I don’t think so. She’s really shy.’
‘Like you then,’ her nan observed. ‘It’s nice you’ve found friends you get on with, and you should be more confident, you know, Dom. You’ve got the lot, darling: brains and beauty. I hope you realise that one day and speak up.’
‘Well, I won’t be very brainy if I don’t hit those books. Night night, everyone!’
‘Call me when you want picking up tomorrow!’ her dad yelled, and her mum gave a small nod as the two exchanged a look.
Her mum had been quiet all evening. Well, she was not going to let her mother’s bad mood spoil her Friday night. What was it with old people who didn’t know how to live? She was never, ever, ever going to be like that.
She gave a final small wave and walked slowly from the garden, through the overdone house – where a lack of taste had never stopped her grandparents from making endless home improvements – and across the gravelled driveway. From the corner of her eye, she saw the sway of net curtain from the side window of the house next door where Jake and his loser sister Daisy lived. Daisy was a proper weirdo. Domino had watched her earlier in the evening, waiting their table and gazing at them as if they were superstars. It wouldn’t surprise her if right now she was ogling them through the window. She shivered. The thought made her cringe. Poor Jake. Imagine being saddled with a sibling like that. She might think Cassian was a boring prick, but at least he was popular.
The little red car parked on the corner opposite flashed its lights. Her ride had arrived. The passenger door opened and she climbed in. Ruby was in the back seat and their friend Essie was driving. Closing the door, she buckled up.
‘For fuck’s sake, someone give me a cigarette before I die!’ She put her fingers in her hair. ‘I’ve just had the worst fucking evening of my entire life! Soooo boring. At one point I actually considered stabbing myself in the face with a fucking cheese knife! God, I hate my family! How can one group of people be so dull! Urgh!’
‘You’re such a drama queen.’ Ruby laughed and handed her a lit, half-smoked cigarette which Domino drew on like it was fresh air.
‘You don’t have to live with them,’ she responded.
‘Yeah, it must be hell being driven around by your hot dad in his flash car, worrying that the hot tub might not be the right temperature and which pair of Choos to wear out.’
‘Shut the fuck up, Ruby, it’s nothing like that!’ she fired, knowing that her parents rowed a lot about money and guessing that they might be in trouble once more. The thought of having to up sticks and move out yet again was more than she could handle. Not that she wanted to elaborate for her friends or indeed let such thoughts ruin her Friday night. Speaking with the cigarette resting on her bottom lip, she removed her jacket and threw it on to the back seat before unbuttoning two buttons on her blouse to ensure the lacy cups of her push-up bra were visible. ‘God, I need a drink. Where are we thinking? Shiskas or The Race Club?’
‘Both!’ Essie yelled and Ruby drummed the back of her seat while she stamped her feet.
The stereo jumped into life and Domino felt the rise in her gut of good, excited energy, as her chest pulsed with the beat. As the car pulled around the corner, past the four oaks – one of which was apparently under threat, not that she gave a shit about some old tree – and out on to the main road, she turned to her friend on the backseat.
‘Did you just say my dad was hot?’ she screamed.
‘He is though!’ Ruby squealed, swigging from a half-bottle of vodka that she passed to Domino. ‘Face it, you have a hot dad!’
