Honey bee,I type out,I thought Friday was our anniversary party.
That was your anniversary gift. The party’s waiting here for you at home. Naked.
‘Ah, man.’ I slide my palm over my crotch. ‘Bad timing.’
‘Are you talkin’ to your dick?’Fuck. I raise my eyes to my brother, leaning against the doorframe, that ever present cocky expression plastered across his face. ‘I don’t even want to guess at the sick pathology behind that.’
‘And I don’t want to guess why you’re thinking about my dick. No, wait,’ I add, holding up my index finger. ‘I remember now. It’s because of your inadequacies. My commiserations to Fin.’
‘My dick works just fine and Fin has no complaints,’ Rory scoffs. ‘In fact, I think I’ll be singing news of just how well my dickdoeswork real soon.’
A lot has changed in my life this past year. The same goes for Rory and Fin. They’d eloped a few weeks ago and married on some tropical beach, and would have us believe the whole thing wasn’t planned, but rather a spur of the moment thing. Let’s just say I’ve had my suspicions regarding the speed at which things had moved, given Fin wore her engagement ring on a keychain for months.
Also, there’s something Bea’s not telling these last few days. Every time her best friend’s name has come up in conversation, she has this moony sort of grin.
As though sensing my thoughts of her, my phone buzzes with a text from Bea again.
Naked. So naked . . .
Life is so unfair.
Fuck, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but will naked still be on the table when I tell you I’ve booked a swanky place for dinner tonight?
Cancel it,comes her immediate reply.Your dinner is on the table now. And in case you missed it the first time, she’s naked.
‘Fuck!’ More frustration than word, I scrub my hand across my jaw, then through my hair.
‘You’ll be bald by the time you’re thirty if you keep pullin’ it like that.’
‘Come back to me when your kid’s a year old and we’ll talk about stress balding.’
‘You’re not allowed to tell anyone,’ he cautions, wagging his finger at me, channelling Meg, our granny.
‘My lips are sealed, dad.’
‘Now, what about tonight? Everything sorted? We good to go?’
I hook my dinner jacket from the back of my chair, sliding it on. ‘Yeah, Bea’s just putting some clothes on.’ Conflicted. So conflicted. ‘I’ll meet you there.’
As he nods and leaves the room, I turn my attention back to my phone.
You’re killing me here, honey bee, but I’ve had this reservation for months. The place is kind of a big deal and I wanted it to be a surprise.
I don’t suppose there’s any chance of you dressing for dinner and serving yourself as dessert when we get home?
The responding bubbles appear immediately, her answer flashing on screen a second later.
You’re serious?
Trust me,I type out. ‘I must be fuckin’ mad,’ I grumble to myself. ‘Probably not as mad as she’ll be, though.’And wear the gold dress.
You’re picking my clothes out now?
Her next text is an angry faced cat emoji.
‘Yep, really mad, though not too subtle, darlin’.’
I’ve ordered you a cab. You’ve got twenty minutes,I text next.
