Saturday 3rd November
Tom
I can’t believe I’m having to come along with Alice, Brooke, and Evelyn to see Amber. It’s a shit show about to happen. How they think they’ll be able to reason with Amber, I don’t know. The girl is unreasonable at the best of times. How she’s going to react with this trio in her face I have no idea.
The only thing I like about Amber is that she’s a good mum to Esme, and it shows with how adorable and polite that little girl is. She’s also never been a dick about Jack seeing her regularly. She’s only being awkward now about Erica. Considering Esme is the most important thing in the world to her, I kind of get she’d be protective of who she spends time with.
But they’ve been together six months now. She needs to realise this is a permanent thing. With the way Jack talks about Erica, he sees himself marrying her and having more kids. Little half-brother and sisters for Esme.
I didn’t think he’d ever settle down again after the bullshit he went through with Amber, but then we didn’t expect him to bump into his first love on holiday in Luna Island.
It’s weird being in such close proximity to Brooke who I’ve shagged, and Alice who I want to shag. Not that I do anymore. Nothing is more of a boner killer than being rejected. I definitely won’t be putting myself out there again.
‘We’re here!’ Evelyn sings as we pull into Amber’s road.
She parks up and turns around to talk to everyone. Alice is next to me. I could feel her body heat pressing against me the whole way. Fucking torture.
‘So, are we ready?’
‘Ready,’ Alice and Brooke nod.
‘Let it be on record that I still think this is a bad idea,’ I state, my muscles tense at the idea of this shit show.
Brooke rolls her eyes. ‘Jesus, way to be a buzz kill,’ she snaps. ‘Charlie’s Angels are about to sort some shit out.’
Charlie’s angels? Charlie would love that shit.
I cross my arms over my chest. ‘Or just create some more, but whatever.’
I open the door, take Pickles from Alice’s lap and walk towards a grassy patch. She wees like she’s been holding it in the whole time. Poor thing.
The girls get out of the car after me. As I watch from afar, I can’t help but notice how they move like a unit, totally in sync with each other. Plus, those bitches are hot. Sometimes I forget, what with us all being together all the time. Sometimes it takes looking from afar to see them with fresh eyes again.
Alice tucks a strand of red hair behind her ear as they wait on Amber’s doorstep. Something I’ve noticed she always does when she’s nervous. I rush back over to them, so they don’t get the door slammed in their face.
I push through them so I’m at the front. Amber answers the door, smiling as she sees me and Pickles, but frowning when she takes in the others.
‘What’s going on?’ she asks, her defences up quickly.
‘We just want to talk to you,’ Evelyn explains with a friendly smile. It’s the friendliest smile I’ve ever seen come from her. Normally she’s shooting daggers at me.
‘Yeah, make you see sense,’ Brooke says with a bitchy laugh. Well, she’s not helping.
‘We, erm,’ I interrupt, ‘wanted Esme to meet Pickles.’ I present the cute puppy. ‘That and have a cup of tea and a chat.’
She looks round at them warily. ‘Okay, you can come in. But she can’t.’ She points at Brooke.
Brooke rolls her eyes, folding her arms over her chest, and in doing so pushes her breasts up to her chin. ‘Fine, whatever. I’ll walk to Nicholas’ house. Call me after.’
The rest of us shuffle in, displaying polite smiles as she asks us how we want our tea. We go into the sitting room where Esme is playing with Barbie dolls. Her little eyes light up when she sees me.
‘Uncle Tom!’ she shouts, jumping up and running towards me.
That never gets old. I feel my heart explode. I crouch down to her, holding tightly onto a struggling Pickles. She obviously wants to jump all over Esme.
‘Hey, baby girl.’
‘And you brought your puppy!’ she claps, jumping up and down. ‘Daddy’s been telling me about Pickles. She’s so cute!’
‘You okay if I let her down, babe?’
‘Yes!’ she squeals, clapping her hands together in glee.
I place her carefully down onto the carpet. ‘Calmly, Pickles,’ I warn. Like she’d listen even if she could understand me.
Pickles almost knocks her over, showering her in excitable kisses. Esme chuckles, only encouraging her.
The girls are behind me. ‘Oh, and these are Erica’s friends Alice and Evelyn.’
‘They’re pretty,’ she smiles, playing with the edge of her dress. Something she always does when she meets new people.
Amber comes in with teas for everyone. So far so civilised.
‘So,’ Amber says when we’re all settled. ‘What did you come to say?’
Luckily, Esme’s too preoccupied playing with Pickles to zone in on what we’re saying.
Evelyn clears her throat. ‘We’re just here to tell you how amazing our friend Erica is and beg you to change your mind about letting Esme spend more time with her.’
Amber rolls her eyes. ‘And this is your business because...’
‘Because,’ Alice joins in, ‘she’s our friend and Jack is her future. She wants Esme to be a part of that.’
‘And what about me, huh?’ Amber barks, her stare hard. ‘I’m just supposed to roll over and let her take my daughter away from me?’
‘That’s not what she’s trying to do,’ Evelyn argues, her back straightening as if ready for a fight. ‘Erica is one of the nicest people we know.’
‘Yeah,’ Alice nods. ‘She knows she’d never take your place. And it’s not like they’re fighting for custody. They just want to be able to bring her down to Brighton occasionally. Let her enjoy the seaside.’
‘So, she starts bugging me about moving there?’ she snorts. ‘I’m not stupid. I know their eventual plan. You’ve already got Jack and Tom living there. I won’t be moving Esme.’
‘That’s not what they’re asking,’ I interject. Fucking women read too much into shit. ‘They just want Erica to be involved in her life. I think you need to consider it. The way Jack’s talking he’s going to be marrying Erica eventually.’
I know from her reaction that it hurts to hear that. At one point she would have thought that she was getting the happy ever after with Jack. But she has to remember that they were a nightmare together. She was so jealous and possessive whenever he left the house.
We all wait for her to respond. Finally, she speaks.
‘I’ll think about it.’
‘That’s it?’ Evelyn laughs. ‘We travelled hours to come see you, and all we get is you’ll think about it?’
Alice shoots her a dirty look. ‘Evelyn!’ She turns back to Amber. ‘Sorry, she’s just hungry. She gets really bitchy when she’s hungry. Thanks for hearing us out.’
Amber nods but doesn’t offer Evelyn a biscuit. I’m proud to see Alice has remained level-headed throughout the visit. The same can’t be said for the other two.
‘Right, Esme, we’re going now, baby,’ I announce with a smile. She jumps onto my lap for a cuddle. Having her little arms around me is the sweetest feeling in the world. I often wonder whether I’ll ever have a child of my own. The thought of having a psycho mother does put me off though.
I squeeze her tightly, grab Pickles, and follow the girls out. Amber stops me before I make it into the hallway with the others.
‘The redhead,’ she smiles. ‘Are you together?’
I feel my eyes bug out of my head. ‘Huh? No!’
She laughs condescendingly. ‘Okay, Tom. Whatever you say.’
Damn, how can that bitch read me? Is it that obvious? Am I putting out desperate vibes or something?
We leave and make our way over to the car.
‘I should drop by my parents’ while I’m here,’ I announce, needing space from Alice. I need to get my head straight. Not that I bloody want to visit the ‘rents. My dad is sure to give me a lecture.
‘Well, I’m starving,’ Evelyn says. I snort a laugh. She turns to glare at me. ‘I’m heading straight for a pub lunch. Alice, you coming?’
She turns to look at me, a strange expression on her face. ‘Actually, I’d quite like to meet the parents that created Tom ‘Manwhore’ Maddens.’
I feel my jaw hang open. She wants to meet my folks? That’s kind of weird, but I nod instead, wondering what her angle is. Probably wants to slag me off to them.
Evelyn drops us off outside my house, apparently looking forward to face timing Fabio, or whatever her Luna Island boyfriend is called.
‘You ready for this?’ I ask Alice, taking a deep breath. ‘My Dad can be...’
‘What?’ she asks with a frown.
I sigh and roll my eyes. ‘He just thinks I’m not living up to my full potential.’
‘Something we have in common then,’ she snorts.
Great. They’ll probably get on like a house on fire. Gang up on me.
I take out my key and let myself in. ‘Mum, Dad,’ I call. ‘I’m back.’
‘In here, love,’ Mum shouts from the sitting room.
It’s so nice to hear her voice again. I’ve been a bit of a shit and been dodging her calls, preferring to text her. The woman can talk for England and I’d rather not get stuck on the phone with her. But now, hearing her voice has me realising how much I’ve missed her.
We walk in to find her on a chair vacuuming above the curtain rail. Jesus, the woman’s a liability.
‘Hi, love,’ she says, her eyes lighting up when she sees me. ‘How’s my little prince?’
Alice snorts behind me. ‘Oh, and who is this lovely lady?’
I rush over to help her get down. ‘This is Alice, Mum. My roommate.’
Her face brightens, and she stares at me in surprise. I suppose I never told her my new roommate was a bird.
‘Well, it’s lovely to meet your acquaintance,’ she says, shaking her hand. God, I hate how she pretends she’s posh when she meets new people. It’s so embarrassing.
‘Nice to meet you too,’ Alice says, her eyes glinting at me with amusement.
Damn, I’m gonna hear about this later.
‘And this must be Pickles!’ She scoops down and takes Pickles from Alice. ‘Oh, aren’t you a dote!’
Pickles licks her face affectionately. That dog is such an attention whore.
‘I had no idea you were coming home, or I’d have got some food in.’
Mama bear likes to keep me well fed. ‘It’s just a passing visit, Mum. We’re headed back soon.’
Her face falls. ‘Oh, I miss you so much, love. I’ve got that empty nest syndrome I think.’
I give her a quick cuddle. ‘You know you can come down and visit me too, right? You’d love a weekend by the sea.’ Oh shit. I probably should have checked with Alice first. ‘I mean, if that’s okay with you?’ I add, with an apologetic grimace.
Alice smiles genuinely. ‘Of course. We’d love to have you.’
The door bangs. Shit, Dad’s home. The last time I saw him I was yelling that it’d be a while before I stepped back into this shit hole. Damn rebellious streak.
‘Tom,’ he says when he spots us, his eyes widening before he quickly pulls himself together. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘Good to see you too, Dad,’ I say sarcastically.
‘Of course, it is. Just surprised is all.’ He looks at Alice. ‘And who’s your lady friend?’ He looks her up and down disapprovingly, as he always would my women.
‘This is Alice, my roommate.’
His face softens immediately. ‘Ah, Alice. So lovely to meet you.’ He shakes her hand. ‘Thanks so much for taking our boy in on such short notice. Goodness knows he’s not the most organised. If it weren’t for you, he’d probably still be sleeping on Jack’s sofa.’
‘Oh, it’s fine,’ Alice says. ‘He’s actually a great roommate. Very responsible.’
I stare back at her. She’s lying for me?
‘And this is Tom’s new puppy, Pickles,’ Mum says, presenting her like she’s a trophy.
Dad stares down at her horrified. ‘Tom, you got a dog? Why on earth would you think you’re responsible enough for a dog? You’re not even in stable accommodation yet.’
‘My flat is very stable,’ Alice says, as if hurt.
‘What I mean is that it’s not his flat. He only needs to annoy you enough and you’ll be kicking him out on his ear.’
‘Jeez, thanks, Dad.’
I look at my watch. We’ve been here less than seven minutes and I already need to leave.
‘Anyway, we really need to get going. It’s just a flying visit.’
Mum’s face falls. ‘Oh. Well, you know I’d love to see you more.’
I nod. ‘I know, Mum. I’m just busy with work and stuff.’
‘You should never be too busy to visit your mother,’ Dad says, as if baiting me for an argument.
I ball my hands into fists. ‘Yeah, well, maybe if you weren’t riding my balls every time I did, I’d stop by more often.’
‘Don’t use that kind of language around your mother,’ he snaps, his cheeks reddening.
I roll my eyes. ‘Whatever. Mum, I love you, but I’m out of here.’ I grab Pickles and hightail it out of there.
I keep walking until I’m at the green where me and the boys used to play when we were younger. I let Pickles down onto the lead. Alice’s hand appears on my shoulder. I turn and look down at her.
She smiles sadly. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘For what?’ I ask with a shrug, trying not to look bothered. I don’t want her to think I’m some pussy.
‘For your dad being on your case. I had no idea you weren’t close.’
I sigh, not wanting to talk about it, but knowing she won’t quit until I do. ‘We were. He just thinks I can do better. Hated how I treated the place like a hotel.’
She smiles cheekily. ‘I can imagine.’
I smile back, glad she’s lightening the mood. ‘But it seems even when I move out he’s still nit-picking at my life.’
Her eyes soften. ‘Don’t let him get you down. You’re doing great.’
I turn my body towards her fully. ‘Am I really, Alice? If I’m such a catch, how come you rejected me?’
Shit, where did that come from?
Her eyes widen. ‘I... I...’
It’s my dad getting in my head and fucking everything up. ‘Yeah, I’m a manwhore and you’re too good for me. Got it.’
She balks, physically stepping back. ‘Tom, that’s not it.’
I scoff a laugh. ‘Alright, Alice. Real convincing. Just forget it, okay? I’ll get the train home tomorrow.’
With that, I turn and head towards Charlie’s house. I need my boy right now. That and a bottle full of Jack Daniels.