Alice
The car ride down felt even longer than normal. I still have no idea why Tom insisted on getting in Jack’s car, when Molly was about to go in it. It’s like he’s avoiding me since last night. Did I read it all wrong? Did I maybe lean in and imagine he was into me at all? Maybe he was just being polite.
He’s supposed to be coming with me to my parents’ house tomorrow. That’s probably off now. Just what I bloody need. My parents completely unfiltered.
Oh well. I’ve asked for a large glass of rosé to loosen me up a bit. I don’t want to be terrified of being left alone with him. But apparently all they serve at this stupid school Christmas fair is mulled wine. I’ll have to work with that then.
‘Alright?’ I look up, following the voice, to find Tom holding out a mug of the stuff. Damn it.
‘Thanks,’ I nod, hurriedly taking it off him. I take a large gulp. It’s so hot it burns my tongue, but I try not to react. I don’t want to look like a raving idiot.
I keep my eyes on the floor, willing for him to go away. The others are around us, but I could really do with him just fucking off somewhere else. Instead I feel him sit down beside me on the bench. Ugh, I hate all this awkwardness.
I’m just about to say something to break the unbearable silence, when Esme comes running, throwing herself into Tom’s arms.
‘Uncle Tom!’ she shouts in glee.
He throws her easily into the air, catching her just as easy. ‘Hey, short stuff. You ready to find some Christmas chocolate?’
‘Yeah,’ she giggles while he tickles her. ‘I bet I’ll find more than you.’
He grins back at her. ‘Is that right?’
‘Yep,’ she nods, beaming back at him. ‘Daddy says you’re rubbish at finding things.’
‘Did he really?’ he laughs. ‘Come on then. Let’s go find that chocolate.’
I sigh as I watch them, along with the other guys, going along the stalls of festive chocolate and homemade presents. They’re all so goofy with her. Fighting over themselves to buy her things. It has her in hysterical giggles most of the time.
‘Aren’t they adorable?’ Molly asks, suddenly sitting down beside me.
I nod. ‘Mmm.’
‘I know you like him, you know?’
I huff out a breath. ‘God, I am so sick of being told what I feel. Do you know how frustrating that is?’
‘Sorry, but it’s true.’
‘Do you know what’s true, Molly?’ I snap. ‘The truth is you like Charlie.’ Her mouth drops open. ‘You really like him, and you don’t know what the fuck to do with that information.’
‘What... what are you talking about? What do you mean?’ Her nose starts turning red.
‘I mean that you’re letting the fact he has a penis stand in the way of your happiness.’
Her eyes dart from left to right. ‘I mean... I like him as a friend, but you know I’m gay.’
‘All I’m saying is that I see how you look at him when he’s making you laugh. You’ve had the same look on your face when you’ve looked into old girlfriends’ eyes.’
She shakes her head. ‘You’re wrong.’
‘Whatever. Unlike you, I don’t force my opinion on others. Do whatever you want, but just let me get on with my life.’
I feel terrible as soon as I storm away. I mean, yes, I’ve been thinking it a while, but that doesn’t give me the right to sound off to Molly. That girl has never hurt a fly.
I go into the women’s toilets for a breather, but really, it’s made for little girls, with tiny sinks and miniature toilets. I neck my mulled wine. I decide I’m going to go straight to the mulled wine stall once I’ve pulled myself together. Get another large mug. Fuck it, I might get two.
This is why I hate getting involved with men. They bring nothing but anxiety. I take a deep breath and try to focus my thoughts. Not let them wander into how awkward it’s going to be when we’re at home. I try to focus myself. What can I see? I can see the toilet roll holder. The small sink in the corner. What can I smell? Ugh, yucky disinfectant. Well at least it’s clean.
I count to ten. Then again but backwards. My heart rate has started to go back to semi normal. I can do this. Just one more mug of wine and I’ll be close to not caring. I can just sleep on the way back in the car.
I take one more deep breath before opening the door and bolting out—straight into a wall. At least that’s what it feels like. I look up to see Tom staring down at me. I place my hand on his chest to push myself off him, but the heat underneath my hand makes me pause.
I look back up at him into his gorgeous face. His strong jaw.
‘Are you okay?’ he asks, his voice low with a husk to it.
I blink up at him, in a daze. He’s just so goddamn pretty.
‘The guys said you looked upset. You okay?’
I exhale out a big breath.
‘Yeah. I just... I’m just tired, is all.’
He smiles weakly. ‘Come here.’
He wraps his arms around me and pulls me closely into his chest. I think about fighting it, but I wasn’t lying. I am tired. Tired of caring. About everything. Damn, I spiral fast.
I lean into him, place my head on his chest and close my eyes drinking him in. His smell of lavender and mint soothes my frayed nerves. He rubs my back in soothing circles. God, why can’t everything be this simple?
‘You worried about going home to see your parents tomorrow?’
I nod, still not moving from his cosy chest.
‘Don’t worry. I’ll be with you.’
Just knowing he still plans on coming with me has me feeling more relaxed.
‘If your parents are dicks, I’ll just punch them in the face and get us out of there.’
I can’t help but laugh. ‘You promise?’
‘Yep. I’ll even get us a Maccy D’s on the way home.’
* * *
Sunday 11th November
Tom
Man, I felt better after hugging Alice yesterday. It guts me to think of her upset, especially if it’s over me. I know the guys told me to stay away from her, but how can I? We live together for God’s sakes. That and I can’t seem to stay away from her. There’s just something about her I can’t leave alone.
To say I’m intrigued to meet her parents is an understatement. She’s so bloody nervous about today and I have no idea why. I mean, me and my old man are hardly best mates, but I don’t carry that sort of anxiety around with me. How bad can they really be?
She’s still willing to see them on her mum’s birthday, so they can’t have done anything awful like beat her. I guess I’ll just have to see. I am actually feeling edgy, which Alice keeps teasing me about. I enjoy her teasing me.
I’ve shaved, showered, and ironed a shirt especially for the occasion. They might be dicks, but I still want to make a good first impression.
‘You ready?’ Alice asks with a weak smile. She’s dressed in a mustard coloured top with a peter pan collar, a maroon cardigan, and a matching tartan full skirt. I still don’t get how someone can dress like a grandma and still turn me on so much.
‘Babe, you know we don’t even have to go, right?’
She smiles adorably. ‘What? After you got all dressed up.’
See what I mean about the teasing? She wants in my pants and she doesn’t even know it yet.
We drive the forty minutes to their house. Alice finally pulls up outside a large Victorian double fronted property. Wowzas. She didn’t mention that her parents are rich.
‘This is it,’ Alice says as she parks up. She looks up at it in horror.
‘So, you’re like, rich?’ I can’t help but ask.
She rolls her eyes. ‘Not exactly. My parents come from money. It doesn’t mean I have any.’
‘But still, you were brought up in this house? In this frigging castle?’ I can’t keep the shock out of my voice. Rockabilly Alice does not seem like the posh girl I imagined would grow up in a house like this.
She sighs. ‘Yeah. I lived here.’
I turn to face her properly. ‘Alice, you’re worrying me. What did your parents do to you? Am I going to find a cellar with chains or something?’
She frowns before bursting out laughing. ‘You’ve totally got the wrong end of the stick here. My parents aren’t monsters or anything like that. They’re just... different to me. You’ll see.’
She opens the car door and gets out. God, she drives me mad sometimes. I begrudgingly follow her to the large oak door. She squares her shoulders and knocks on the door.
A tall, blonde woman answers the door. She has her hair up in a bun showing off what must be a freshly botoxed face. She’s wearing a tweed dress with flat shoes. Who is this bird?
‘Alice,’ she nods with a tight smile.
She must be a maid or something to greet her so icily.
‘Mother,’ Alice says with an equally tight smile.
No fucking way! This is her mum? That’s how they greet each other? Weird.
‘This is my friend Tom I told you about.’
The woman turns as if noticing me for the first time. She looks me up and down shamelessly. I squirm under her scrutiny.
‘I don’t remember you telling me you were bringing anyone for dinner?’ she says while still looking at me inquisitively.
Alice rolls her eyes. ‘Yes, I did tell you.’
‘Well, we’ll see if we can get another place setting laid out.’ She turns and walks down the black and white tiled hallway.
Okay... so I’m starting to see why Alice was dreading this.
Alice turns to flash me a grimace before following her mum down the hallway. I plod along after her, already dreading my decision to come here.
I follow them into an old-fashioned living room. It’s like a room out of Antiques Roadshow. All mahogany furniture and red-striped wallpaper. I can’t believe someone as trendy and current as Alice comes from such an old-fashioned house. Growing up here must have killed her.
‘We have an extra visitor,’ her mum says to her dad, who appears from behind a mahogany bar in the corner holding two sherries. He also scans me over from head-to-toe, but then smiles, appearing friendly.
‘Nice to meet you, old chap,’ he says, giving a glass to her mum and then using his free hand to slap me on the back. ‘Are you and Alice knocking boots?’
‘Dad!’ Alice shrieks from behind me.
Her dad doesn’t look embarrassed at all. ‘No shame in it, Alice. We’d just be glad to have you finally off our hands.’ He throws his head back on a chuckle as if he’s hilarious.
‘I’m already off your hands,’ she says through gritted teeth. ‘I stand on my own two feet.’
‘That you do,’ her mum says with a snarl. ‘At your insistence.’
What’s up with that?
I have to change the subject. You can cut the atmosphere with a knife.
‘So... something smells nice,’ I say rocking awkwardly on my heels. ‘What time’s dinner?’
Her mum’s eyes narrow. ‘I’ll go ask Marie.’
I look at Alice with raised eyebrows. So, she does have a maid.
‘The cook,’ she says with an eye roll.
‘Bloody hell, your majesty,’ I whisper in her ear. ‘I didn’t realise I was living with royalty.’
She crosses her arms and starts absentmindedly scratching at her forearm. I take her hand to stop her. She looks down at it but not back up at me.
‘Dinner’s ready,’ Alice’s mum says poking her head through the door.