CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE.
It was a couple of days later that Desiree got a surprise call from Lydia, asking her to meet at Greens.
Desiree had spoken to Penny, who had been desperately sorry she hadn’t been available when Desiree needed her. But she hadn’t been able to pick up the phone and call Lydia.
She was still upset by Lydia’s harsh words, no matter how much they had been overshadowed by current events. They were cruel and unjust. And there was still enough of the old, feisty Desiree there that, when she spoke to Jack about it, she insisted she would be happy with nothing less than a full blown apology.
All that fell to pieces, though, when she walked into the old haunt to be greeted by the sight of her two best friends hugging each other for all they were worth. A smile crept across her face. But she forced it away and, with one raised eyebrow and as much Desiree attitude as she could muster, she approached the pair, who were now trying to out-apologize each other.
“So, it looks like we’ve all made up then.” Desiree heard the familiar cynicism in her voice. To her surprise, Lydia jumped up to hug her tight.
Desiree returned the hug tightly. Little did Lydia realise just how much good it did to mend their fences.
“I didn’t think we could all stay apart for long. But you owe me a massive apology, Missy, before we can move forward.” She said it with a smile, over Lydia’s shoulder at Pen, who smiled back.
“Des, I can’t tell you how sorry I am,” began Lydia, but Desiree interrupted. “Okay. That’s massive enough. Apology accepted.”
They all laughed a little, and settled into the couch.
“Alrighty, Lyddie. Tell us what happened with you and Tad.” Desiree raised one eyebrow questioningly at Pen’s query. She must have missed something while she had been at Jack’s place.
“I don’t even really know where to start. Okay, so you know where all those flowers came from? Edward!”
Desiree tried to recall when Lydia had said anything about flowers. Nothing came to mind. She must have talked about it one of the times when Desiree switched off from listening to her friends. She searched around in her memory, thankfully remembering that Edward was the autistic man at Lydia’s work. He seemed to be kind of a social experiment, to see if someone with that degree of autism could be integrated into a functioning workplace. Lydia had told them the experiment was a success. Desiree wondered if she still thought so.
“No way,” breathed Pen. “How much did he spend?” Desiree reflected that there must have been more than one bunch, for Pen to ask a question like that.
“God knows. But he came around to my house to tell me that he loved me.” Lydia grimaced.
Desiree’s frown deepened. “That must have been all kinds of awkward.”
“It was a whole lot more than awkward. He got all possessive and crazy, and took the flowers and threw them on the ground, that sort of thing.”
Desiree’s eyebrows raised, concerned. But Penny asked the question before she could. “He didn’t hurt you?”
“No, I was fine. But when he left, he ran on to the road and a car hit him. He’s in hospital, and fairly banged up. I feel awful. Like it’s my fault or something.”
Desiree knew how she felt.
“It’s not your fault, Lyddie. He might have autism, but he’s self-aware enough to be responsible for himself. They wouldn’t let him into the workplace otherwise.”
“Maybe you’re right. But I still feel terrible.”
Penny hugged Lydia impulsively, making Desiree smile. Penny was a hugger.
“And what about Tad?”
Lydia sighed and rubbed a tired hand over her face. “Another screw up on my part. I keep telling you guys how bad I am at relationships. Why don’t you ever believe me?”
“What happened?”
“Well, you remember I told you I’d asked him to speak to his mother?”
“Yes,” Penny said, nodding. “Did he?”
“Well, no, he didn’t.”
Desiree cut in with a muttered, “Dickhead.”
“But,” Lydia continued, her amused glance reaching Desiree, “my Mum came round to my place and reckons I’ve gone about it the wrong way. Not that it matters, because I told Tad he could call me when he has spoken to his mother, but I still haven’t got a call.” Her voice hitched on the last word.
Desiree shook her head in bewilderment.
“So you pissed Tad off altogether because he hadn’t done what you said he needed to do?”
“Yes.”
“And your mother thinks you should have done something different?” Desiree’s tone was a little scathing.
“Yes.”
“Was your mum right?”
“I don’t know.” Lydia pulled her phone out of her bag and stared at it. “I’ve been waiting and waiting to hear from him, and he hasn’t called. So perhaps mum is right. It’s looking more and more likely that I’ve lost him.”
Lydia’s voice wavered and broke, and both Desiree and Penny cuddled up either side of her.
“We’ll get through it,” encouraged Pen. “Is it one hundred percent truly over, or do you think there is a possibility you could get him back?”
“I don’t know, Pen. I wish I could, but I don’t even know where to start.”
“Why don’t you start by calling him and saying ‘Hey, Tad, I’ve been a douche’,” suggested Desiree scathingly. “At least you’d have common ground to start with.”
“Not helping, Des,” Penny scowled and through her tears, Lydia smiled.
“What about you guys? What have you been doing Des?”
“Oh.” Desiree didn’t really know where to start. “Well, I’ve been staying at Jack’s the past few nights.”
“Really?” Pen’s voice was a squeal of excitement until Desiree looked at her balefully. “Oh, that’s right.”
“What?” Lydia looked from one to the other of them expectantly.
“I had a student commit suicide last week, and I didn’t take it very well. Jack’s been looking after me.”
“Des, that’s awful.” Lydia took her hand. “Is there anything we can do?”
“Well, there might have been a few days ago.” Desiree’s teasing tone took the sting out of the words. “But no, Jack’s been amazing.”
“Have you slept with him?”
“Pen!” Lydia seemed shocked at the question, but Penny was unrepentant. “What? She’s been staying there. They’re both grown ups. These things happen you know.”
Desiree smiled. “No, we’ve been in the same bed, but Jack’s been the perfect gentleman.”
Before Desiree could continue that they had slept together, just not since she had been staying at Jack’s place, Penny said, “Well, that’s disappointing.”
“Pen!” Lydia seemed shocked at Penny’s words.
“Well, it is. And really, Lyddie, did you ever think you’d hear of a time when Desiree was in bed with a guy and wasn’t sleeping with him?”
“Hey.” Desiree protested, but Lydia nodded her agreement with Penny.
“You’re right. It’s strange.”
“Stop it, you guys. It’s not strange at all.”
“You gotta admit, Des, it’s strange.”
Desiree thought for a moment. It actually was strange. She smiled just a little as her friends kept talking. Who exactly was this new person she was turning into?