Almost Official

by Ruby Reade

  I delete the ones from Jamie and Drew, then reply to Kevin's text.

  'Missed you to babes xxx'

  I smile and put my phone under my pillow. No sooner than I have moved my hand away, it buzzes and vibrates under my head.

  'So we are an official couple then?'

  'Yes we are! Xx'

  My stomach does somersaults again.

  ***

  'Wake up sleeping beauty.' Kate shouts in my ear before diving on top of me. I manage a scowl before I pull the cover over my head to try to escape.

  'It's the bloody afternoon. Get up.' She orders me.

  'Don't care.'

  She yanks the cover completely off the bed, leaving me rolling about trying to cover my face in response to the brightness.

  'Just because you are as white as a milky bar doesn't mean that you are a vampire and get to sleep during the day.'

  'I have informed you many a time before that I have a porcelain complexion.' I attempt to convince her.

  'Whatever, I have news so sit up and wake up.' She orders and with a rough yank of my arm I am now upright.

  'Me too. Me and Kevin are official.' I say with a huge grin.

  'About bloody time. We were all waiting for that to happen. Just don't hurt each other this time.'

  'I promise Mum.' I raise an eyebrow and fall back onto my pillow. 'So Jen and Pete have gossip as well, I went into Jen's room to tell her about Kev, and I grabbed Pete's knee instead of Jen's.'

  'Nooooooo.'

  'Yeah. Pete. Can you believe it? I didn’t think it would last at all.'

  'Well, if it was before he went to Oz then no, but now he has turned into a bit of a sex god, then yes. Yes I can.'

  'Well, I'm out, what have you got that might to top that?' I ask.

  'Luke proposed last night.' She tells me quietly, but the big grin gives away her true feelings.

  'WHAT?' I can't help but shout as she proudly flashes her ring. 'What happened to Miss I'm playing hard to get then?' I lunge at her grabbing her hand to get a proper look.

  'Let's just say it went out of the window when he stopped at the beach on the way home and turned our song on. To be fair, I was still being moody at first.' She tries to justify herself.

  'You? Moody? As if.' I say and get a pillow chucked at me for my comment.

  'Anyway, we talked. Really talked. I told him about what I had been up to since he left, he described his travels and we got everything out in the open about what went on before he left. He says he has changed.' She looks less confident as she says the last part.

  'Do you believe him?' I ask the all important question.

  'You know I think I do which surprises me the most. It's kind of like we have come full circle, done our own little thing and now we are finally ready to commit.' She flashes her ring at me again, which she has taken to doing naturally.

  'Hold that thought, we need to head downstairs and feed the hunger gremlin which is living in my stomach.' I make the effort to stand up and get a look for it.

  'Have you noticed that you only have half of yesterday's outfit on?' Kate asks, laughing at me.

  'Yeah I couldn't be arsed to be honest. The world was spinning under my feet and it took to long.' I say with a shrug.

  Walking past Jenny's bedroom, I literally need to hold my mouth shut to stop myself from shouting something childish through the closed door.

  Collapsing down onto the wooden chair, I rest my head on the kitchen table.

  'I am dying Mum. Help me.' I beg.

  'Self-inflicted. I tell you girls not to drink so much all the time, it's not my fault you choose not to listen. Hello Kate.' She waves to Kate turning her back on me.

  'Hi Mrs Holmes.' Kate replies.

  'I didn't,' I wail trying to gain some sympathy. 'It’s just beer seems to have this hideous effect on me.'

  'Oh my god.' My Mum stops wiping her hands on a tea towel and grabs Kate's arm. 'What is this?' She demands whilst waving Kate's arm about.

  'Luke proposed.' Kate gushes and swoons.

  'Luke? As in Luke Marshall?'

  'He asked me last night.' She tells my Mum nodding.

  'Congratulations Katie.' She says, pulling my friend in for a squeeze. 'This calls for a celebratory drink.

  'Oooooh nonononono.' Kate and I say simultaneously.

  'Alright, alright, how about some tea then? Not too heavy for you both?' Mum asks with a grin.

  'Perfect.' I tell her. Kate nods still beaming.

  We all pause at the sound of footsteps making their way down the stairs. There is complete silence while we all strain to hear the muffled conversation. I huff sitting back in my chair, all the straining is giving me a headache and I can't hear a bloody word anyway.

  The front door slams, followed by Jenny breezing in and competing in a smile-a-thon with Kate.

  'So missy...' I say.

  'So.'

  'So, you had a good night then?' I ask unnecessarily.

  'And a good morning as well by the look of the look of things.' Kate adds helpfully causing us to high five and collapse into giggles. We get an eye roll for our efforts.

  'I hear you tried to touch my man up last night.' Jenny says.

  'Your man?' Mum enquires from the sink without turning around.

  'I didn't try, I full blown grabbed his thigh. A bit of warning might have been nice.'

  'Ah don't worry about it, Pete said you was plastered. He found the whole thing hysterical.' She shrugs and grabs an apple off the table.

  'Pete said, Pete said.' I mimic her and receive another eye roll.

  Jen steals Mum's tea from the side and sits at the table with us. Mum doesn’t even notice.

  'He is just so lovely he took me for dinner and WHAT IS THAT?' She explodes her eyes sparkling almost as much as Kate's ring.

  'I'm getting married.' Kate gushes the obvious.

  'Yes but to who?' Jenny asks frowning, the brain monkeys are on vacation.

  'Luke.'

  'Really?' Jenny she asks, looking at me for confirmation instead of Kate.

  'Really.' I confirm.

  'There is a reason behind my little visit today,' Kate says turning to face me with another face splitting grin.

  'Sounds worrying.' I say just about able to raise my eyebrows at her.

  'That depends on how you look at it, I want, you, to be, my, BRIDESMAID.' She shouts the last word jumping up to raise her arms in a ta-da.

  'Me?' I croak.

  ‘Yes you. I’m going to ask Laura as well.’ She claps at me. 'Luke is asking Kevin to be his best man so it all works out perfectly now you two are back together again, and officially this time.' She finishes by dong a sort of dance.

  'You're back with that twat?' Jen asks scowling at me.

  'We sorted things out last night and yes I am back with that twat.' I say grinning, I think this happy chappy mood is contagious.

  'Oh lovely, I get to sit there and go through all the I love him, I hate him, he is amazing, he is a pig, song and dance that always happens between you two. I thought we had moved past all this.' She collapses her head onto her arms in defeat. She sits back up to pick her cup up before slamming it back down to prove a point.

  'I love you too baby girl.'

  'Crap balls.' Is all she says.

  'So, will you?' Kate grabs my arm to focus my attention on the important matters, her.

  'Yeah. Yeah, why not? Only if I get to pick my dress though.' Mine and Kate's taste in clothing couldn't be further apart. If I went along with her choice, I would be marching down the aisle in a shift dress that on her looks chic and flatters her frame, whereas if I wore it, I could easily be mistaken for a giant rectangle on legs. Women with boobs, hips or any type of curvature should avoid them at all costs.

  'You want to pick the dress?' She is looking a bit dubious now.

  'Don't worry, we'll go together, and I need something that is fitted and most certainly not peach.'

  'Peach is bloody awful, I can't even belie
ve you said that to me. I was thinking green.'

  'A bit of fake tan and green will be fine.' I assure her.

  'Excellent, well, I'll leave you girlies to it. Maybe we could meet up in the week to talk about themes and ideas?'

  'Sure, just let me know.' I say leaning in for a hug.

  'Will do, see you later.'

  'Right,' I say turning to Jenny, 'I have to go and make myself look halfway decent to see Kev.' She rolls her eyes but still grins at me.

  In one night, everything has changed and now the only odd one out is Laura, perhaps I can keep trying to set her up with Drew?

  Chapter 21

  Kevin

  'Mate, hey mate.' Drew bangs on the door as if he is trying to break in.

  'What.' I shout at him.

  'Amy is outside again.' He tells me and I can feel him laughing at me through the door.

  'Tell her I am not in and to piss off.' I roll over and try to get comfortable again.

  'But she has seen your car outside and knows you are in. Plus, she is really scary.' He doesn't sound like he is laughing anymore.

  'Don't be such a pussy.' I shout from underneath my pillow.

  'Me? You are the one who won't face your girlfriend.' He points out and I suppose I have to agree with him, she can be scary.

  'Drew, you damn well know why I can't go outside and tell her.' I say considering hiding in the wardrobe.

  'Fuck sake. Seriously speak to your Dad, I can't be dealing with hiding from lunatic birds that have nothing to do with me in my own home.' He shouts and I can hear him stamping down the stairs again.

  Speak to my Dad? Chance would be a fine thing. He disappeared a couple of days ago to give an estimate for a job up north. He has ignored all my calls and messages since he went. Job estimates my arse. Now I am left here dealing with this shit because he is off getting his leg over and her Dad will not pay any money unless I keep dating his freak of a daughter.

  My phone stops my mental rant and sends it off another tangent when a message from Lucy pops up.

  'Morning babes looking forward 2 seeing you later xxxx love you xxx'

  If Lucy even gets a whiff of the name Amy, then we are definitely back off before we even had a chance. I sneak a peek outside where Amy is still stalking the house like a hungry predator. I am in the shit so deep that a digger let alone a shovel couldn't get me out.

  Pulling the closest pair of jeans on after a quick sniff test, I sneak down the stairs ducking under the window in an army crawl. Creeping over to the kitchen window, I take a peak to see if Amy is persisting with her stake out.

  I dive back down to the floor. She is standing there as bold as anything leaning on Drew's car so he can't get inside. I take another look and see him throwing his arms about and trying to convince her to move out of his way.

  Sweating now, I slide back to the floor. I almost want to just march out there and tell her to leave because I am busy. Almost. The only thing stopping me is the fact I know she won't take no for an answer.

  Checking again, I am presented with the sight of the traitor nodding and pointing towards the house. I will kill him.

  Then completing his act of treachery, drops his key into her hand and jumps happily into his car and makes a rapid escape, something I need to work on right now.

  As fast as I can I crawl my arse straight out the back door and plaster myself to the wall. Listening because it's the only thing I can do, I hear the front door slam, presumably behind her. If she finds me hiding out here now, then I am going to look like a complete prat.

  'Kevin? Kev. Kev?' I can hear her muffled voice through the window along with doors opening and closing. It goes quiet and I instinctively know that she has gone upstairs. I feel sick as a vision of my phone sitting waiting for her on my bed. Mobiles are called that for a bloody reason. I hit my head several times trying to bring a brain cell back to life.

  Less than thirty seconds later, I almost pass out with relief when I see her feet coming back down the stairs. I duck down one last time while she exits my home.

  Darting back inside, I jump around partly to warm up and partly pleased with myself for outwitting a bimbo.

  I bet she has gone straight to my office now. Bloody women.

  ***

  I walk into Tiffanies and my ears are tortured.

  'Come on and rescue me, take me in your ar-RGHHHH!' Lucy finishes her beautiful number with a scream as I grab her around the waist.

  'Oh my life. You actually scared my heart into stopping.' She tells me whilst hitting me over the head.

  'Was that you singing?' I ask politely and flash a smug grin.

  'No, no of course not, and wipe that bloody look off your face.' She warns turning a nice shade of pink.

  'Liar.' I say and hold the flowers up for her to notice.

  'I am not.' She refuses to give in even though her face is lighting up more and more by the second.

  'Oh, I thought I heard something about rescue me?' I raise an eyebrow and keep the smile on my face.

  'Seeing as you have brought these lovely flowers, I will ignore everything else, and ask what you are after instead.' She says with a grin and takes the bouquet from me.

  'I haven't done a thing wrong, I just thought I might bribe you into giving me some lovely breakfast to take to work with me.' I wiggle my eyebrows this time and get a roll of her eye in answer. 'So, can I have some breakfast pl-ease?'

  'Yeah, yeah, seeing as you did buy me these.' She concedes with a wink.

  I try to smile but Amy is nagging at the back of my mind like a plague I can't treat. If Lucy ever finds out about her then I would never get another chance. Suddenly breakfast doesn't seem as important.

  If my Dad doesn't answer his phone or get in contact soon then I am just going to drive over to Knives and Forks and tell Amy's Dad exactly where he can shove his money. ‘Kev? Hello there stranger. You were a million miles away just then.' Lucy says handing a bag over to me.

  'Sorry, just thinking about something my Dad said before he left, anyway I have a load on today, so I best get going.' I lean over the counter to give her a kiss. 'Call you later.' I call as I get to the door. With a wave goodbye, I am out of the door and on a mission. This is getting sorted today one way or another and then I can get on with my life.

  ***

  As expected, Amy's black Golf is parked outside my office. The cheeky bitch has had the audacity to take my reservation as well. I slam my car into my Dad's spot.

  When I walk through my office door, there she is sitting in my chair behind the desk.

  'Hello sexy, you have been ignoring me you naughty boy.'

  'I haven't been ignore...'

  'Daddy won't be happy.' She cuts me off, leaning forward pouting at me and pushing her fake cleavage together.

  'And what exactly does your Dad have to do with what goes on between you and me?' I ask what should be an obvious question. Running my hands through my hair I start to pace up and down the office instead of physically dragging her from my chair.

  'Oh nothing, I just hope you haven't found a new toy to amuse yourself with.' She warns not so subtly making my throat close and making swallowing a painful task.

  'I haven't got a cue what you are talking about.' I manage to answer.

  'I was thinking about dying my hair black. I know you prefer your women to have dark hair.' She tells me whilst inspecting her perfect nails.

  'You have been misled then. Your hair suits you.' I move over to the window and stare out of it rather than look at her.

  'Well, it's a fact you used to knock about with that waitress from Tiffanies. I do hope she hasn't been bothering you again, otherwise I will have to pop in and have a little word with her, you know, to set her straight about us.' Us? Oh god I can see how well that girly chat would go down. I can kind of see why Drew finds her so scary now.

  'Amy, I do not have any toys as you put it, so calm down a second.' I say resting my hands on her shoulders.

  'Okay bab
y.' She looks up and smirks at me. A fleeting temptation to bring my hands up and strangle her passes me by.

  'Listen, I have a lot to do right now, one of them being your casino refurb, so I will call you later and we can sort something out alright?' I ask as back off to my office door and hold it open for her.

  Frowning she picks up her bag following my footsteps. 'You just going to throw me out then?' She purrs in my ear.

  'I am not throwing you anywhere daring, but I want to complete the job for you and your Dad. I don't want to upset him.' I say mirroring her excuse of her Dad's happiness.

  I am not sure how it happened, but it seems the more of my time I spend chasing Lucy, the more Amy hounds me.

  Taking a deep breath, I move away from the closed door and drop into my seat. This whole bribery situation is getting way out of hand.

  I dial my Dad again. While it is ringing, I clock a picture of Amy smiling at me on my desk that definitely wasn't there before.

  'PISS OFF!' I shout at her and chuck the picture into the bin under my desk. Then I realise my Dad's messaging service has just recorded that!

  'Oh, sorry Dad, not you. Call me though. It is really, really urgent, cheers.' Seriously, can my day get any worse or what?

  Chapter 22

  Lucy

  There are definitely days when I practically kneel on the floor thanking God I work here. Days like today when my brain needs a chance to go on a wander at the slightest whim, a little vacation, until some random comes in to pester me.

  I look at the flowers Kevin sent me, instantly dashing off into another holiday, imagining our future together. Things will be different this time. I'll make him a special dinner followed by a massage and a good session for working so hard.

  The door jangles waking me up. I plant my here to help smile on and feel it slide straight back off again. This is just what I do not need on a Monday morning.

  'Oh, it's you.' Amy sneers, clearly, she feels the same way. The two clones, giggling away behind her, are one chortle away from me lobbing the not so fine china at them.

  'Yes, it is.' I agree with her doing a Peter Pan pose, both hands on hips and head tilted up. She would play a great Hook.