Sidequest for Love

by L.H. Cosway

  For years I’d toyed with the idea of setting up my own event planning business. Helping to organise events was my favourite part of my current job as an assistant, and I was good at it, too. Perhaps coming clean to Callum was the push I needed to step out of my comfort zone and finally take a chance at that little dream.

  “And you what?” Callum prodded, still studying me closely.

  I blew out a long breath, my courage mostly fleeing when I replied, “And there is actually a girl back home, but it’s complicated.”

  “How so?”

  I swallowed tightly, impulsively choosing to tell him the truth while leaving out the incriminating details. “We met online, but she has no idea what I look like.”

  “So what? You’re hardly ugly. It’s not like she’s going to be horrified when she meets you.”

  I stared at my beer. “When I described myself to her, I wasn’t exactly honest.”

  “What kind of person did you describe?”

  Christ, why was I even telling him this? It was like taking a step dangerously close to the edge of a cliff. “Someone a little like you.”

  “Ah,” Callum said, sitting back on his stool. “I see.”

  “Do you?”

  He nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face as he fiddled with a cardboard coaster. “When Leanne and I got together, I mean, when we got together properly, that must’ve fucked your head up a little, right?”

  “Well, I wouldn’t exactly say that, but—”

  “But it obviously did a number on your confidence. You probably thought to yourself, if only I were more like him, maybe she would’ve picked me instead.”

  “I don’t think I want to be having this conversation,” I said, a tension headache forming at my temples.

  Callum pointed the coaster at me. “Well, it’s a conversation we need to have. Leanne and me ending up together has nothing to do with you, Neil. It doesn’t reflect on your worth or what a great bloke you are. We just always had that spark, that connection where we couldn’t leave each other alone. The rest of the world might as well not exist.”

  “Sounds really nice.”

  “It is nice. It’s more than nice, but what I’m saying is, you could’ve been the most perfect man in the world, and she still would’ve had her eyes fixed on me. As I said, we had the spark. And one day, you’re going to meet someone. Maybe it won’t be completely clear to you at first, but there’ll be something about her, something that will refuse to let you leave her alone. Like, when I first met Leanne, she rubbed me up the wrong way entirely. We didn’t get along at all. But then, over time, I realised why she annoyed me so much. It was because she’d burrowed her way under my skin.”

  What he said sparked a memory of me sitting at the table in the sushi restaurant across from Afric. I’d been so incredibly annoyed by her, yet she had my undivided attention all the same. I dismissed the thought. Afric and I were nothing like Callum and Leanne. They were soulmates; while we were … Well, I wasn’t entirely sure what we were, but I certainly didn’t think we were soulmates.

  “The only way to know if this internet girl is the one for you is to meet her in person. If she doesn’t like the real you, then she’s not worth another second of your time.”

  “Yeah, you’re right,” I said, even though I just couldn’t imagine actually meeting Annabelle. And though I’d told Callum about her, she wasn’t the woman who had thrown all my current thoughts and feelings into disarray.

  “You sure you don’t want me to set you up with someone here?” Callum asked. “Give your hand a night off. The poor bastard must be run ragged.”

  At this, I laughed. “He’s definitely run ragged, but no, I don’t think a one-night stand will help in what’s troubling me.”

  Callum patted me on the shoulder. “Let’s finish these pints and get our arses back to the hotel then because I’m absolutely knackered.”

  10.

  Afric

  “Tell me again why we’re going to a book club when we could be out doing, oh, say absolutely anything else?” Billy asked as we rode the bus to the library where Neil’s sister worked.

  “Because I promised Neil we’d go to fill out the numbers. His sister organised the book club, and she’s worried no one’s going to turn up.”

  “Oh, even better. So, we could be the only two people there, and I haven’t even read the book.”

  “I gave you a rundown of the story, didn’t I?”

  Billy might not have read the book, but I had. Every couple of months, I did a weeklong gaming detox where I spent zero time online and only read paperback novels. I always knew when I needed to take a break from the internet because there’d be this pit of anxiety in my belly and my thoughts would constantly race. It was a clear sign I needed a hiatus. Since streaming was my job, I factored the detox weeks in as time off. Most of my followers were understanding about it.

  “Yes, but I’m not sure I can discuss a book I haven’t read. Maybe I should just sit there and keep my mouth shut.”

  I laughed loudly. “You keeping your mouth shut. Now that’s something I haven’t witnessed before, and I’ve known you since you emerged from the womb.”

  “For your information, Mam says I was a very quiet baby.”

  “Maybe you were, but I don’t remember it.”

  “She said I slept all the time, and it was a chore to wake me up even for food.”

  “Now that I can imagine. You sleep twelve hours a night.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I sleep the requisite eleven and a half just like everyone else,” he joked.

  “You have the sleep schedule of a newborn puppy,” I said just as the bus approached our stop. We hopped off and made the short walk to the library, an old red brick building with a blue-painted door. It was very quaint. I hadn’t seen any pictures of Rosie, but I’d just been imagining a female version of Neil. It might’ve been a bad idea because now I was in danger of developing a minor crush on Neil’s sister, too.

  I mean, if Neil appeared in front of me now wearing a sexy librarian get-up, aka, pencil skirt, heels, tight blouse, and glasses hanging off the tip of his nose, I’d still fancy him.

  Maybe I’d fancy him more …

  “What are you thinking about? You’ve gone all quiet,” Billy prodded.

  “Nothing. Come on, let’s go inside.”

  I linked my arm through his, and we stepped into the main lobby area of the library. It was after hours, but there were a good few people about. I hoped that meant Rosie’s book club had attracted more attendees than she expected. I was surprised that I cared about Neil’s sister’s feelings since we hadn’t even met yet. Perhaps it was because he cared about her, and I cared about him, so if she was happy, then that meant he’d be happy, too.

  I cared about his happiness.

  How odd.

  On instinct, I pulled out my phone and shot off a quick message.

  Afric: Just arrived at the library. Happy to report a bunch of people have shown up.

  His response was immediate.

  Neil: That’s a relief. Rosie really wants this to be a success. Thanks for letting me know. And thanks for going along. It means a lot.

  Afric: As I said, I’ve nothing else on. How did everything go last night?

  I was more than a little eager to hear how Neil’s night on the town had panned out.

  Neil: Exactly as I predicted.

  Afric: Meaning?

  Neil: Next to Callum, I was invisible.

  You’re not invisible to me. The thought came unbidden. I frowned at my phone, worrying my lip as I typed out a reply.

  Afric: I’m sure you’re overexaggerating. After all, you do have an arse that won’t quit, and women notice these things ;-)

  Neil: You’re just trying to make me feel better.

  Afric: Yes, but it’s also the truth.

  Neil: Okay, I’ll have to take your word for it since I find it impossible to properly see my own backside in a mirror. I always end up st
raining my neck and pulling a muscle.

  Afric: Did you just admit to checking out your own butt?

  Neil: Not in the way you’re implying.

  Afric: It is exactly in the way I’m implying.

  Afric: I better go. The book club’s about to start.

  I grinned as I shoved my phone back in my pocket, not giving Neil the chance to respond. I could just imagine him getting all flustered and worked up over my teasing, the vein in his forehead popping.

  Billy and I entered the moderately sized reading room, where chairs had been arranged to form a circle. A number of people were already taking seats, some with dog-eared copies of the book, others with new, pristine paperbacks. There was something about libraries that always made me feel cosy. I was a sucker for the smell of old paper mixed with the faint hint of mildew and the atmosphere of enforced silence. I wasn’t even being sarcastic. That shit was pure soulful.

  A woman who appeared to be in her mid-twenties stood by a table fussing with a stack of note cards. She didn’t wear a pencil skirt and blouse but instead wore jeans and a navy wool top. She had the same brown hair and eyes as Neil, and she even wore similar glasses. Her hair was tied back in a neat bun.

  She must’ve sensed Billy and mine’s approach because her gaze flicked up, her eyes widening when they fell on me. She seemed to do a double-take as a shy, shocked smile graced her lips. “Oh, my God, it’s you! I mean … You’re Afric, right?”

  “That’s right, and you’re Rosie?”

  “Yes. Hello. Goodness, I can’t believe you’re here. Neil said you were going to come, but I didn’t believe him.”

  “Well, I hope you didn’t bet on it because here I am,” I replied with a smile.

  Rosie gave a soft laugh, and I noticed my brother eyeing her up. She was a cute little thing, and Billy would eat her for breakfast. I gave him a subtle elbow in the ribs to warn him she was off-limits. He scowled at me in return.

  “No bets were made, thankfully,” she replied as she set her note cards down on the table and took a step closer. “Will you be honest with me about something?”

  “Sure.”

  Rosie gestured to the chairs that had been placed around the room. “Do you think the seating arrangement was a poor choice? I’m beginning to worry it makes this look like an AA meeting rather than a book club.”

  At my side, Billy gave an amused chuckle. “I’m pretty sure AA meetings don’t have the trademark on circular seating arrangements,” he said, drawing her attention to him for the first time. “I’m Billy, by the way. Afric’s brother.”

  I suspected Rosie had been so stunned by the sight of me that she hadn’t even noticed Billy standing beside me. Now, her eyes rounded, and her cheeks displayed the slightest hint of rouge. It wasn’t a surprising reaction. Billy was a bit too tall and a bit too skinny, his nose slightly too large and his curly hair a smidge too unkempt. Despite this, he was still a handsome son of a bitch. Women had always flocked to him, especially with his mischievous smile and twinkly hazel eyes.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Billy,” Rosie replied politely. “So, you think I should leave the chairs as is?”

  “It’s a little late to change them now. Almost everyone is already sitting down,” I said.

  She shook her head at herself. “You’re right. I don’t know why I’m overthinking this. And I’m sorry for being weird and anxious. We’ve just met, and I’m fretting to you about chairs of all things.”

  “Don’t apologise. Neil talks about you all the time, so I feel like I know you already,” I said to reassure her.

  Her eyebrows shot up. “He does? Well, that’s not very surprising. He’s always been the protective, reliable older brother who likes to worry over me. I’m not sure what I’d do without him.”

  The way she spoke about Neil warmed my heart. What was happening to me? The more I learned about him, the more sentimental I seemed to become. I’d never been particularly soft or emotional, but somehow Neil brought out that side of me. And for crying out loud, all this was happening, and he wasn’t even in the country right now.

  Rosie cleared her throat. “Well, I’d better start the proceedings. Wish me luck.”

  “Good luck,” Billy and I both said in unison as she went to greet the people who were seated.

  We took two of the last remaining empty seats, Billy sliding in next to me as he whispered, “She’s fucking adorable.”

  “It must run in the family. Neil is also adorable,” I replied before I properly thought through what I was saying. Billy grinned knowingly, and I swiped him on the arm.

  “Quit it with the grinning. Also, hands off Rosie. She’s not for the likes of you.”

  He feigned offence. “And whyever not? I’m your brother. You should be supporting me in my sexual endeavours, not holding me back.”

  “Your words are telling. You just said sexual instead of romantic. Rosie is a romance girl, not a passing sexy times girl.”

  “I can do romance,” Billy protested.

  I scoffed at that. “I’ll believe it when I see it. But you won’t be practicing on Rosie. I mean it. She’s off limits. Neil would have my guts for garters if you besmirched his baby sister.”

  “Fine, fine, I’ll keep my filthy mitts off her. You’re probably right. She’s far too angelic and innocent for me. I shall leave her unbesmirched.”

  I laughed. “Now you’re getting it.”

  Billy shot me a mock scowl, and we quieted down as the book discussion began. It was such a success that neither Billy nor I were required to fill any awkward silences. Rosie held her own the entire evening and managed to direct the conversation through the themes and subject matter of the book with finesse. It was clear that literature was her passion. As soon as she started talking about the story, she practically lit up and glowed. My brother seemed to notice the same thing because he barely took his eyes off her for the entire hour.

  I had a feeling I was going to have to reiterate my warning for him to stay away from her.

  As the meeting drew to a close, I headed over to Rosie to congratulate her on how well things had gone.

  “That was fantastic!” I exclaimed as I reached her.

  “Thanks. Everyone seemed to enjoy it well enough,” she replied, glancing at me and then Billy. “If you both don’t have other plans, you should come back to my place for dinner. As a thank you for coming tonight, I mean. I live with my grandma, and she always cooks way too much. With Neil away, there’ll be even more extra food than usual.”

  “Oh, um, sure,” I replied. Her offer took me by surprise, especially since we’d just met. I had to remind myself that she was an avid watcher of my stream and considered me something of a pseudo-celebrity. I glanced at Billy. “You don’t mind, do you?”

  “Why would I mind? I never turn down a free meal, especially not a free meal homecooked by a grandmother. Those are the best kind.”

  Rosie shot him a shy smile. “Right, well, I’m just going to finish tidying up in here, and then we’ll go. My house is only a short walk away.”

  “We’ll help you tidy,” I offered.

  Fifteen minutes later, we were walking towards Neil and Rosie’s grandmother’s house for dinner. I wondered if he’d be annoyed that I’d accepted the invitation. He could be a bit awkward and private about certain things. Maybe he’d think this was overstepping a boundary. But I didn’t have any ill intent. I genuinely wanted to meet his grandma and get to know Rosie better.

  The house was one of those post-war numbers, and I could just imagine Neil growing up here. I pictured a prim and proper little kid with glasses, a sad little kid whose parents had died. My heart clenched. I couldn’t remember if he said what age he was when it happened, but he had mentioned that his grandmother raised him and his sister, so he must’ve been on the youngish side.

  Rosie, who Billy had been bombarding with questions during the short walk, pulled a key from her bag. As soon as she opened the door, I was assaulted by the homely sc
ent of roast chicken and what I suspected was freshly made gravy. My mouth began to water as she motioned for us to enter the hallway, and I took in the old but well-loved furniture and the slightly scuffed wooden floor with a Persian rug running down the middle.

  Rosie hung up her coat and bag before offering to take ours.

  “Grandma,” she called out. “I hope you don’t mind that I brought some guests for dinner.”

  At this, a woman with short grey hair appeared at the top of the hallway. She looked to be in her seventies and wore a polka dot apron.

  “Well, hello,” she said, dusting her hands on the apron as she took in Billy and me with a warm smile. “Are you friends of Rosie’s from the book club?”

  “No, Grandma, this is Neil’s friend, Afric, and her brother, Billy,” Rosie introduced. “Neil mentioned the book club to Afric, and she was kind enough to come along. I asked them to dinner to thank them.” She paused to glance at Billy and me. “This is my grandma, Philomena.”

  “But you can call me Phil,” Neil’s grandmother amended as she came to greet me. “It’s so lovely to meet you, Afric. Neil has mentioned you a few times, though he didn’t tell me quite how pretty you are.”

  I placed a hand on my hip. “Are you trying to butter me up, Phil?”

  She gave a hoot of a laugh. “Oh, I like you,” she replied before turning her attention to Billy. “And you’re a fine-looking chap, though you look like you could do with a good meal. Come on into the kitchen. I’ve made chicken, roast potatoes, carrots, and green beans.”

  “Sounds delicious,” I said as we all followed her into a well-appointed kitchen, with a table in the far corner for dining. Billy and I sat while Rosie helped her grandma dish up the food. I couldn’t resist pulling out my phone and shooting off a quick text to Neil.

  Afric: Don’t freak out, but I’m in your grandma’s house right now about to have dinner.

  Neil: What? Please tell me you’re joking.