stay in bed,’ he urges. ‘We don’t have to leave for the airport for two hours.’
‘No, I’m coming down.’
He shakes his head in amused frustration and leaves the room. I climb out of bed and pull on some jeans and a purple top. I make a concerted effort not to bother with make-up. The guilt is well and truly back.
What the hell was I thinking, going into a room alone with him? What would Christian think? Actually, Christian would probably approve. He wants us all to be friends. He’s fallen out before with Johnny and they always patch things up. Thankfully, he and Christian weren’t speaking at the time I fell pregnant, so Johnny couldn’t put two and two together with his dates. It took them about a year to get back on good terms, and by then Barney had already been born. But Johnny turning up yesterday for such a momentous occasion will certainly cement their friendship. Unfortunately.
I trot downstairs and into the kitchen, noticing on my way that the living room door is closed.
‘He still asleep?’ I ask Christian.
‘Yep.’ He’s making a coffee. ‘Want one?’
‘Sure,’ I reply. I look around the kitchen. Joel did a good job of finishing up. We hear someone coming down the stairs and both turn to see Eugen enter the room. He looks weary.
‘Alright, Dad?’ Christian says.
‘Alright, son.’
‘How did you sleep?’ I ask.
‘Not too bad. Took a pill,’ he admits.
‘Want a coffee?’ Christian asks him.
‘That’d be good.’ Eugen heads towards the living room.
‘Johnny’s asleep in there.’
Eugen turns around with a start.
‘What?’ he asks.
‘Johnny’s asleep on the sofa,’ Christian explains.
‘Can’t he afford a bleedin’ hotel with all his money?’ he barks. It’s the perkiest I’ve seen him in days.
‘I’m awake!’ Johnny shouts groggily from behind closed doors.
‘Aah, he’s awake,’ Eugen says with satisfaction and goes through to the living room.
‘Couldn’t sleep with all that racket,’ we hear Johnny mutter for Eugen’s benefit and Christian and I glance at each other and smile.
‘I’d better make him one, too,’ Christian says as an aside to me. ‘Didn’t see him drink anything last night, did you?’
‘No.’
‘Unless he raided the booze cabinet after we went to bed.’
‘I don’t think so.’ I try to keep my voice steady as I continue. ‘I came downstairs last night to get a glass of water and he was outside having a ciggie. We chatted for a while.’ I’ve got nothing to hide, I tell myself.
‘Did you?’ Christian looks interested. ‘What did you talk about?’
‘Not much. He told me Rosa had quit.’
‘Oh,’ he says. ‘That’s a shame.’
‘You didn’t know?’
‘No. Must’ve just happened.’
‘Morning.’ An exhausted-looking Johnny emerges at the doorway.
‘Hey,’ Christian says. ‘Heard you didn’t sleep too well?’
Johnny glances at me in surprise, but quickly recovers. I don’t suppose he thought I’d tell Christian about our night-time chat. ‘No. How are you? Alright?’ He comes over to Christian and puts his hand on his shoulder. I worry the sympathy could have adverse effects, but Christian shrugs.
‘Pretty shit, but I’ll be alright.’ He laughs half-heartedly.
Johnny gives him a sympathetic nod and pulls out a crumpled packet of cigarettes from his jeans pocket. He shakes out a fag and puts it between his lips.
‘I might just . . .’ He indicates the door with his thumb.
‘. . . pop outside for a cancer stick?’ Christian finishes his sentence.
‘You got that right,’ I snort.
‘Yeah, alright, Meg.’ Johnny pats my arm good-naturedly as he walks past. Christian smiles at me.
‘What?’ I say, when Johnny has gone.
‘See?’ he says. ‘I told you we could all be friends again.’
‘I don’t know about that,’ I mutter. But hope stirs inside me. I rarely admit it to myself, but I miss Johnny. I miss being a part of his life: his crazy, nutty, fast-paced
‘No, I’m coming down.’
He shakes his head in amused frustration and leaves the room. I climb out of bed and pull on some jeans and a purple top. I make a concerted effort not to bother with make-up. The guilt is well and truly back.
What the hell was I thinking, going into a room alone with him? What would Christian think? Actually, Christian would probably approve. He wants us all to be friends. He’s fallen out before with Johnny and they always patch things up. Thankfully, he and Christian weren’t speaking at the time I fell pregnant, so Johnny couldn’t put two and two together with his dates. It took them about a year to get back on good terms, and by then Barney had already been born. But Johnny turning up yesterday for such a momentous occasion will certainly cement their friendship. Unfortunately.
I trot downstairs and into the kitchen, noticing on my way that the living room door is closed.
‘He still asleep?’ I ask Christian.
‘Yep.’ He’s making a coffee. ‘Want one?’
‘Sure,’ I reply. I look around the kitchen. Joel did a good job of finishing up. We hear someone coming down the stairs and both turn to see Eugen enter the room. He looks weary.
‘Alright, Dad?’ Christian says.
‘Alright, son.’
‘How did you sleep?’ I ask.
‘Not too bad. Took a pill,’ he admits.
‘Want a coffee?’ Christian asks him.
‘That’d be good.’ Eugen heads towards the living room.
‘Johnny’s asleep in there.’
Eugen turns around with a start.
‘What?’ he asks.
‘Johnny’s asleep on the sofa,’ Christian explains.
‘Can’t he afford a bleedin’ hotel with all his money?’ he barks. It’s the perkiest I’ve seen him in days.
‘I’m awake!’ Johnny shouts groggily from behind closed doors.
‘Aah, he’s awake,’ Eugen says with satisfaction and goes through to the living room.
‘Couldn’t sleep with all that racket,’ we hear Johnny mutter for Eugen’s benefit and Christian and I glance at each other and smile.
‘I’d better make him one, too,’ Christian says as an aside to me. ‘Didn’t see him drink anything last night, did you?’
‘No.’
‘Unless he raided the booze cabinet after we went to bed.’
‘I don’t think so.’ I try to keep my voice steady as I continue. ‘I came downstairs last night to get a glass of water and he was outside having a ciggie. We chatted for a while.’ I’ve got nothing to hide, I tell myself.
‘Did you?’ Christian looks interested. ‘What did you talk about?’
‘Not much. He told me Rosa had quit.’
‘Oh,’ he says. ‘That’s a shame.’
‘You didn’t know?’
‘No. Must’ve just happened.’
‘Morning.’ An exhausted-looking Johnny emerges at the doorway.
‘Hey,’ Christian says. ‘Heard you didn’t sleep too well?’
Johnny glances at me in surprise, but quickly recovers. I don’t suppose he thought I’d tell Christian about our night-time chat. ‘No. How are you? Alright?’ He comes over to Christian and puts his hand on his shoulder. I worry the sympathy could have adverse effects, but Christian shrugs.
‘Pretty shit, but I’ll be alright.’ He laughs half-heartedly.
Johnny gives him a sympathetic nod and pulls out a crumpled packet of cigarettes from his jeans pocket. He shakes out a fag and puts it between his lips.
‘I might just . . .’ He indicates the door with his thumb.
‘. . . pop outside for a cancer stick?’ Christian finishes his sentence.
‘You got that right,’ I snort.
‘Yeah, alright, Meg.’ Johnny pats my arm good-naturedly as he walks past. Christian smiles at me.
‘What?’ I say, when Johnny has gone.
‘See?’ he says. ‘I told you we could all be friends again.’
‘I don’t know about that,’ I mutter. But hope stirs inside me. I rarely admit it to myself, but I miss Johnny. I miss being a part of his life: his crazy, nutty, fast-paced
Similar Books
