Consumed by Matt Shaw Page B

to cheer him up by agreeing to go out with him again?”
     
    “Don’t you get it yet, Michael? None of us like you. Why do you insist on hanging out with us? We can barely tolerate you.”
     
    “Yeah, okay, if you say so...I’m sure you’re all big enough and ugly enough...Certainly ugly enough...To tell me to leave if you didn’t want me around.”
     
    Lara leaned forward, into the front of the truck, and whispered slowly and clearly, “We don’t want you around anymore. Take the hint.” She didn’t wait for his response, she just left the truck via the same door Joel had used.
     
    “You coming?” called Stephen from the front door.
     
    Michael nodded and followed.
     
     
    * * * * *
     
     
    Dan was still sitting next to Tammy, on the sofa, along with Charlotte. Suzanne and Hayley were still in the armchairs with Andrea standing next to the window.
     
    “Looks like your friends are here,” Andrea pointed out.
     
    Tammy jumped up from her place on the sofa and joined Andrea at the window to see the new visitors - a sneaky glimpse before she had to meet them face to face. Hayley took the opportunity of the empty place on the sofa next to her man to swap seats.
     
    “Jump in my grave just as quick?” Tammy asked with a cheeky grin on her face.
     
    Hayley flashed her perfect white teeth at her in the most fake smile she had ever used. She managed to not blurt out, “No, I’d just piss on it,” although she desperately wanted to.
     
    Suzanne couldn’t resist getting a sneaky look at the other guests either and joined the others at the window, just as Michael disappeared into the house. “They all staying for dinner?” she asked.
     
    “Of course,” said Andrea - a welcoming smile on her face.
     
    Dan tried to get out of it, once more, although he knew it was pointless, “Really, it isn’t a problem.”
     
    “I know it isn’t,” Andrea quickly replied. “Honestly, we’d love to have you for dinner.”
     
    “I’ll start preparing the vegetables,” said Suzanne as she left the room.
     
    “Can we at least help?” asked Charlotte.
     
    “No, no...” said Andrea. “It won’t take her anytime at all.”
     
    Charlotte smiled at her despite feeling awkward at how generous the family were being.
     
    Stephen stepped into the modestly decorated room, “Hello again,” he said to the house guests, “look who I found loitering out on the road,” he turned around and waved Joel, Michael and Lara in.
     
    “And what are your names?” asked Andrea.
     
    Joel did the introductions, “I’m Joel, this is Lara and this is Michael.”
     
    “Pleased to meet you,” said Michael - remembering what Stephen had said about playing nice to his mother.
     
    “I’m Andrea, this is Tammy...You’ve just missed my other daughter, Suzanne. She’s just popped into the kitchen to prepare the vegetables.”
     
    “Thank you for this, this is lovely,” said Lara taking heed of Stephen’s words too.
     
    “It’s lovely for us too,” said Andrea. “Anyway, if you’d like to take a seat - we’ll go and start getting things ready. Stephen, you can help...”
     
    “I’ve just got in, mum, haven’t I done enough for today? It is supposed to be my day off after all! Do I not do enough during the week?”
     
    “More hands make idle work. And spuds don’t peal themselves,” said Andrea as she pushed him towards the living room door - followed by Tammy who gave a sly wink, which didn’t go unnoticed, at Dan.
     
    “What the fuck was that about?” asked Hayley as the living room door closed.
     
    “You’ve either got it, or you haven’t...” teased Dan, “...And I clearly have it.”
     
    “What the fuck is any of this about?” asked Joel. “Someone want to explain how we ended up having dinner with these guys?”
     
    “They were very persistent,” said Charlotte.
     
    “I thought we were going camping. Clearly I was mistaken!” Joel sat on one of the spare