eyes, saw the friendship and love we shared, and decided I'd spare her my troubles today of all days. I'd talk to her, when things settled down. But right now it was my turn to protect her . To let her live in yellow, and not join me in black.
Dom had said she was tired, the pregnancy and wedding taking their toll. Now was not the time to burden her with my issues. Now was the time to pretend everything was fine.
"Sweet-pea," I said, smile back in full force. "Too much tequila and not enough sleep, that's all. Now," I said with purpose, "Do we do the games first or get pretend drunk on the cocktails, singing at the top of our lungs to the soppiest love songs we can find? I know!" I added, really starting to embrace a Genevieve run-away mouth moment, "We'll work up to the singing with a dress-up first. I've got tiaras and feather boas, and some flashing badges that say 'Kiss The Bride' somewhere here. I'm sure Wayne and Edward will be honorary bride kissers. Unless, of course, Dominic puts a kibosh on that."
I'd been pulling things at random from the boxes on the table as I'd talk, or more appropriately haemorrhaged words. I glanced up now and saw Gen flicking a worried look at Dominic, over by the stove. His face was perfectly blank, but I knew that look. I'd seen him use it before.
It was the one he adopted whenever he was most concerned, and was trying to hide it from Genevieve. She knew it too and I watched her shoulders slump, a weight settling there that did not belong.
I needed to get a hold of myself, act like I usually did. Upbeat. Carefree. Full of life.
But it's hard to do that, when you're nothing like alive inside.
I was in trouble and I knew it. I needed to sort my fucking life out now, or others would get hurt. Tomorrow I'd phone Dan and end things with him.
And then there'd be only three.
Chapter 5
Right Now, It Looked Like It Wasn't Going To Be Me
Genevieve
I watched Kelly like a hawk. But she wasn't giving anything away. As soon as the guests started arriving she pasted on that Kelly Quayle smile, put a swing in her hips and started to entertain.
If I hadn't have been so worried about her, it would have been a blast.
But the old Kelly was back, not the new, distant, shadow shrouded one of earlier today.
Something niggled at me though, in the back of my mind. I tried to cling to it, draw it out, make sense of the memory that hung just outside of my grasp. But there were presents to open, and tiaras to wear, and kisses and hugs, and guessing games that made everyone almost fall off their chairs laughing, clutching their stomachs with tears down their cheeks.
I couldn't help it, I had to laugh too. I had to make shocked faces and squeal and flush pink at some of the things Kelly had set up. Just what did one do with a condom covered cucumber anyway? And hello! The condom's a little late.
Through it all Kelly was her normal self; happy-go-lucky, raunchy, devilish, loud. It was a great party, but something was wrong with my best friend. And it hurt a little that she thought she couldn't share.
The non-alcoholic cocktails were just being handed out. We'd played the games, dressed up and sung songs, eaten every possible thing that could be filled with cream in every possible suggestive way. Now we were on to the colourful, umbrella topped, fruit accompanied Martini glasses with sugar coating their rim. She'd gone to so much trouble and made my bridal shower so sweet.
But when no one was looking, distracted by the antics of Wayne and Edward, my old neighbours, or Abi and Katie trying to work out which way the batteries went in to a hot pink vibrator with too many parts. Or listening to Eva sing - way better than the rest of us - or being scolded, good naturedly, for their language by my mum, I watched her. And I saw something I had thought never to see again.
"Where's Dominic today?" Marie asked, a little more reserved around the rest of us, but starting to fit in.
"He's playing golf with his
Dom had said she was tired, the pregnancy and wedding taking their toll. Now was not the time to burden her with my issues. Now was the time to pretend everything was fine.
"Sweet-pea," I said, smile back in full force. "Too much tequila and not enough sleep, that's all. Now," I said with purpose, "Do we do the games first or get pretend drunk on the cocktails, singing at the top of our lungs to the soppiest love songs we can find? I know!" I added, really starting to embrace a Genevieve run-away mouth moment, "We'll work up to the singing with a dress-up first. I've got tiaras and feather boas, and some flashing badges that say 'Kiss The Bride' somewhere here. I'm sure Wayne and Edward will be honorary bride kissers. Unless, of course, Dominic puts a kibosh on that."
I'd been pulling things at random from the boxes on the table as I'd talk, or more appropriately haemorrhaged words. I glanced up now and saw Gen flicking a worried look at Dominic, over by the stove. His face was perfectly blank, but I knew that look. I'd seen him use it before.
It was the one he adopted whenever he was most concerned, and was trying to hide it from Genevieve. She knew it too and I watched her shoulders slump, a weight settling there that did not belong.
I needed to get a hold of myself, act like I usually did. Upbeat. Carefree. Full of life.
But it's hard to do that, when you're nothing like alive inside.
I was in trouble and I knew it. I needed to sort my fucking life out now, or others would get hurt. Tomorrow I'd phone Dan and end things with him.
And then there'd be only three.
Chapter 5
Right Now, It Looked Like It Wasn't Going To Be Me
Genevieve
I watched Kelly like a hawk. But she wasn't giving anything away. As soon as the guests started arriving she pasted on that Kelly Quayle smile, put a swing in her hips and started to entertain.
If I hadn't have been so worried about her, it would have been a blast.
But the old Kelly was back, not the new, distant, shadow shrouded one of earlier today.
Something niggled at me though, in the back of my mind. I tried to cling to it, draw it out, make sense of the memory that hung just outside of my grasp. But there were presents to open, and tiaras to wear, and kisses and hugs, and guessing games that made everyone almost fall off their chairs laughing, clutching their stomachs with tears down their cheeks.
I couldn't help it, I had to laugh too. I had to make shocked faces and squeal and flush pink at some of the things Kelly had set up. Just what did one do with a condom covered cucumber anyway? And hello! The condom's a little late.
Through it all Kelly was her normal self; happy-go-lucky, raunchy, devilish, loud. It was a great party, but something was wrong with my best friend. And it hurt a little that she thought she couldn't share.
The non-alcoholic cocktails were just being handed out. We'd played the games, dressed up and sung songs, eaten every possible thing that could be filled with cream in every possible suggestive way. Now we were on to the colourful, umbrella topped, fruit accompanied Martini glasses with sugar coating their rim. She'd gone to so much trouble and made my bridal shower so sweet.
But when no one was looking, distracted by the antics of Wayne and Edward, my old neighbours, or Abi and Katie trying to work out which way the batteries went in to a hot pink vibrator with too many parts. Or listening to Eva sing - way better than the rest of us - or being scolded, good naturedly, for their language by my mum, I watched her. And I saw something I had thought never to see again.
"Where's Dominic today?" Marie asked, a little more reserved around the rest of us, but starting to fit in.
"He's playing golf with his
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