Authors: Megan Keith
“What?
Rebekah and you… my
ex
Rebekah?”
He cringes and
I realise that I’m raising my voice.
“I know I should have
told you sooner. It’s just that I didn’t know if it was going to work out
and I didn’t want to upset you for no reason.” I honestly don’t know how
to respond to him, I am more than a little shocked. I stand silently on
the opposite side of the room.
I think back to what
it was like when I dated Rebekah back at
uni.
She started out as being just as much Kevin’s friend as she was mine. But
that was years ago.
“I had no idea you
both kept in contact,” I say trying to hide my surprise as I grab a bottle of
water from the fridge.
“We didn’t. I
ran into her a couple of months ago and we just clicked, you know? It was
just like old times.” Kevin takes a seat down at the kitchen table.
I follow and sit opposite him.
“So that’s what’s
happening then? Is she the reason why you’re never home?” I say as
I open the water.
“Yeah… we’re…” he
stutters nervously, “we’re in love.” He almost looks like he’s in
pain. With that proclamation my eyes go wide as they meet Kevin’s, he
looks wary waiting for my reaction.
“Wow!” I boom
out and he flinches as if I’m about to hit him.
“I’m so sorry,” Kevin
says with a pleading tone to his voice.
“Don’t be. I’ve
been wondering what the hell was going on with you. I was concerned.”
“You don’t seem
angry,” he says blowing out a gush of air, relief evident on his face.
“I’m
not.” Surprisingly the shock is already wearing off.
“There’s more…” he
says sounding slightly nervous. Kevin quite often has a nervous edge to
his voice so this is not unusual. “Beck has a son. He’s four.”
I spit water over the
table. Probably not the best time to have a mouthful of water. I
quickly do the math in my head.
“She
what?”
My heart starts to pound harder and I feel
myself struggling to breath.
No! It couldn’t be!
I had a lovely lie in
this morning, even though I woke up stiff and sore again from my crappy bed, I
felt well rested. Hanging out with Nick turned out surprisingly well last
night and I woke up with happy thoughts swirling through my head. I went
straight to Kat’s house to pick her up and then we met my mum, Erin and April
at the day spa.
I’ve never felt so
pampered in all my life! We all had massages, which I have never had
professionally done before and it felt so amazingly good. Then we all had
facials, waxes, pedicures and manicures. It was a day of pure relaxing
bliss, well maybe except for the waxing part.
Then we all came back
to my apartment for an early champagne and chicken dinner. Mum and Erin
provided the food and cleaned up before they left, leaving Kat, April and I to
lounge around in total relaxation.
Kat never ceases to
surprise me. I know if it was my wedding day tomorrow I would not be as
calm as she is about it. I also would probably be a lot more focused on
the big day than on my best friend. Of course Kat can’t help herself; she
has been laying in on me ever since our mothers both left.
“So you just hung
out? Huh, sorry I got it wrong then, I really thought it was a booty
call!” She laughs.
“Well it may well
have been, but it turned out better this way. Nick’s only interested in
one-night-stands or friendship so…” I shrug, trying to sound nonchalant.
“Are you telling me
you’ve never had a one-night-stand?” April shrieks.
“
Really?
”
“And you’ve had one?”
Kat asks April incredulously.
“Absolutely!
And more than once! I haven’t been lucky enough to find someone like Luke
you know,” April replies rolling her eyes.
“April! I
wonder what Aunty Kath would think about that!”
“You are not about to
tell my mum!” April yells at Kat with a smile on her face.
“Why I think she
would love to know that her precious, innocent little April is a-”
“Please Kat, don’t
you dare!” April interrupts, suddenly looking scared for her life.
“I’m only
joking!” Kat laughs. Then adds, “I had no idea you were such a
little slut!”
We all laugh and then
April throws a cushion at Kat hitting her square on the side of the head making
us laugh louder.
“So this Nick guy, is
he cute?” April turns her attention to me.
“Oh April, he is
so
unbelievably hot
!” There is no denying it, even if it could never
happen between us.
“You should just bang
him then! What’s the harm?”
“She has a
point.
Em
, I have to live vicariously through
you now, I’m going to be happily married to Luke for the rest of my life.
I will never know what it’s like to bang someone else! I will never get
to experience a one-night-stand! Do it for me!”
“Settle down girls,
settle down.” I laugh, waving my arms at them. “It’s just not going
to happen okay? We’ve decided to be friends and that’s how it’s got to
be.”
It has to be.
“He’s not
yours!” Kevin says quickly and I breathe a huge sigh of relief.
“Although at first I jumped to that same conclusion, I mean I hadn’t seen Beck
since the two of you broke up and there she was with a little boy that could so
easily have been… That’s kind of part of the reason I didn’t tell you
too, our relationship had to be kept quiet for Darcy’s sake. We didn’t
want to, um, complicate things with her son until we knew where our
relationship was headed, you know?”
“I don’t… I don’t
know what to say. I’m happy for you… I guess,” I say trying to calm
myself down from the near heart attack.
I want kids but that’s not how I envisage it occurring.
“You are?”
“If you guys are
happy, then yes.”
“I’m so glad to hear
that. Beck said you would be, I should have listened to her, she said
you’d understand.” He pauses for a moment. “Are you sure?”
I stand up and he
uneasily follows. I give him an awkward one-armed man hug. “I’m
happy for you man.” He lets out a huge sigh of relief.
“There’s one more
thing.” He again speaks nervously and sits back down. I too take my
seat and wait for him to speak. “So here’s the thing, and you can’t say
anything to anyone yet but…” he leans in closer and lowers his voice, “I’m
gonna
ask her to marry me.”
“You’re what?”
I ask as a smile breaks across my face.
“Seriously
Kev
?”
“Keep your voice
down. She has no clue and I don’t want you to spoil it.” And that’s
when I remember that she’s still in the car outside.
“Shit! Bring
her in. What are you doing leaving her in the car then?”
Before the words even
finish leaving my mouth Kevin is bouncing out of the kitchen and out the front
door.
Wow!
Talk about coming from left field! I had
absolutely no idea. The more I think about it though it does make
sense. There are no hard feelings as Rebekah and I always worked better
as friends than lovers. We parted amicably, even if we lost touch.
Moments later the
front door opens and I see Rebekah properly for the first time in five
years. She looks almost the same as I remember, her hair is longer and
she’s maybe a little plumper, but she was always too skinny anyway.
“Seth,” she says
as she gives me a wide smile.
“You look well,
Rebekah,” I say as I pull her in for a hug. “It’s good to see you.”
“You
too.
I’d like you to meet Darcy. Darcy say hello to Seth.”
I turn to the little
boy by her side (the little boy that looks nothing like me) and he shyly says
hello.
“You were right Beck,
Seth is totally cool with us,” Kevin says looking upon her in awe.
“Of course, when am I
ever wrong?” she replies with a giggle.
“Never,” Kevin says
as he wraps his arm around her.
Rebekah looks up at
Kevin with such adoration that I just know she will say yes when he proposes to
her, and I love that I am privy to that information. Kevin looks back
down to Rebekah with a huge smile on his face and the pangs of jealously I suddenly
feel are not against Kevin, that he is with my ex, but rather that I want to
find what he has now got, a family of his own. They have each other and
I’m jealous of that. I’m also relieved to have both of my friends back.
I spend a couple
hours down the gym.
Rach
isn’t on the front
desk today and Tony doesn’t appear to be in either, but then it is a Friday
afternoon so that’s not unusual. I’m just about to finish up and head out
when a little blonde number comes over to stand in front of the bench I’m
working at.
“Hey, you’re sure
working up a sweat there,” she says, smiling at me. I return the
weights to the bench and sit up. She passes me my towel and I dab the
sweat off my face. “Do you come here often?”
I chuckle a little,
“Is that a line sweetheart?” I flash a smile at her.
“Well it could be…
I’m Stacey,” she offers her hand for me to shake. I take it. “I’m
new to this gym, just moved to the area. Can you recommend a trainer
here?” she asks looking around the busy room.
“Sorry can’t help
you. I work alone.”
“You don’t use a
trainer?” I shake my head. “Wow,” she says, looking me up and
down. “You obviously know what you’re doing though. Maybe you could
give me a few pointers?”
“No, sorry I was just
leaving.” I fling my towel around my neck, grab my water bottle and head
to the change rooms. It’s not until I am in the shower that I realise I
didn’t even look back at her. Actually, I was downright rude. That
is so unlike me. Especially when a young, fit girl like that provides an
opportunity… I didn’t even flirt with her.
I am losing it!
First I ask
Em
to be friends with me and then last
night I hung out at the movies by myself, and then around my folks like some
loser, and now I’m rude and ignorant to women. Totally losing it! I
need to get laid, obviously.
When I get home Dad’s
in one of his usual moods and I don’t want to put up with it so I lock myself
in my room. I pull out my phone and call Dan.
“Hey Nick.”
“Dan
my man!
Please tell me you’re coming out with me tonight. I
need my wingman.”
“Nah mate. Jo
and I are cooking dinner and watching a couple of DVDs tonight.”
“
Fuck the what?
Seriously.
But it’s Friday night. You two
are becoming bore-ring.”
“Hey now… You could
come over if you like-” He grunts and I hear Jo murmur something in the
background. “Sorry babe,” he whispers to her.
“Yeah, I don’t think
so, mate. I‘m guessing Jo doesn’t like that idea.”
“You should call that
chick from last week. What’s her name?”
“Who?”
“You know, the girl
from the club.”
“Hailey?”
Hmm I never thought of that.
“Yeah.
You guys exchanged numbers didn’t you?”
“Yeah.
That’s right, I might just do that.”
“Have a good night
Nick.”
“You
too, Dan.”
“Oh I plan on
it,” he says suggestively. I hear him growl and Jo giggle as he
hangs up. I suppose having an actual relationship has
some
benefits. I find Hailey’s number in my phone. She answers on the
third ring.
“Hello?”
“Hailey.
It’s Nick, we met at the club last weekend.”
“Oh
hey Nick.”
“I know it’s a bit
short notice, but I was wondering if you had plans
tonight?
”
“Oh I um, I… okay I’m
going to be brutally honest here-”
“Oh
no.
This can’t be good,” I joke, but I do dread what she is going
to say next.
Time for the big brush off.
“Yes… I am
embarrassed to admit that my plans consist of heating up a microwave dinner and
reading a book.” She sighs and I laugh. “What did you have in
mind?”
“Would you like to go
to dinner with me?”
“Sure. Did you
want to meet me somewhere or…?”
“I’ll pick you up.”
“Okay. I’m
starved
though,
can you pick me up in say half an
hour?”
“Well,” I look at the
clock,
it’s only six, “that depends on how far away
you live, I guess.”
She prattles off her
address and I tell her I’ll be there soon. I get changed and go out into
the kitchen.
“What are your plans
tonight Nicky?” Mum asks from her usual position in front of the
stove. She is the typical Greek mother, always cooking.
“I’m going on a
date.” I smile at her knowing that it will make her happy. It’s not
often that I go on actual “dates.” I generally go to clubs or wherever
and hook up. So as far as my mum knows I haven’t been out with anyone in
months.
“What is her
name?” she asks with a smile and a crook of her brow.
“Hailey.”
“And where are you
taking this Hailey?”
“To
dinner.
I’ve got to go Ma.” I give her a peck on the cheek.
“You have fun, but
not too much fun! Okay?”
“Okay Ma,” I say over
my shoulder, shaking my head as I walk out the back door.
She really
has no idea.
When I arrive at
Hailey’s flat it is just on six-thirty, perfectly timed. I knock on the
door and she immediately flings it open and steps outside, shutting the door
behind her.