Authors: Megan Keith
“Is that her?
The one in red?”
Dan asks quietly from beside
me. I gaze at
Em
,
it’s hard to take my eyes off of her. She looks
absolutely stunning. She takes my breath away for a moment.
“Yes, that’s her,” I
eventually answer Dan without turning in his direction, my eyes still firmly
attached to the beauty in front of me.
“Did she mention that
she had a boyfriend?”
“Nope.”
“Well mate, I hate to
tell you this but it looks like you are definitely in the friend zone,” he
says as he claps me on the shoulder. I flinch at his words. “On
that note, I’m outta here. Best of luck, dude. Call me if you need
me.”
“Yeah thanks for your
help,” I barely mutter as I continue to stare at
Em
holding that guy’s hand.
What the
fuck is she doing?
I can feel Nick’s
eyes on us as I pretend to listen to Seth talking to Luke. I notice Kat
looking at me quizzically. Kat and Luke arrived only minutes after Seth,
I’ve barely gotten the chance to speak to her about anything that has been going
on while she was away on her honeymoon.
“So Kat how was the
honeymoon?” I ask half-heartedly, I feel like a shit for not showing more
interest but I am finding it very hard to concentrate on anything with Nick
boring holes in the back of my head.
“Oh we had the best
time! We went snorkelling in the most beautiful reef. We took this
sunset cruise and saw so many dolphins and there was even a cow that jumped
over the moon.”
“Sounds good…
wait. What?” I focus my eyes on her face when I realise what she
actually just said. She doesn’t say anything but gives me a look that
says “we need to talk”.
“Aren’t
ya
gonna
introduce me?”
Nick asks with a sly grin on his face, coming up beside me suddenly, making me
jump. He purposely leans against me.
“Ah… yes, Nick this is
my best friend Kat and her new husband Luke and-”
“Ah
the honeymooners, nice to meet you.
Congratulations!” Nick
says, shaking their hands with an overly friendly smile as Kat and Luke both
say hello. Then he turns and glares at me with an unfathomable look of
anger in his eyes.
“Seth this is Nick,”
I say cautiously, motioning back and forth between them “Nick, Seth.”
“Hello,” Seth says,
extending his hand.
“So you’re my
competition?” Nick says and doesn’t take Seth’s offered hand.
Seth pulls his hand away.
His eyes flick from Nick back to me with a puzzled look on his face.
“That’s okay I love a
challenge,” Nick says in a mocking tone as he looks back at me, his eyes
blazing. Our eye contact remains frozen for a moment as I try to read the
look on his face. “Well I might go get some music started then,” he
adds, then I blink and he is gone. I turn my attention back to Seth, who
is looking confused.
“He’s just kidding,”
I say as I take Seth’s hand again, hoping to appease him. I catch Kat’s
eye and see another look, this one says “we
SO
need to talk”.
A few minutes later,
when there is a lull in the conversation Kat grabs hold of my arm.
“Excuse us boys, we
need a moment to catch up,” she says to Luke and Seth before dragging me
inside the house.
As we are about to
head down the hallway, I see Josh entering the front door.
Great!
Could this get any more complicated?
Kat sees him too and quickly
drags me to my old bedroom. I quietly close the door behind us. I
don’t need an audience for this.
“So you’re dating
Seth now?” She beams at me.
“Yes.”
“He’s pretty cute,
seems like a decent guy.”
“He is.” I
shrug.
“And?”
“And
nothing.”
“AND
what about Nick?
That DJ is
the Nick
, I presume?
April told me that you slept with him.”
“She
what?
No, Kat we never- When did you speak to April? Is she
here?” I ask frantically as my voice rises in panic. The last thing
I need is for April to put her foot in it with Seth.
Shit, apparently
this situation could get more complicated.
I’d totally forgotten that
Ethan had even invited her.
“No, she couldn’t
make it. She’s home sick with the flu. I spoke to her on the phone
though. I can’t believe she convinced you to go clubbing and you went
without me! So tell me all.”
I let out a
long-winded sigh before plopping down on my childhood bed and delving into the
entire story. I fill her in on everything, from giving in to Seth and
finally being happy, to the hurt and humiliation I felt after Nick rejected me
after our time at the nightclub. I tell her I never would have suggested
that Ethan get Nick for his party if I had known I was going to start dating
Seth, because it’s just too bloody awkward.
“Hmm.”
She crosses her arms as she stands in front of me.
“What? That’s
all you’ve got to say?”
“And
how does Josh factor into all of this?”
“
Josh?
”
“Yeah, you two were
pretty cosy at the wedding. What was that about?” She actually
looks a little peeved at me.
“Oh that was
nothing! We spoke afterwards and we’re fine. We just had a moment,
it was nothing. We've both moved on.”
“Seriously?
You had Luke and I a little worried.”
“Worried?
Believe me there is nothing to worry about there,” I say earnestly, but roll my
eyes anyway. “Trust me.”
“Good.”
We are interrupted by
a knock at my bedroom door. Kat opens it and finds Luke on the other
side.
“Hey
Em
I’d really like my
wife
back now, you two
finished in here or what?”
I roll my eyes for a
second time as Kat grabs him around the waist and gives him a quick kiss.
“Yes
husband
,
we’re done for now.” Kat gazes into Luke’s eyes admiringly.
“Good because Josh
and Seth are outside getting to know one another and it is
awkk-kward
!”
“Fuck!” I curse
under my breath as I spring from my old bed and race back outside. I hear
Kat and Luke giggling as they smooch one another behind me but they don’t
follow me out. I have the feeling that I won’t be seeing those newlyweds
for a little while.
When I make my way
over to Seth, I see that he and Josh are actually chatting quite happily and I
even see them both laugh.
Shit I hope they’re not talking about me!
“Hi
Em
, you look lovely,” Josh says, pulling me in for a
hug. I look over my shoulder at Seth who looks only slightly awkward.
“Hey Josh,” is all I
manage to say as I pull out of the unexpected embrace. We haven’t spoken
since the phone call the day after the wedding and we certainly haven’t hugged,
while sober at least, since our break up. For a moment, I wonder if Josh
is trying to stake a claim on me in front of Seth or something, maybe reminding
him of our shared history or something.
But then he surprises
me by saying to Seth, “It was a pleasure to meet you Seth, I guess I will see
you around.” He motions to me with a nod and speaks to Seth with gentle
warning, “you make sure you take care of this one.”
“Of
course.”
Seth grins at Josh before he walks away.
“God I need a
drink!” I say as Seth puts his arm around me and pulls me into his
side.
Did that just happen?
“Hey your ex is-,” he
begins but sees the look of horror on my face and changes the subject.
“Yes let’s get you that drink.” He laughs and nudges me in the direction
of the makeshift bar Dad has set up.
I try my best to
ignore the fact that Nick is in the corner of the garage, probably watching
us. But that becomes rather difficult to forget when ‘I’m Sexy and I Know
It’ starts playing drawing my attention back to Nick. His way of
reminding me that he’s still here. I can just make out his silhouette in
the corner of the dark garage and it makes me angry that he is playing that
song. I shoot daggers in his direction. I’m sure that’s the
reaction he wants from me. So when Seth asks me to dance I don’t
hesitate. I down my drink quickly and tug on his hand pulling him into
the centre of the garage and the concrete dance floor.
I’m dancing with Seth
and I know without a doubt that Nick is watching us, even though he is slightly
hidden because of the lights that are blinding if I look in his direction,
which I am trying desperately not to do. I can definitely feel his eyes
on me though. Seth pulls me closer against him and I can’t help but feel
a little smug when thinking “well Nick you had your chance and you blew
it.” I don’t know why I feel satisfaction at that thought, I’m not
usually so horrid. And it’s not like he has given me any indication that
he wants me, in fact he rejected me, so why do I feel like he is regretting
that now?
I want to knock his
block off! He’s looking so smug dancing with her, touching her, god no,
don’t do it, yep and kissing her. It should be me! Where the fuck
did this Seth guy come from anyway?
I just need to get
through this job. I need to get out of here before I start punching
something or someone.
I notice
Em
glancing in my direction occasionally throughout the
night but she doesn’t once approach me. I need to speak to her. I
need answers. I put on Pendulum’s ‘The Island’ for two reasons. One
it will get
Em’s
attention and hopefully piss her
off, and two, it’s a long song which means I can grab a few minutes of fresh
air. As soon as the beat starts I see
Em’s
eyes
blaze, she whispers something in Seth’s ear and leaves him. She heads
straight out the end of marquee into the backyard. I catch up to her on
the lawn. It’s dark out here and we are all alone. She stops
suddenly and turns to face me, anger rolling off her.
“Why are you playing
that song?” she fumes. I can only just see her face in the darkness;
just make it out enough to see that she is
blushing
the delicious hue that I love, though I’m too angry to admire it right
now. I ignore her question and instead ask one of my own.
“Just what are you
playing at,
Em
?”
“
Me?
” she
asks, seemingly taken aback.
“Yes you! Who
the hell is this Seth guy?” I demand angrily.
“He’s my
boyfriend,” she answers with equal anger.
“
Boyfriend?
Since when?”
She shrugs but doesn’t look at me,
which infuriates me more. “Well, does your
boyfriend
know you had
your tongue down my throat last weekend?”
“Seth and I weren’t
together then,” she answers calmly.
Too calmly.
“So you just picked
this guy up and he instantly became your boyfriend? What the hell,
Em
?”
She lets out a loud
frustrated sigh before answering in a menacing tone. “Not that it’s any
of your business but Seth and I had been on a couple of dates.
Then after you-” she stops short.
“After
I what?”
She doesn’t answer. She doesn’t have to. I
did this. I crossed the line of our friendship and pushed her into his
arms.
Fuck!
“He’s my boyfriend
now, that is all that matters,” she says before disappearing into the
darkness.
If I had only tried a
little more patience, maybe if I hadn’t pushed her when she was intoxicated,
maybe I would have had a chance with her.
Or maybe
not
.
I head back into the
garage to continue my job. All I can do now is look forward to getting
insanely drunk after what will surely be the longest night of my life.
“Thanks for the
bottle of bourbon Seth,” Ethan says after he opens the last of his
presents. He gives him a friendly slap on the back. “I think I’ll
save it for after I use the present my fabulous sister gave me.”
“What did she give
you?” Seth asks looking back and forth between the two of us.
“I’m
gonna
let some people throw him out of a plane. He
thinks he’s so bad arse, he can handle it!” I give Ethan a nudge.
“Parachuting?”
Seth asks with a smile.
“You will be eating
your words when I land standing on my feet, smiling and ready to party!”
Ethan exclaims happily.
“I don’t think you’re
meant to land on your feet exactly, you’d probably break both of your legs,”
Seth jokes.
“I’ll definitely need
that bourbon then!” Ethan says through his laughter and Seth and I join
in. It’s probably the best laugh I’ve had all night.
As the speeches are
all done and the gifts all opened, the party is beginning to wind down and some
people start to file out. I’ve had a few drinks and somehow managed to at
least look like I’ve had a good time. I’ve done all I can do to avoid the
dance floor for the majority of it. The confrontation with Nick earlier
left me more than a little shaken up. I don’t know what game he thinks he
is playing but I am over it. I’m with Seth now and I’m not sure I even
want to pursue a friendship with Nick anymore.
“Hey
Em
, Ethan says that the DJ is a friend of yours,” Jake asks
me out of the blue.
“Ah yeah,” I answer
not willing to admit that may not be the case anymore. Jake leans in a
little closer and whispers so that Seth doesn’t hear his next words, for which
I am grateful.