Page 101 of Just Watch Me
“Ooh. The floor. How was it?”
Skylar put her hands down and confessed. “Brilliant. Actually. Well, not my part so much, but he— Well, anyway. Afterwards, he …”
“He what?”
“We talked. That was lovely, too. Butthenhe got back here and told Monica we were going to be dating, so could she please move Georgia to another class! Which wasn’t good, as I didn’t learn he’d done it until I’d already told Monica weweren’tdating.”
“Awkward,” Jess agreed. “So that’s it? That’s what you needed to tell me? A pretty good use of a lunch break, I’d call that. That’s what I callgoodnews. Well, except for the earthquake and people dying and so forth.”
“No,” Skylar said. “Or not exactly. OK, complications. The kids, obviously. His kids don’t hate me as much anymore?—”
“Saving them probably counted for something,” Jess said.
“Though they’ll probably hate me more if I take his time away from them. And my own kids like him. Of course, theysee enough of me that they’re probably sick of me, so no worries there. George was excited to have Georgia in his class, as they’re good mates, and Finlay—well, Zaneisan All Black, and that’s never going to be terrible to an eleven-year-old boy. Olive? Who knows whether she even notices. The kids are getting along not too badly now, too, bar the occasional outburst. But it’s so many complications. Do you realize how many different relationships there are among six children?”
“Uh … no,” Jess said.
“Heaps more than six, that’s how many. It’s not just my kids and his kids, it’s each of my kids with each of his kids. Not to mention his kids’ relationships with each other, and ditto for mine. Add in Zane and me, and the grandparents, and that’s … Well, I can’t multiply in my head well enough. His parents, too. His sister. Hisbrothers.”
“Yes,” Jess said. “I remember the brothers, if you recall.”
“And I have no idea how to be a rugby WAG!Lessthan no idea. Besides, of course, that you’re not meant to introduce your kids to the new fella for months. Not until you’re sure it’s serious. Yet here we are.”
“Here we are,” Jess agreed,“notlooking before we leap. Leaping anyway. Not the Skylar Fairburn way. The kids aren’t the problem, though, because you’re brilliant with kids, and if you can’t get that sorted, my world makes no sense.Thisis the problem. Being in a relationship, and not knowing how. Not just any relationship, either. How much sex has the man had? Got to be heaps. All with girls wanting to impress him, too. And then there’s—well, you.”
Skylar moaned and put her head on the table. Jess said from up above her, “Answer’s obvious. You get a makeover, that’s all. You don’t feel confident, because you haven’t done this in a long time.”
Skylar rotated her head so one cheek was on the table.And so that she could look at Jess. “I haven’t done thisever.Dated an All Black? Datedanyman that hot? Excuse me?”
“When are you seeing him again?” Jess asked.
“Sunday.” It was hard to talk with your cheek on a table. “After the match.”
“Heaps of time,” Jess said. “The winter clearance sales are on, too. Easy-peasy.”
38
THE LATEST THING
Gordon raised his eyebrows in the sheds after the match when Zane answered “No” to his question about whether Zane would be coming out with the boys. “Team building, bro,” Gordo said. As if he knew more about that than Zane did, which was rich.
“Bugger team building,” Zane said, starting to button his shirt. “I’ve got plans.” He was getting out of here faster tonight, because his time at skipper was over for now. Which was both good and bad. Therewasno greater honor, and it wasn’t as if he minded the responsibility out on the paddock. He wasn’t so big on the media element, though, especially because they were bound to ask about the earthquake, and that was nowhere he wanted to go on TV.
“Huh. Plans.” Gordo looked at him speculatively. Zane wanted to tell him that his trousers were too tight and the toes of his shoes too pointed, but it wouldn’t go over well. He’d be hearing about the Mum jeans then. “So when Jade and I come for tea tomorrow arvo,” Gordo said, “will those ‘plans’ be there, too?”
“What?” Zane wasn’t really listening. That was because hewas stuffing his shirttails into his jeans and reaching for his socks.
“Tomorrow,” Gordo enunciated. “Dinner.Familydinner.”
Zane turned to look at him, finally. “What family dinner? First I’ve heard of it.”
Gordo sighed. “Nan? Sent a text? Tomorrow night at six. Which is bloody annoying, as I had plans to do a bit of fishing tomorrow and then indulge myself on the night. When you get four days off, you jump at the chance. At least normal people do. But then, itisat six. By eight, I plan to be looking good and eyeing up the possibilities at the pub, not reading bedtime stories or playing Candyland. Or Monopoly, God forbid, because that bloody game never ends. Pity Jack’s not here to be my wingman, though. Of course,youcould come out with me, if you weren’t sixty-five years old and dull. Oh, wait. You have a girlfriend of your own now, don’t you?”
“None of your business,” Zane said, probably because he wasn’t quite surewhathe had at this point. “I’ve got things to do, you’re right about that. I’d like to know what Nan’s playing at with this, though. She just had three weeks of pretty concentrated whanau time, and as soon as Skylar turned up down there, Nan and Geoffrey were running screaming from it at every opportunity. There were a couple of days at the end that probably aged her a fair bit, too. You’d think she’d want some peace and quiet now. An early night.”
“With Geoffrey, you mean,” Gordo said. “Which it sounds like she’ll get, since he seems to be more or less living over there now. Of course, that makes your situation a bit interesting, doesn’t it? Jade’s pretty sure you’ve got a major thing going with Skylar. You’d have to, wouldn’t you, to move her into the house in Welly for ten days?Withthe kids? That was a pretty fast 180. All the way from hooking up in the occasional bar to Family Man.”
“Except that Iama family man,” Zane said. This conversation was making him itchy. Also, he needed to leave.
