Page 43 of The Best Friend
‘What? Now?’
‘Yep, come on.’ He pauses and stares at me. ‘Are you drunk, Lou?’
‘I might be… just a little bit. Gonna have to get a taxi home.’
‘Honestly, what are you like.’ He rolls his eyes and wipes his thumb across my lower lip. I thought he was being sexy, but he holds out his thumb, to show me a bit of pastry that was stuck to my lip.
‘Can’t take you anywhere.’ He leans down to kiss me, and I grin up at him, feeling happier. Sod it. Who cares if Darcy Lane has my column. Who cares if she’s getting an agent and a book deal. I have my gorgeous husband. And I’m going to write my own damn book.
By the time the taxi dropped me home I was sober again, if a little fuzzy-headed, so I decided to walk to school to pick Joe up. Now, we’re home again and Joe’s in bed waiting for Jared to come home and read him a story while I pick up random pieces of dirty laundry from Joe’s bedroom floor – a pair of blue pants, a grey sock, a school shirt – and toss them into the linen basket.
‘I think Daddy might be a little late tonight, Joe Bo.’
‘Ugh, why is he always late?’
‘He’s building his new business.’
‘Why?’
‘You know how you like building stuff with Lego? Making cool things. And when you get into it you don’t want to stop?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Well, grown-ups like making stuff, too. This is like Daddy’s grown-up Lego, and sometimes he gets… caught up in what he’s doing.’
‘Can I see what he built?’
‘I’m sure Daddy will take you to see his offices, yes.’
‘Cool!’ He yawns and flings his head back on the pillow. ‘I’m bored of waiting. Canyouread my story tonight?’
‘Of course.’ I drop an inside-out grey sock into the basket before sitting on the edge of Joe’s bed. As I kiss his forehead, I hear the key in the lock.
‘Daddy!’ Joe nudges me out of the way, flings his duvet off and races out of the door and down the stairs.
The front door slams. ‘He-e-ey, buddy!’
I stand and make my way downstairs. Jared smiles up at me as he grapples with our son in a play fight. So much for getting Joe calm before bed.
‘How was the rest of the afternoon?’ I ask.
‘Great. The staff are really excited. Fired up, you know. I’m looking forward to really getting stuck in tomorrow.’
‘Can we have a proper play fight, Dad? In the lounge.’
‘Sure, sure, little man. Let me get my coat off.’
‘It’s a bit late for fights now,’ I say. ‘You’ve got school tomorrow. Daddy will read you a story instead.’ I catch Jared’s eye and he nods.
‘Your mother’s right.’
‘O-oh, plee-ase.’ Joe stares up at me, and Jared looks at me with the exact same pleading expression.
‘Fine,’ I say. ‘You go fight. I’ll go and cook.’
‘I’ll eat later,’ Jared says, shrugging off his coat and hanging it over the bannister. ‘Gonna go for a run first.’
‘With Darcy?’ I ask.
