Page 118 of Sit, Stay, Love
No. He didn’t. But she wasn’t bothered about that. It was that he hadn’t even told her until he was practically on the plane. And he was going to see a woman. Just an old work colleague, but seeing as all his old work colleagues were stunning…
She huffed. ‘He knows I’m too busy with the fundraiser.’
Her mother nodded. ‘And how’s the Los Angeles decision? Your father and I will miss you terribly, but it’s a fun offer.’
Sera sucked in a weary breath. ‘I’m still weighing it up.’
‘What does Toby think?’
‘About what?’
‘About everything.’
‘Well, he hates Ethan. And he kissed me the other night at your place, so there’s that.’
Her mother immediately put her hand in the air and called over the waitperson. ‘We’ll need some prosecco please.’ She pointed to the menu. ‘This one.’
‘Mum. I have work to do.’
‘It’s for me, darling. You just told me you finally kissed Toby. I need to celebrate.’
A laugh bubbled from Sera’s throat. ‘Mum!’
‘Where did he kiss you?’
‘On your balcony,’ Sera deadpanned.
Her mother tutted. ‘Don’t be facetious. Where on your body?’
‘The lips. His lips kissed my lips.’
Her mother clapped excitedly. ‘This is wonderful. Can I tell your father?’ She rummaged in her handbag.
Sera’s hand shot out and snatched her mother’s phone away. ‘No, you cannot tell Dad. And how is it wonderful? It’s the furthest thing from wonderful. It’s weird and confusing and… weird.’
The waitperson poured Sera a glass of prosecco, and she picked it up and took a large gulp.
‘Don’t guzzle, darling.’
Sera rolled her eyes. ‘Anyway, he explained it. He didn’t mean to do it. It meant nothing. We were fighting and he was angry and lashed out.’
‘Oh yes. Your father always kisses me in a fit of rage.’
‘Now who’s being facetious? Anyway, it obviously didn’t matter because yesterday, he had a date.’
Her mother pursed her lips. ‘With whom?’
‘A woman he knows.’
‘Oh, darling. What a pickle.’ Her mother topped up both their glasses and called for the waitperson. ‘I think we’re going to need another oneof these,’ she said pointing to the bottle. ‘And could we have the cheese platter?’
Sera instantly regretted saying anything to her mother about her best friend planting a kiss on her, or how he had gone on a date, or even her annoyance at Ethan going away without any notice. Her strange new need to blurt everything out was a never-ending parade of backtracking and embarrassment. And she was sure her mother had only ordered the second bottle of prosecco to make her interrogation easier. With so much bubbly wine coursing through her veins, Sera didn’t stand a chance.
Her mother now knew all about the premiere disaster, her arguments with Toby and how she suddenly found him way more attractive than she used to. She even knew about all the times she’d kissed Ethan and a few other details that made her mother hold up a hand and shake her head in a futile attempt to stop her daughter talking.
‘I think you have a bit of soul-searching to do,’ her mother said.
‘I knooow that, thank you very much. I’mtrying. But why do they have to be so ridiculoushly hot?’ She’d started to slur.
