Page 115 of Strictly the Worst

In the corner, my mom, Linda, and Julia are sitting together, gossiping. Francie and a couple of my nephews are sitting on their laps. My brothers are hanging out at the bar and their partners are dancing to Beyoncé.

And I’m standing on the edge of the pier, watching the reflection of the moon along the surface of the lake. My dad used to say that when the moon and sun could be seen at the same time, all your wishes could come true.

“Hi.” Tessa’s voice when she answers the phone makes my chest feel warm. “How was the wedding?”

“Good.”

She starts to laugh. “Is that it? No description of the bride, no gushing over their vows? What kind of flowers did they have?”

“If you’d been here you’d know.” Oh boy, that came out more pissy than I’d meant. “I’m sorry. I miss you.”

There’s a pause. “I miss you, too. Thank you for arranging dinner for Angela and me. She just left.” Which means Tessa is still at my place, alone. I insisted, because her place still isn’t habitable.

“It was a pleasure.” It was the most fun I had today. “How’s the clean up going?”

“Pretty good.” Tessa let out a breath. “By the way, Jared came to see me today.”

“Your ex?” I frown. “What did he want?”

“He found out that we stayed with you last weekend. He wasn’t happy.”

“Why did it matter to him?” I ask, feeling annoyed now. The thought of her talking to him makes my hands curl into fists. I’ve never met the guy but I dislike him intensely.

“He’s Zoe’s dad,” Tessa reminds me.

“When it suits him. I hope you told him off.” Or I will. Because I’m not letting that asshole come between us. Not when things are already complicated enough.

“I told him that if things get serious between us I’ll let him know.”

“What do you mean ‘if’?” I ask her. A bird swoops down into the water, creating ripples across the surface. “We are serious, Tessa.”

“It’s only been a few weeks.”

“We’ve known each other for years.”

“We’ve disliked each other for years. And that’s not what I meant. Please don’t get mad at me. Dealing with Jared was bad enough.”

“I’m sorry. I just don’t like the guy.” And I hate the idea of him being around her.

“Me either. But I have to co-parent with him. And sometimes that involves doing things I don’t particularly like. For example, talking to him.”

“I can talk to him for you. Just say the word.”

She laughs and it feels like music coming through the phone. “I know you could. But I’ve got this.” She lets out a sigh. “I wish I’d just come and hidden in your cabin. We could have spent tonight together.”

Why the hell didn’t I think of that? “Fuck. I should have gotten us a hotel room.”

“Yeah, but I did need to get some cleaning done. The living room is almost finished.”

“It is? Send me a photo,” I instruct her. “And make sure you’re naked in it.”

She laughs again. “I’ve been looking at your picture all day. I’ve never seen a man fill a tux so perfectly.”

“You should see me out of it.”

“I wish I could.”

I swallow hard, because if I thought I missed her before, now it’s at another level.

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