Page 21 of One Hot Summer

I watched as my naked boyfriend got out of bed and put on his clothes. I seemed to have gotten over my fear of the exposed penis in daylight. No longer did I mind seeing it walking around my bedroom in all its morning glory.

“I’ll see you downstairs then.” He smiled as he pulled up his pants and made his way out the door.

As the door opened, in came Bing.

“Hey, little man,” I said, holding my hand out to him. He ran over and rubbed his face in my palm, purring. “Aw, I missed you too. Sorry for kicking you out of the bedroom last night. It’s just, you know, three’s a crowd.”

I heard my phone bleep with the sound of a voicemail. I grudgingly threw back the duvet cover and got out, slipping on my dressing gown, which I found in a crumpled heap on the floor. Searching through my bag, I found my phone and listened to the message.

“Jennifer, it’s your mother. Why aren’t you answering? I assume you’re back in the country by now. Call me back.”

There’s nothing like hearing the maternal and loving voice of one’s mother. I thought about ignoring it, but she’d only call back again. And again. And again, before sending my brother around to look for me. I may as well get it over with.

“Oh, she is alive.” My mother’s warm greeting never fails to amuse me.

“Buongiorno,” I say, in my most Yorkshire accent. Perhaps some Italian culture would impress her.

“You got my message then? I’m impressed. It usually takes three calls, a voicemail and a Hogwarts owl for you to get back to me.”

“Well Bing ate the last owl you sent, and the RSPB tried to sue me, so, what’s up?”

“Your brother is having a barbeque at his house next Saturday. Just a small family do. I hope you’re coming.”

“He sent me a message about some kind of gathering last week. I said I’d be there.”

“And Zack? Will he be coming?”

“I don’t know, Lady Mother. Is he invited? I can ask him.”

“Of course he’s invited. Your brother hasn’t met him yet, and it is about time he did. Make sure he comes too.”

“Okay, but you’ll be nice, right?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” she said, in her most innocent voice.

“So, you weren’t dropping hints that summer would be a wonderful time for a wedding when you last saw him?” Zack found it hilarious, luckily, but I was less than amused when he had filled me in later.

“Oh.” She paused. “He told you about that? That was just a big misunderstanding. A miscommunication. I was just saying, this summer is meant to be the best in over a decade. It would be nice for a wedding. I didn’t mean you two, specifically. Any couple who might be planning some nuptuals, that’s all.”

“Just promise me you’ll be tame. No more talk of weddings or babies, and I’ll see if he’s free to come along.”

“I promise. It starts at one o’clock. Next Saturday. Their house. You’ll be there?”

“I’ll be there. Now I have to go, I’ve got things to do.”

“One o’clock.”

“I’ll be there. Oh, wait, actually, next Saturday?” I jested. “I’d planned to get a huge tattoo on the back of my–”

“Jennifer…” She could go on Britain’s Got Talent to demonstrate her skills in vocal tone change.

“I’ll be there.”

It was almost midnight and I was still wide awake. Zack was asleep next to me and Bing was curled up between my feet. I couldn’t stop thinking. Zack had said yes to coming with me to my brother’s gathering the following week. He was looking forward to meeting my brother, but I was dreading the whole thing. Andrew and I have always gotten along. As sibling relationships go, we had a good one. We never really fought as kids and I always covered for him when he was majorly hung-over after a night out so our parents wouldn’t suspect. Of course, he returned the favour when I started going out too. In fact, by then, he took me under his wing and showed me the best places to go. He was quite the lad back in the day, but Elizabeth put a halt to that when they got together. He no longer goes out drinking with his mates, he’s not allowed to eat processed meats, and he had to sell his favourite leather jacket because ‘leather is cruel’. She gifted him a faux-leather jacket to make up for it. My mother slapped me on the leg when I pointed out that it was made from plastic, and so was more harmful to the planet than the genuine article.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like Elizabeth. I liked her a lot. We had known each other for a long time. We even went to the same school, in the same year group. We weren’t in the same circle of friends, but we’d always got on really well. She did go through some odd phases though. My brother always tried to justify them on her behalf, because he loved her, but I know my brother and he doesn’t wholly convince me that he is on board with her ideas. I know he still grieves for that leather jacket. If they ever did get a divorce in the future, I’m certain he would pin the beginning of the end to that moment he handed it over to the guy who bought it on Facebook Marketplace.

It would be great to see my nephews, Sam and Ethan, again. They’re close in age, but such different characters. To Sam, I am the cool aunt. We play games and his laugh is infectious. His little brother Ethan isn’t sure about me yet though. He must get that from my mother.

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