Page 138 of Falling for You
He dodges the door expertly. ‘All right?’
I grab another towel and give my hair a rough rub.
Stevie picked up this odd expression almost as soon as he moved to London. I tried to ignore it at first, but when he started answering almost every phone call with an ‘all right?’ I had to stand my ground. Was he asking me a question? Or telling me he was okay? Commanding the conversation? I couldn’t tell and it was driving me mad.
Anyway, I told him how ridiculous it was, but he was having none of it. Now I think he says it more on purpose just to annoy me. A rookie error on my part. Never tell Stevie that something he’s doing annoys you unless you’re willing for him to start doing it tenfold.
‘Yeah,’ I say, choosing to believe that on this occasion, it is meant as a question about my wellbeing. ‘Good, you?’
Stevie nods and I hear the kettle start to bubble. Stevie also adopted the addiction to tea when he landed in the UK ten years ago. I head into my boxroom and pull a sweatshirt and pants on, then follow him into the kitchen.
‘All good,’ he says, peering inside the cupboards. ‘Although we have no food in.’
‘I can get us take-out,’ I say, pulling out my phone. ‘Oh, while you’re here, shall we call Mom?’
Stevie keeps his eyes fixed on the cupboard. ‘What, now?’
‘Yeah. We keep missing each other all day and I know she’d like to hear from us both.’
Stevie closes the cupboard door and turns his back to me, now facing the sink. ‘I can’t, I’ve got some stuff I need to do.’
I pull a face at the back of his head. ‘Like what?’
‘Also,’ he turns to me and walks out of the kitchen, ‘I’ve done you a favour.’
I look up from the reams of delivery options on my phone.
Burger, Chinese, Indian … it’s just like New York.
‘I’ve got us invited to a party.’
‘No thanks,’ I say, looking back at my phone as I follow him into the living room. ‘I’m good.’
‘It’s tonight,’ Stevie is saying, as if I hadn’t spoken. ‘A masquerade ball.’
‘Sounds horrible.’
God, that looks like a good burger. Twenty pounds, though, including delivery – that feels like a lot.
I really need to get to grips with how much things are supposed to cost here. I feel like I’m walking around with ‘Hey buddy, I’m a friendly American, scam me!’ stapled to my forehead.
‘It’s basically like black tie and dresses and then we wear a mask. Or, like, fancy dress.’
‘Right.’
‘It’s a PR event for a huge perfume or something. They’ve hired performers and everything.’
I look up at Stevie, leaning against the doorframe. ‘Are you performing?’
He shakes his head. ‘No, not my kind of performing. But I know one of the girls who has been booked and she was given a load of tickets to, like, fill up the event.’
Okay, I think I’m going to have to get this burger. I don’t care if it’s twenty pounds and I’m being ripped off; I’m starving and it looks great.
‘Well, have fun,’ I say, plucking my bank card from the coffee table.
Stevie raises his eyebrows at me. ‘You’re coming, Nathaniel. This wasn’t a question.’
I smirk. I know Stevie is serious when he full-names me.
