Page 66 of Promise Me Ever After
Alex
How hadit come this far this quickly? Meeting the family?
Fuck.
I stood in my bedroom, trying to work out what to wear. Georgie had said it was a casual dinner at Darcy and Fraser’s, then nonchalantly mentioned her parents would be there too. Never, in my twenty-six years, had I met ‘the parents’. Well, at least not for a sit-down dinner affair. Sure, I’d seen a few parents when I’d scarpered from some girl’s house in the early hours of the morning. But nothing this serious. Desperate not to fuck this up for Georgie, I’d roped Curtis and Justin in for some advice.
Alex: What do I talk about?
Curtis: Keep it simple. Talk about the restaurant. Talk about your family. Mention how your mum works at the hotel. The wedding’s there, so that’ll be common ground.
Alex: Good idea. Work. The wedding.
Justin: Don’t mention any of your exes, hahaha.
Alex: Curtis, I remember when Amber brought you over for the first time.
Curtis: You were like a man with two personalities that night. Trying to still be my mate as well as Amber’s scary older brother.
Alex: I’m still her scary older brother. You EVER fuck her over and I WILL come after you.
Curtis sent back a series of laughing emojis.
Alex: I mean it!
Curtis: Yeah, I know you do. But I’d never do anything to hurt her. Maybe the next wedding you’ll go to will be ours…
Justin: Or mine and Lennon’s…
They were joking. Theyhadto be joking.
Justin: Just messing with you, lol
Curtis: Chill, man. Too soon for all that. Seriously though, keep things light. It’ll be fine. Gotta go, Amber says dinner’s ready.
I put the phone down on the bed, staring at my reflection.
The black jeans I’d put on would work, but what to go with it? Casual usually meant a t-shirt or a hoodie for me, but I sensed that wouldn’t cut it tonight. I thumbed through my paltry collection of shirts, a couple of white ones which I’d last worn for interviews, a grey one, which was missing a button, and a dark blue one. Selecting the blue one, I pulled it on and buttoned it up. I raked a hand through my hair, trying to make it look like I hadn’t just come out of the shower. My phone buzzed.
Georgie: Where are you? Mum’s already asking questions.
Rather than go together, I said I’d meet Georgie at Darcy’s place. Now I regretted the suggestion. Going in as a couple would have been way easier than me rocking up at the front door, late as I now was.
Alex: Leaving now, be with you in about fifteen minutes.
Georgie: Okay. Please hurry…
I grabbed a coat and bolted down the stairs, sticking my head into the living room. “Mum, I’m off. Don’t know what time I’ll be back.”
“Aren’t you staying at Georgie’s?”
“Probably. I’ll see you in the morning.” I blew her a kiss and headed off.
Halfway to Darcy’s house, the thing I did remember was that the bottle of wine I’d planned to take with me was still in the kitchen at home. It would take too long to go back and get it, so I stopped in the shop on the way, forking out another fifteen quid on a decent bottle of wine. I couldn’t turn up empty handed.
Closer to half an hour later, I rang the doorbell. Seconds later the door yanked open.
“Where the hell have you been?” hissed Georgie. “My mum’s been driving me crazy, telling me you must have bailed.”
