Page 77 of Fever Dream
“I think thereisa tone. Archibald, darling,” she calls in the background to my father, “I think Harrison might have met an Australian.”
I hear shuffling in the background and can only sigh. “There is no tone.” My protests are weak to my own ears.
“Oh you’re right, Camilla,” Dad jumps in. “Thereisa tone. Who is this Australian then, son?”
“There is no tone and there is no Australian.” Lies. Blatant lies. But I’m not admitting this to my parents. They can suffer in ignorance with the rest of the world.
“Hmm, well, agree to disagree but I’m sure you’ll tell us when you’re ready,” Mum replies.
Dad jumps back in. “How is the physio work going? Everything good with your client, Casey?”
It’s only then I realise the door has snicked open and I eye Casey leaning up against the door. He’s smug and I still haven’t forgiven him. Especially as he saunters closer at the sound of his name and says, “Everything’s great with Casey.”
“Oh is that him?” Mum trills and I smell trouble on the horizon.
“It is,” Casey grins, scrunching his nose at me. “Hello Mr and Mrs Thornfield.”
“Oh hullo, Casey. Wonderful to meet you,” Mum exudes.
“Yes, hello there. We’ve heard rather a lot,” Dad adds.
“How do you find working with our Harrison?” Mum asks.
Casey sends me a grin, and I think I should hang up right now and just blame it on the phone company. “Oh he’s fantastic. Really exceptional with his hands.”
I pinch his hip and glare at him while he just grins back. Lucky he’s so fantastically gorgeous.
“Oh yes, that’s whatallthe boys said back at his old club.” That’s my mum, oblivious as a solar panel at midnight.
The grin Casey shoots me is pure joy. “I’msurethey did,” he enthuses while I choke on air.
“Anyway,” I cut in, desperate to salvage something of my sanity. “Casey and I still have a bit of work to do so we’ll have to move along.”
“Oh of course, darling,” Mum replies. “Well, tata then. Speak soon. Kisses. Hugs.”
“Bye, son,” Dad adds before I hang up the phone.
I glare up at Casey while he just grins down at me before sliding onto my lap, straddling my waist. I wish I had the willpower to say no.
“You never told me how adorable your parents are,” he says, hands landing on my shoulders.
“They really aren’t.”
“Oh they so are. So refined. I’m going to start incorporating their language into my vocab from now on.Tata, darling. I think that sounds great for me.”
“Please don’t.”
“Why? I think it makes me sound ever so posh.” He’s ridiculous. Really, he is.
“If it’s all the same, I’d really rather you didn’t sound like my mother. It might make me confused and affect my sexual attraction to you,” I point out.
“Really? You’d be so shallow?”
“I’m afraid so,” I reply, running my hands up his hips. “So, are we still having sex?”
“I don’t know. Who’s Charles?” Casey asks, eyebrow artfully peaked.
I sigh. “My ex.”
