Page 10 of One Wild Night
I take off my borrowed nightdress and put on my clothes before heading downstairs. As I enter the kitchen, I realise that I’m the last person to get up. Everyone else is sitting around the breakfast table like one big happy family.
‘Good morning, dear, grab a plate,’ Trish instructs. ‘You’re sitting there, next to Dylan.’
‘Morning, babe,’ Dylan says, grinning like an idiot as he pats the dining chair next to him.
I just love that he’s finding his so funny. For some of us – mostly me – it’s a nightmare.
I do as I’m instructed and take my seat, because I am actually starving and the food does smell great.
‘It's nothing special, just eggs, toast, and porridge today,’ Trish points out. ‘We like to eat our own meat, from the farm, but it's in short supply when the weather is bad, so we have to ration.’
‘Oh, that’s absolutely fine,’ I tell her.
I’m not a vegetarian but, I don’t know, something about them eating their own animals makes me feel really put off,because I can’t imagine how it doesn’t feel a bit like tucking into your own pets.
As I settle in beside Dylan, I catch a glare from Kitty, her expression darkening as she shoots daggers in my direction through her narrowed eyes. God, she must hate me. I know that she shouldn’t, and it isn’t fair, and I don’t deserve it, but if I cast my mind back to when I was a teen, and I had the biggest crush on Robbie Williams I imagine I would feel similar (although hopefully not as crackers with it) to Kitty, if he and his girlfriend were staying in my house and eating breakfast with me and my parents. Bloody hell, think of the person you had a crush on when you were a teen, and then imagine being in that scenario. I would feel sorry for her if fear wasn’t the overriding emotion I felt when I looked at her.
‘Could you pass me the honey, please?’ I ask Dylan.
‘Honey for my honey,’ he replies in a voice that is even more sickly than the contents of the jar in his hand.
I remind myself to smile as I take the jar from him.
‘So, how long have you two been together?’ Trish asks. ‘You’re very cute together.’
‘It’s a fairly new development,’ Mikey dares to joke – of course, no one actually gets the joke but our lot.
‘Officially, yes,’ Dylan adds. ‘But we’ve been in love since the day we met.’
‘Oh, isn’t that lovely?’ Trish coos. ‘Kitty, isn’t that lovely? Don’t you wish you had a boyfriend like that?’
‘Yes,’ Kitty replies through gritted teeth.
‘I keep trying to set her up with one of the boys, from the farm next door, but she’s having none of it,’ Trish tells us.
‘Because I don’t want to marry a farmer,’ Kitty tells her. ‘I’m sick of telling you.’
‘Your mum married a farmer,’ Pat reminds her. ‘And that’s the only reason you’re alive.’
Oh boy, this is awkward.
I glance to the others, looking for someone to break the silence that has fallen upon the table. Mikey gives me a look, clearly reading my mind.
‘Well, the good news is that I’ve spoken to Mitch, our manager, and he says the label is arranging for transport that can battle through the blizzard to pick us up,’ Mikey announces. ‘The bad news is that they can’t tell us exactly when that will be. Hopefully as soon as possible though.’
‘Well, you all know that there is a place here in our home for you, until someone can come and rescue you,’ Pat reassures us.
The fact that he chose to use the word ‘rescue’ flags for me, but I’m not going to overthink it.
‘That’s very kind of you,’ Dylan tells him. ‘Hopefully we’ll be out of your hair, after today.’
‘That’s fine,’ Pat replies between mouthfuls of porridge. ‘We are, however, not a charity, so if you’re going to be staying here, you’re all going to have to pay your way.’
‘Oh, of course,’ Dylan replies. ‘Just let us know what we owe you. We’re happy to pay for your hospitality.’
‘We don’t take money,’ Pat replies. ‘Just an honest day’s work on the farm – that will more than suffice.’
Dylan cackles. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him laugh like that in my life. It starts out loud and wild before slowly tapering off into silence as he realises that Pat isn’t joking.
