Page 110 of Fix Them Up
Ren leaned forward and stole an olive from Liam’s plate.
‘So, Kat,’ Ren said, chewing. ‘We didn’t have a chance to catch up the other night when I –’ He searched for the word.
‘You turned up out of the blue after a year away in the depths of the Amazon?’
Ren pointed at Liam. ‘Exactly. What’s your deal, then? Dad said you’re from London.’
‘I’m from Reading. I live in London.’
Ren waved a hand. ‘Same, same.’
I raised an eyebrow. ‘Would you like it if I said you were Liverpudlian?’
Ren’s and Liam’s faces morphed into matching grimaces.
‘Are you moving up here?’ Ren asked. ‘Because we’ll be busy for the next few months. We’re hitting the ground running withthe restaurant. I went by the other day, and it looks like shit. We have a lot of work to put in –’
‘Ren,’ Liam said, his eyebrows pinched. ‘She knows. I’ve told her.’
Ren didn’t look convinced. He pointed his finger. ‘You might have spoken about it. But have you two thought this through? It’s not like you could do long distance, Liam. Even if you didn’t have the restaurant, you have Abi.’
Liam opened his mouth, but Ren lifted his palms. ‘I just want to know I didn’t fly all the way home to finally open this restaurant for you to go saunter off down south.’
‘I’m moving up,’ I announced.
You could hear a pin drop. Liam’s wide eyes met mine. Ren’s eyebrows rose.
‘And I’m designing the restaurant for you for free. So be nice to me, you little shit.’
Ren gave me a slow smile, then a quick nod.
‘Okay. That shut me up.’ Ren rose and tucked the chair back.
‘Hang on,’ I said. ‘This doesn’t feel fair. You come over here, interrogate me, then walk off. Don’t I get to hear any embarrassing stories about Liam?’
Ren’s eyes glittered, and he gave a smile. ‘What do you want to know, Kat?’
‘Ren –’
‘Do you want to hear about how he wet the bed till he was seven?’
My mouth fell open as Liam jumped out of his seat. Ren was grinning like the Cheshire cat. ‘Or how he couldn’t get a girl to go with him to prom, so he took our cousin –’
Liam hauled his brother halfway across the restaurant while Ren laughed manically. ‘Wait, wait. Liam – wait. I need to take your drinks orders.’ Ren held up his hands in surrender. ‘Come on, I’m not going to say anything else.’
‘Dickhead,’ Liam muttered as he reluctantly let Ren go and returned to his seat.
‘Katherine’ – he turned to me – ‘what is your favourite cocktail, and can I make you one?’
‘Oh—’
‘I presume you drink?’ Ren’s eyes shifted to Liam. ‘Unlike this one, who couldn’t be trusted.’
I scanned my brain for my favourite cocktail. I wasn’t sure I had one. I preferred beer, really. I racked my brain to come up with something, anything.
‘Has Frank got Guinness on?’ Liam asked; he glanced over to the bar.
‘Yes.’ Ren said.
