Page 43 of The Missus
‘Lovely, thanks,’ he said as she found him a glass. He sipped it. ‘Mmm, that’s the good stuff.’
My god, he was crawling up the woman’s arse. Keira didn’t even know what the hell he was doing here. Was he actually trying to get Alanna back? They’d been split a couple of months now. Surely, he didn’t want a reconciliation considering he believed her to be a cheating lesbian now, and not just someone he didn’t know how to give an orgasm to.
‘Ahh, is this Keira?’ asked one of the linen-trousered old guys, approaching. ‘Well, how do you do, young lady? Lovely to meet you. I’m Ed. Sandra’s husband.’
My god, Keira was surrounded. And no signs of Alanna. The only difference was this guy knew how to greet a human, at least. ‘Hello, Ed. It’s nice to meet you,’ she said.
‘Gosh, aren’t you a pretty thing!’ he said.
Was that creepy?
‘If Alanna hadn’t gotten to you first, I’d be introducing you to my niece. She’s a lesbian too,’ Ed went on.
No, not creepy. Just a bit clueless. But nice clueless. ‘Oh, well, thanks, that’s nice.’
‘Yes, I’m very au fait with the LGBLTs.’
Keira knew what he meant.
‘I think it’s just wonderful how people are about it these days,’ Ed said. ‘Do you know, I used to dabble myself in my school years!’ he declared.
‘Edward!’ Mrs Lennox cried, appalled.
‘Goodness me, I was just seeing what was what! I don’t see the big deal about it. Do you, Keira?’ Ed asked.
‘I don’t think it’s a big deal at all, no,’ Keira smiled. She was suddenly having quite a good time.
Mrs Lennox? Not so much. ‘Ed, for heaven’s sakes, no one wants to hear aboutthat sort of thingat our anniversary party,’ she hissed, glancing around to see who might have heard. But everyone was up their own arses, so she was safe.
Alanna appeared then. ‘Hello, everyone.’
Keira turned to see her, noted she was wearing a dress that made her legs look about a mile long, and thought,Did you NEED to look that hot today?
Mrs Lennox turned to her with venom that was really for her husband. ‘Well,so gladyou could make it.’
Alanna frowned. ‘Mum, I was at work. I did text you.’
‘Hullo,’ Benjamin said awkwardly.
Alanna turned to him. ‘Hi.’ She grabbed hold of Keira’s hand. Keira didn’t know how to react. She knew Alanna was just giving Benjamin a fuck you. Still, Alanna’s hand was extremely soft.
Benjamin noted the handhold, too. ‘Oh. Still doing that, are you?’
‘That?’ Alanna repeated sharply.
‘AmIthat?’ Keira joked. ‘Because if I am, she sure is,’ she added, trying to get into character.
Only Ed laughed. Alanna shot her a look she couldn’t decipher. But it probably meantTone it down,soKeira decided to keep her mouth shut for a bit.
‘Ooh, is that champagne?’ Alanna asked, dropping Keira’s hand to take a glass from a server with a ‘Thanks.’
Keira was furious about how disappointed she was to lose the contact. But she needed to keep her shit together. This party was complicated terrain. Many battle lines were being drawn at all moments. Keira hated this kind of passive-aggressive mind play. Typical middle-class people.
But she’d made an agreement, and Alanna had never (intentionally) let her down, so she had to do her best here.
Nineteen
Alanna checked the time. Her client was five minutes late. Eventually, he staggered in, a sweaty, bedraggled bearded man in his fifties. ‘Sorry, sorry, sorry!’ he yelled as he threw himself into a chair.
