Page 109 of The Moon Also Rises
“Then maybe don’t tell anyone anything about us breaking up, okay?”
There’s a beat of silence.
“Rami, do you…Arewe dating?” Jake asks tentatively.
“Would you like to be dating?”
“Wouldyoulike to be dating?”
“Are you going to keep answering questions with questions?”
“Areyou?”
“If I stop, will you stop?”
“That was a question, wasn’t it?”
I groan. “You’re ridiculous!”
“So are you!” he says and we laugh together.
“Rami,” Jake says in that small voice again. “Seeing as your dinner plans have so very rudely been cancelled, would you like to come over and have dinner with my sister and Marty?”
I’m so grateful he can’t see how brightly my smile beams down the phone. “I’d love to. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
*****
Marty and Jenna give me my first pansexual panic in years. First, there’s the way they look – his lean height, angular features and dazzling dark eyes, and her swaying curves, full lips and freckled nose – but also just the way they are with each other. They’re practically always touching, regularly finish each other’s sentences and their faces light up as they watch the other speak. And finally, it’s how they are with me, and in a very different way, how they are with Jake too.
With me, they’re attentive but not creepy, inquisitive but not nosey, and are quick to laugh at any weak attempt at humour I make. With Jake, they are kind and loving. Jenna literally has a different laugh that she uses when Jake makes her giggle and I count Marty winking at his partner’s brother more times than maybe some people would find comfortable. I’m not even sure what I think about him calling Jake ‘Sweet Cheeks’ but it makes Jake smile and that’s fast becoming all that matters.
I’m enjoying myself thanks to such good company, and also thanks to the fact I get to watch Jake move around his kitchen cooking and preparing food that already smells incredible. When Marty insists on helping Jake and begins chopping an onion with a finesse that surprises me Jenna notices my shocked expression.
“He’s a professional chef.” She leans over the table towards me.
“That will explain it,” I say, just as the music gets louder and promptly changes to ABBA’sGimme Gimme Gimme.
Wine glass in hand, Jenna grunts softly. “And that’s just his terrible taste in music.”
“ABBA is one of the greats,” I say in response.
“You like music, Rami?”
“Love music.” I remind myself that that’s an innocuous thing to say. Lots of people love music.
“Jake told me all about you DJing at Lionel’s wedding. What an awesome thing to do! Where did you learn to DJ?”
I suppose people can know how to DJ too without it meaning they were once a multi-million selling artist and producer. “My father, a little bit. And then mostly self-taught.”
“Oh, yes. And I think Jake mentioned your dad has passed. Sorry to hear that,” she says with real concern in her eyes that I notice are the exact same shade of chestnut brown as Jake’s.
“Thanks,” I mumble and take a quick sip of my tonic water, the one Jake grumbled about pouring for ‘the bingo-hall going Grandma’ I apparently am even though he added a slice of lemon and ice cubes unprompted.
“Does Jake…” Jenna pauses and shuffles a little closer to me. “Does Jake ever talk much about our father?”
Her question is unexpected, and I have to quickly mentally search through our conversations to answer. I choose not to mention our Daddy Issues conversation. “Not really. Just that he lives in Scotland, and they don’t see each other much.”
Jenna chews on her bottom lip. “Hmmm, yeah. That’s pretty much it. I had hoped it would change as we spent a few Christmases up there recently but then Jake came to Dublin last year and I don’t think he has plans to go back this year, unless Marty and I do.”
