Page 50 of The Moon Also Rises
“Firstly, I’m driving. Secondly, Rami’s not here. And finally, I didn’t call you to talk about Rami. I obviously called you to talk about me. You should know this by now.”
“Fine, what’s up?”
“Nothing,” I say in a quiet, lost voice. “Just hungover and grumpy, I guess.”
“Oh, that’s my favourite Jake to cheer up.”
“Well, go on then. Don’t keep me in suspenders…”
“Okay, well, this will make you smile. Marty and I are coming over! In three weeks actually. It’s sort of for our anniversary. We found some cheap flights this morning and just booked them. Please tell me you’ll be around.”
“Where else would I be? Will you be staying with me?”
“If that’s okay with you? It’s been forever since we spent proper time together.”
“We were all together at Christmas,” I point out.
“But that was months ago,” Jenna declares. “I used to have you all to myself all winter.”
“Well, that’s hardly my fault. You up and left for Dublin.”
“And as soon as I did that you promptly moved to London where I’d been living for twenty years previously!”
“Let’s just both say that timing is not our forte.”
“Agreed. Lucky for you, we will be there when it counts. Because we’ll also be over for your fortieth too. When will that be exactly?”
I groan and shove three Percy Pigs in my mouth so I don’t have to reply. Jenna takes the hint but doesn’t coddle me with it.
“You have to have a party, Jake. I didn’t do anything big for my fortieth and I really regret it.”
“What do you mean you didn’t do anything big? We sat at home and watchedMamma Mia!while eating our bodyweight in cheese and crackers. Apart from having to pause after every song so you could have a cry over Marty, it was delightful.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me. That was suicidal watching a whole movie with ABBA songs while we weren’t together.”
“Proud of you for the suicide joke,” I say wryly.
“Sorry, did that sting?”
“Not really,” I say but feel the lump in my throat.
“So, what’s the plan? I’m sure Derek and Harry have been on your case about it.”
“And everyone else. There’s practically a committee with membership badges.”
“Oh, I’ll have to send them a message and get myself included in the WhatsApp group.”
“Please don’t. They don’t need any encouragement.”
“Use it to your advantage. Tell me exactly what you want to do and I’ll make sure they do it.”
I want to do something that involves me spending no money whatsoever, because I don’t have any money to spend. “I just want to keep it small and simple.”
“Jake, do you have alcohol poisoning? Because you really don’t sound like yourself at all.”
“Parties are such a waste of money,” I try again.
“Who evenareyou?”
