Page 21 of Game Changer

Lisa: Aoife left some last night before we went out. She said you sent them.

“I figured I’d call ‘cause it takes less effort than typing, I’m home alone anyway. Is it really noon? Why are you up at six a.m.? Aoife didn’t stay over – thank god. I spray-painted my bathroom in vomit at four o’clock this morning.”

“That’s quite the mental image right there, Lis.”

“You’re welcome. I’m never drinking again.”

“Uh huh.” AJ laughed. “Anything I can do?”

“Are you running off anywhere?”

“No ma’am, I’m all yours.” He winced as soon as the words were out of his mouth.

Except for the secret wife and all, obviously.

“Can you just talk to me? I don’t care what about. The friggin’ weather for all I care. I just like your voice and I can lie here and pretend you’re next to me, instead of five thousand miles across the world.”

I can almost hear the heartache in her voice.

AJ told her about his talk with Jeremy about money in an attempt to find some form of middle-ground for both of them on the issue. He couldn’t find a way to convey to her that money wasn’t really important to him. In his head, the fact that they were together meant that his resources were hers and vice versa. It was obvious that when he tried to articulate that it just sounded sexist and overbearing when he was really only trying to be nice. They ended up bickering about it and the relaxed chit-chat Lisa had requested had ended up in a headache for both of them. AJ regretted starting the conversation and couldn’t think of something else to talk about that would bring the conversation back to where they had started, so they sat in awkward silence, instead.

“I think I’m gonna be sick,” Lisa groaned.

“’Cause of the hangover, or ‘cause you think I’m a sexist pig?”

She laughed. “Yes.”

Oh, thank God.

“It’s going to take a while for me to come around on this one, Pim. Growing up, my dad was the breadwinner and my mum stayed home with the kids. I want a career and I want a family. I want my own money and I don’t want to be dependent on you.” She paused and quickly added, “Or whoever I end up with.”

AJ smiled. “I’m fine with all that. I just want to be able to treat you. I want to buy you things without having to dread butting heads with you over it. I don’t want to argue when I see something, think of you and buy it for you. I don’t want it to be a thing.”

Lisa sighed, “I’ll try, Pim. Can we talk about something else, please? My hangover is kicking my ass, I don’t need an overly-traditional boyfriend in the mix – we can circle back another time.”

“Is this your way of telling me to shut up?”

“Pretty much.”

“I’ll file it under ‘for future reference’,” he joked. “I gotta go soon, we have an early practice.”

“I’m probably going back to sleep. I might brave some toast later. Or might not. I’m never drinking again.”

“Sure you’re not. You had a good birthday though?”

“I did! The only thing missing was my loving boyfriend. Eef said she sent you pictures though. I dread to see what my Facebook is like. Did I drunk-dial you?”

“Yes ma’am, three times.”

“Awk fuck.”

“Don’t panic, you were cute. You kept telling me you loved me. It was kind of adorable.”

“Well, I do love you. So that’s ok. Coulda been worse, I coulda told you I loved someone else – which, for the record, I don’t.”

Or that you were married to someone else.

“What?”

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