Page 41 of The Last to Know

The doorbell rang, and the standoff continued until Caz put the drinks down on the stairs and picked up a huge skull-shaped bucket filled with sweets.

“Um, I let the kids know they could knock,” she said, gingerly making her way around Grace to open the door. “I’d better answer it before the entire house gets egged.”

Grace picked up two of the bottles just as Caz glanced back quickly at her, before the doorbell rang again and she opened it.

“Hey, Gertie, wow, that’s such a fab outfit.”

Grace stomped up the stairs, mumbling to herself, “Supposed to be our home, not a bloody frat house.”

She’d already downed half of the first bottle by the time she’d slammed her bedroom door shut. It didn’t make any sense. Caz had never been the party girl, and yet lately, everyother night was some kind of reason for her friends to be over, drinking beer and making too much noise.

She wasn’t a party pooper, but all Grace wanted to do after a long day was get home, have a bath, and relax in front of the TV with some dinner.Was thattoo much to ask for?

Pulling her hair tie out, she shook her hair free. Then she divested herself of the office uniform suit and blouse and pulled her dressing gown around her.

It was just gone six according to her watch, which itself was placed down on the countertop next to the bottles of lager.

She finished the rest of the bottle she’d started, picked up the second one, and left her room. A bath would still be good. Crossing the landing, she noted the music had stopped at least.

She closed the door and locked it.

Putting the second bottle down on the corner of the bath, Grace twisted the taps until she had the temperature she wanted, flowing as furiously as her temper. A healthy pour of her favourite bubble bath, and she finally unclenched her jaw.

Voices in the hall were muffled, and then the sound of the door closing gave the impression Caz had called an early night.

Just as Grace sank down into the water, there was a knock on the door.

“Grace?” Caz said gently. “I…uh…did you want dinner?”

Rolling her eyes, Grace sank lower, madder than she’d ever been in the entire time she’d known Caz.

But she couldn’t fathom why.

Was it the noise and the beer and the friends…or was it the two hot women she had never met before?

Chapter Twenty-Two

When she came downstairs, Caz looked around. Beer cans littered the coffee table. Now, she saw it through Grace’s eyes and sighed at herself.

The party hadn’t been planned. The electricity had gone out at work. Ron had given them all the afternoon off and she’d allowed herself to be dragged by Dani to the bar.

Dragged willingly, she had to admit, and maybe that had been her downfall. There had been a few nights with the girls over for pizza, but it had been a while since she’d really let her hair down.

They’d called Portia, who turned up with Dalilah and two women they were kind of hoping to date. Dani and Caz had never met either of them before. They were nice enough, though, and the afternoon had been fun.

She shook her head at herself and began picking up the debris. Then she kicked herself again. There was nothing for dinner. Had the tables been turned and Grace had come home early, she’d have thought about Caz and put together a meal for her.

Instead, Caz had treated the day like a party. And worse, she’d made Grace feel uncomfortable.

A timely reminder that this wasn’t just her home, was it?

“Dick move, Madden.”

Beer cans cleared, she ordered pizza and made sure the lounge looked immaculate just in time for Grace coming back down the stairs; hair up, fluffy slippers on her feet, and the big dressing gown over plaid pyjamas.

“Alright?” Caz asked tentatively as she watched her.

Grace ignored the question and walked straight past and into the kitchen with Caz following.

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