Page 156 of Terms Of Un-Endearment
Even though I’m the one who’s worked to preserve our relationship.
I’m staring at the waves when I hear Dex and Britta at the front door. If this is our last night together, I won’t spend it burdening them with my problems. Tonight is about the AFL match. It’s supposed to be a party. Tomorrow, I’ll decide what my next step is with Dad.
I meet them in the kitchen, where they’re setting four large paper bags from Kenzo on the counter. Britta’s cousin, Stella, follows behind with another bag.
“Good to see you again, Stella.” I give her a hug. I met her last summer. Even though she’s just moved permanently to LA, I haven’t seen her since.
“You too, Arch. Did you order everything on the menu?” She holds up her bag and nods to the four Britta and Dex brought.
I shrug. “I wasn’t sure what everyone would want. Thanks for picking it up.”
“You should have let me buy,” Dex says, a bit out of sorts. “I wouldn’t have over-bought. Most of this will end up in the garbage.”
He’s got a point there,
CanIafford to drop a thousand dollars on sushi? I could when I ordered it, but that was before my conversation with Dad.
I’m not ready to confront that particular reality, so when Rhys comes in, wheeling an esky with enough drinks for a much bigger party, I help myself to a couple of them.
“Where’s Piper?” Britta asks. “She’s coming, right? I want her to meet Stella.”
“I need friends here who aren’t old married people.” Stella tilts her head and raises an accusing eyebrow at Britta and Dex.
At the mention of Piper, the urge to talk to her returns with surprising force. My eyes dart in the direction of the front door, as though I could will her to walk through it.
“Dunno where she is. Work I reckon.” I pop open my beer and take a gulp, hoping to cool the heat rushing through me before Britta or Stella notice the flush burning my cheeks.
I walk away and focus on stuffing my face with sushi and beer. I tell myself it’s to keep from obsessing over the choices I have to make, but it’s thoughts of Piper that fuel every bite and sip. When Frankie texts to say her flight is delayed until tomorrow, I invite a few more Aussie surfer friends over. There’s plenty of sushi to go around and a bit more noise might keep my eyes from drifting to the front door, hoping to see Piper walk through it.
My plan fails. Every time someone shows up, and it’s not Piper, my disappointment grows.
When Piper finally comes through the front door, I’ve lost track of time, but the sun has set, and I’ve probably had one too many beers. She looks tired, but in a frustrated way, and I have the impulse to rush to her and ask what’s wrong.
I swing my feet to the floor, but the room tilts. Dex’s nutritionist didn’t allow him any alcohol in training, so I got out of the habit of drinking more than a beer or two every once in a while. That’s not the case tonight. As I make my way around the couch to where she is, I realize I’m a bit buzzed.
“Is Frankie here?” she asks when I reach her.
“Her flight got delayed until tomorrow afternoon.”
Her mouth pulls into a frown, urging me to fix it.
“Help yourself to some sushi and bevvys.” I wave my arm in the direction of the food and drinks.
Her nose wrinkles, and I have a vague memory of her not liking sushi.
“No, thanks. Raw fish…” she sticks out her tongue and shakes her head. I’m a bit chuffed that I remembered right. Maybe I know her better than I thought.
With one eye on the match and another on her, I grow uneasy as her eyes graze over the kitchen and her frown deepens at the island covered in open Styrofoam containers of sushi rolls, then the bin spilling over with bottles of Carlton Draught. After the kitchen, her attention shifts to the family room where rowdy surfers in board shorts and not much else are sprawled across the big couch, shouting at the TV.
I grow more uneasy as Piper’s gaze lands on Rhys, and her face lights up. I wonder if she still has a crush on him. I’m not keen on the feeling of jealousy that follows that idea. Then her eyes land on me—I’m amongst the shirtless, board shorts crew—and there’s a question in them.
Rhys drags his eyes away from the TV long enough to yell over the game, “Good to see you again, Pepper!”
“It’s Piper, mate! Not Pepper!” I call back, a bit defensively.
Her face turns pink. Possibly from excitement over a huge rockstar saying hello to her. Or it could be embarrassment that he got her name wrong. Either way, she’s staring at Rhys, looking a bit ga-ga.
Dex gets up from the couch to greet her. “Hi, Piper! It’s been a while.” He throws his arm around her shoulder in a side hug. Britta and Stella come inside through the open back door.
