Page 39 of Fake Rocks
“So you’ve had a fantastic weekend with someone and now suddenly you want to settle down?” Jonas started to put the pieces together.
“Well, I’m not ready for the whole marriage and kids thing, but I have no inclination to head out with Troy Carson or any of the other bad boys in my extensive portfolio.” I was half joking about the choice of guys I could have. My phone was full of numbers. But, actually, after this weekend I honestly wasn’t interested in any of them.
It seemed strange to think that a week ago, when Jonas had threatened me with ending the recording contract everything had turned on its head.
TheSB had a new drummer and we were going to be making new music.
And I had Tris.
Life was good.
22
Tris
The bathroom off the kitchen provided me with the perfect breathing space. Everything seemed to be happening so quickly. A little over a week ago, I’d arrived at my uncle’s with nothing and now I had a job and, it appeared, a girlfriend.
Even if it had come about in the strangest of ways.
I was aware of Saff’s reputation when it came to men.
Would I end up as another notch on her bedpost when she got bored?
When she got what she wanted from Jonas in terms of the recording contract would she dump me?
Was I worrying unnecessarily and should I simply live in the moment and enjoy whatever happened?
It wasn’t like I didn’t deserve a little bit of happiness.
I went back into the living room and hovered awkwardly, not quite knowing where to sit or what to do. Saff and Jonas were chatting about something music related I didn’t quite understand.
My phone pinged with a message. It was Uncle Col asking how the weekend had been and what time I’d be home. Aunt Annie wanted to know whether to cook dinner for me. I was pretty sure Saff wanted me to stay tonight.
“I’m going to call my uncle,” I said. “Let him know I’ll be here until the morning.”
Jonas’ gaze flitted between Saff and me, his eyebrows raised.
“If that’s okay with you, Jonas?” I added hastily.
“You should know by now Saff does what she pleases and who she asks to stay over is really none of my business.”
Saff punched him on the arm. “You make it sound as if I have a different guy here every night.”
“Up until recently you did.”
I was sure Jonas was joking. Fairly sure, at least. Shaking my head, I headed back to the kitchen.
Having spent most of the past week there, it was probably the room in the house I felt most at home in. I surveyed the work we’d completed: all the cupboards and units were installed; the oven and hob were operational—not that either Saff or Jonas appeared to have any inclination to cook—and the floor tiles were laid. The last thing we had to do in there was finish up the painting. That job was earmarked for tomorrow. At least I could make a start if Uncle Col had any problems with traffic.
“Tris! You didn’t need to call. A message would have been fine. You know what your aunt is like when she’s cooking.”
Given what had happened last night and how I hoped things were going to pan out, I figured a message wouldn’t cut it somehow.
“I’m not going to be home tonight. I’m going to stay with Saff.”
“Right, I thought it might be a bit late for you to come back, really. You’d only have got through the door then we’d be coming back again.” Uncle Col chuckled.
A wave of nervousness overcame me. It shouldn’t be difficult to tell him about Saff and me. But he knew it was meant to be a temporary, not to mention totally fabricated, situation. For him to hear things had moved on pretty rapidly would likely come as a shock.
