Page 4 of River
CHAPTER 1
Four Weddings
River
The grass was a little damp when I leaned back on my hands. It was the end of April, and I’d just watched Maximum play his last rugby game of the season.
Now we were lounging around with some of his teammates and their girlfriends in the spring sun.
“Couldn’t you stay for the summer?” I asked Maximum. “I mean, if you need to get out of Dublin, come live with me in London for a while. God knows my house is large enough, and I could use your company.”
“Why? I always see you surrounded by people in the posts you share. Would you even have time for me if I came?”
“I’d make time.”
Maximum tore a bit of grass and shook his head. “If you want to spend time together, then come with me.”
“To Indonesia?
“Yes, you could do some of your YouTube videos from there, couldn’t you? I’m going to Bali this time. It’s beautiful.”
“Bruce invited me to go there once, but we broke up a few days before we were supposed to leave.”
“Bruce who?”
“The race driver that I brought to Lumi’s wedding?”
“Was his name Bruce?”
“Yes, but he might have introduced himself as Lannister.”
“I think he did, but I only spoke to him for a few minutes. Where were you going to stay in Bali?”
“A lovely Hilton resort in the southern part, but I doubt that’s where you’re going.” My last words were redundant, as Maximum never went to Asia for a luxury vacation. He always spent half his year volunteering in orphanages around the world.
“You’d be right. You know, River, it would be healthy for you to see something other than extravagance. You’ve been living in a bubble for far too long. Would it be so bad to spend just a few months working in an orphanage helping other people?”
I thought about it but didn’t get a chance to respond before Liam, one of our friends, came and joined us on the grass. Liam wasn’t as tall as Maximum and had a stout figure with a thick neck and broad shoulders. His blue eyes always had a hint of trouble in them, but I liked his humor and, on a few occasions, he’d behaved like a protective big brother to me when we’d gone clubbing as a group.
“That was some impressive work you did out there.” Liam patted Maximum’s shoulder.
“You too, although it would have been better if we’d won.”
"Awk… Don’t worry about it. We’ll get them next season. The lads and I are all just happy that you came back.” Liam’s tone turned playful as he winked at me while shaking Maximum’s shoulder. “Last season sucked when we didn’t have our Mammoth or our most beautiful cheerleader.”
Another couple of players came over. "We’re goin’ to the pub to celebrate. Ye comin’?”
“You want to celebrate that we lost?” Maximum asked.
“There’s always a reason to celebrate." Jacob, another friend and teammate of Maximum, grinned. Like Liam, Jacob had been close friends with both Maximum and Nathan, since they were teenagers, and over the years I’d come to consider them my friends too.
Liam made an agile movement that got him from a sitting position to standing. "I’m gettin’ a pint to cheer for this season to be over with. That means I won’t have to see all ye wankers three times a week.”
“If ye don’t want to see us, then why come to the pub with us? Jacob teased.
“To get a beer, of course.” Liam’s eyes shifted to me. “And to dance with River.” His flirtatious smile made me shake my head a bit.
“Liam, don’t! I’ve told you I’m not interested.”
