Page 27 of The Weight Of It All
I looked at my half-eaten salad. “Oh. It’s good. How’s yours?”
She bit into her chicken salad wrap and made a half-committed assent type noise. “Hmm.”
“They said they could tell I’d been dieting.”
Melinda swallowed her food. “You can. Your suit hides a lot, but you can tell around your face and neck.”
“Oh.”
“That was a compliment, Henry.”
I grimaced. “I know. Compliments make me uncomfortable.”
She smiled as she bit into her wrap. When she’d finished eating, she said, “Anika called. You’re going out tomorrow night.”
“Am I?”
“Have you ever won an argument with Anika?”
“Good point.” I closed the lid on my empty salad container and set the fork on top of it. “What time and where?”
“Seven o’clock at The London.”
The London was a popular hotel within stumbling distance to my place. Which is where we frequented when it was my turn to get shitfaced. “Did she elaborate on the occasion?”
“She said it would be Friday and you hadn’t heard from Graham about his belongings.”
My stomach turned and my heart squeezed. “Oh yeah. I forgot. Maybe he’s busy.”
Melinda made a thoughtful face like him being busy was a possibility. “Or, maybe he’s a selfish arsehole who did you a favour by leaving.”
I sighed. “I take it you and Anika had a little chat.”
“Yes. She’s bringing BBQ starters and lighterfluid to your place on Saturday morning for a ritual burning of what he left behind.”
Me, I thought sourly.He left me behind.
“She also said you’ve been conversing with your personal trainer more than is required, and I might have mentioned your smile and mood this morning when you arrived.”
I gasped. “Oh no you didn’t.”
“Yes, I did.” Her poker face was frightening. “I said I hadn’t seen you smile like that in a long time.”
“There’s nothing going on between Reed and me. I’ve told Anika this, and I even explained the island called I’m Not Ready For That, which I’m currently stranded on.” I sniffed. “And just because Reed and I talk and text and spent a few hours at the food market together, doesn’t mean anything. He’s a nice guy, he’s helping me achieve my goals, and he likes food. We have things in common. That’s not a crime.”
The corner of her eyebrow flicked again, but her lips remained pursed.
“And just because we’re both gay and he’s gorgeous and the size of a fridge, doesn’t mean anything either. Two gay men can have a platonic relationship,” I whispered across the table. “It’s not all about sex. And anyway, he’s so far out of my league, we’re not even on the same planet.”
She stared at me for a long uncomfortable second. “You finished convincing yourself yet?”
“Not even close. And you and Anika aren’t allowed to talk to each other anymore. I prohibit it.”
She rolled her eyes. “Really?”
“Yes.”
Melinda let out a long-suffering sigh. “You have a two o’clock with Lillian, and I emailed you the Kerual account file.”
