Page 10 of Wrong Place, Wright Time
“I speak truth,” Theo says with a shrug from where he's standing, stirring something at the stove. “I don't know any other way to be.”
“And it's one of the things I love about you,” Darren says with a smile as they exchange an intimate glance before Theo turns my way.
“How's the bar?” he asks, glancing up from his stirring. “You want coffee?”
“Yes to coffee,” I say. “And the bar is great. Kind of runs itself these days.”
“Uh oh,” Darren starts, carrying a tray with a French press and ceramic mugs to the table. “That sounds like a man looking for something.”
“I'm fine,” I say, sitting where he gestures. “I guess I'm just a little restless.”
“Are you thinking of moving on? Finding a new challenge?” Darren asks as he presses down the plunger then starts pouring delicious smelling coffee into the three mugs.
I shake my head. “I don't want to move on. I love the bar. It's seriously my pride and joy, and I can't imagine not being the person who runs it. But, you know...” With the bounce of my shoulder, I add some cream to the mug Darren pushes my way then stir in half a spoonful of sugar.
“No, actually,” Darren says. “We don't know. So you'll have to enlighten us.” He waggles his drawn on eyebrows above his coffee cup as he takes a swig.
I sigh. “I want to settle down and have a family,” I admit, expecting Darren’s eyes to bug out but instead noting a quiet understanding inside them.
He sets his coffee on the table and nods slowly. “That’s understandable,” he says.
I rub a hand over my face and shake my head, looking out the window as I try to find understanding myself. I've always been happy with my life, happy in my own company. I enjoy that feeling of freedom where I didn't have to answer to anyone or take anyone else’s feelings into consideration whenever I made a decision. But now, it's like all I can do is think, ‘How would Isla react to this?’ ‘What would she like to do today?’ ‘How is she feeling?’ ‘What is she doing?’ ‘What can I do to make her life better?’ ‘Does she have a favorite color?’ and ‘If I paint my walls that favorite color would she be more likely to stay?’ The internal monologue seems endless and focused on only one thing. Making Isla mine.
“I’m gladyouunderstand it,” I say, half muttering against my hand.
“What’s not to understand? We’re all getting on in life—some more than others,” he says, his eyes moving over me to point out that there’s a five year difference in our age. I’m the one at the higher end at thirty-eight. “And it’s natural to trade career goals for life goals. We all want someone to spend our nights with, to grow old with, to have children and grandchildren with.”
“I don’t even know if she wants children,” I blurt, going stock still when I register what I just said.
“She?” Darren gawks. “You’redating?Who, pray tell, isshe?”
“Might as well give up the information now,” Theo says as he brings over three plates of eggs benedict on toasted bagels with a spinach and rocket salad on the side. “Darren is nothing if not relentless when it comes to gleaning information. He’ll cyber stalk you if that’s what it takes. So put the poor guy out of his misery. Actually, putmeout of any future misery, because you know he drags me along during all his hijinks.”
“You love my hijinks,” Darren says as he taps Theo against the chest.
“It’s true,” he says with a nod. “I’ll do anything as long as he’s smiling.”
“And that’s what I want,” I say, thanking Theo for the food. “I want someone to smile with and to spend quality time with. What’s the point of all this success if I don’t have anyone to share it with?”
“I agree, I agree,” Darren says. “But you still haven’t said who this woman is. I’m waiting here with Facebook on my screen ready to stalk away.” He turns his cell to me so I can see he’s serious.
“Isla Wright,” I say, biting the bullet and just laying it all out there. In my life, Darren has been the closest non-immediate family I’ve had considering we were both sent to live with our gran when our respective parents decided we needed ‘straightening out’. My straightening was based on the trouble I was getting in once I got to high school, and Darren’s was the fact he kept getting caught raiding his mother’s shoes and makeup. One of these things was not like the other, and one of those things could not, and should never have eventriedto be changed. But my cousin is powerful and persistent, and no amount of coercion was ever going to keep him from being his divine self. Me, on the other hand, definitely needed our grandmother’s strict guidance. It’s how I got my scholarship and changed my life for good.
"You’re interested in Isla Wright?" Darren balks, his eyes going straight to Theo's.
"As in Ash’s sister and Tanner’s cousin?" Theo adds.
"That's the one," I say, noticing the way Theo takes a breath and sits back against his chair.
"How many of these people are there?” he asks, and Darren nods along.
"Right? And how is it they’re managing to hook up with every single person we know?"
"I think that's a bit of an exaggeration," I say, chuckling as I take a mouthful of food. But I understand what he means. Supposedly there's six degrees of separation between almost everyone on the planet. But with Darren and the Wright family it probably feels like there's no separation at all.
"How did you even meet her?" Darren asks.
"She came into the bar with Ash when he was in town seeing Tahlia."
