Chapter Twenty-One
October 2024
Halloween was in full effect. Caz had decorated the front garden with skeletons climbing from graves and ghosts swooping down off the roof, much to Grace’s disapproval. She wasn’t a fan of such things, but it had always made Caz happy, so she’d shut up and let her enjoy it.
But getting home to find a full-on Halloween party she hadn’t even been invited to, taking place in the living room, was a bit much.
“ It was a graveyard smash ,” several voices sang out.
Grace breathed deeply, thrust her key into the lock, and was just about to go inside when a group of kids ran up the path screaming, “Trick or treat,” at her.
It made her jump, and she spun around just in time to get an egg thrown at her. “Too slow.”
They laughed and ran off.
“Fuckers,” Grace seethed, as yolk dripped down the side of her head. She got the door open just as Caz was dancing her way out of the kitchen with three bottles of lager in her hands, laughing as she joined in with the singing.
“ It was the monster ma —” Coming to a halt, Caz laughed nervously. “Oh, hey, babe, we’re just…” She spotted the egg and instantly sobered. “Are you alright?”
“Really?” Grace’s sarcasm dripped like the egg, her lips pursed, eyes staring hard at Caz.
She didn’t get to say anything further before Dani made her way out of the living room. “Hey, where’s those drin—oops,” she said, turning instantly and heading back into the safety of the lounge.
Grace looked through and saw Portia wearing a Frankenstein forehead hat, talking to two women Grace didn’t recognise.
Hot women.
The doorbell rang, and the standoff continued until Caz put the drinks down on the stairs and picked up a huge skull-shaped bucket filled with sweets.
“Um, I let the kids know they could knock,” she said, gingerly making her way around Grace to open the door. “I’d better answer it before the entire house gets egged.”
Grace picked up two of the bottles just as Caz glanced back quickly at her, before the doorbell rang again and she opened it.
“Hey, Gertie, wow, that’s such a fab outfit.”
Grace stomped up the stairs, mumbling to herself, “Supposed to be our home, not a bloody frat house.”
She’d already downed half of the first bottle by the time she’d slammed her bedroom door shut. It didn’t make any sense. Caz had never been the party girl, and yet lately, every other night was some kind of reason for her friends to be over, drinking beer and making too much noise.
She wasn’t a party pooper, but all Grace wanted to do after a long day was get home, have a bath, and relax in front of the TV with some dinner. Was that too much to ask for?
Pulling her hair tie out, she shook her hair free. Then she divested herself of the office uniform suit and blouse and pulled her dressing gown around her.
It was just gone six according to her watch, which itself was placed down on the countertop next to the bottles of lager.
She finished the rest of the bottle she’d started, picked up the second one, and left her room. A bath would still be good. Crossing the landing, she noted the music had stopped at least.
She closed the door and locked it.
Putting the second bottle down on the corner of the bath, Grace twisted the taps until she had the temperature she wanted, flowing as furiously as her temper. A healthy pour of her favourite bubble bath, and she finally unclenched her jaw.
Voices in the hall were muffled, and then the sound of the door closing gave the impression Caz had called an early night.
Just as Grace sank down into the water, there was a knock on the door.
“Grace?” Caz said gently. “I…uh…did you want dinner?”
Rolling her eyes, Grace sank lower, madder than she’d ever been in the entire time she’d known Caz.
But she couldn’t fathom why.
Was it the noise and the beer and the friends…or was it the two hot women she had never met before?