Chapter Seventeen Nico
Chapter Seventeen
Nico
‘Hi, Lee.’ Luke shoots to his feet as we approach the table. ‘Good to see you again.’
I narrow my eyes. He seems a bit too eager for my liking, but his warm welcome has Lee’s shoulders coming down.
‘You haven’t met my sister Kat or our friend Mei yet, right?’ he continues, making the introductions. Lee smiles shyly at the other two women, but Kat bundles her straight into a hug.
I wince and Mei rolls her eyes underneath the blunt cut of her dark fringe.
‘Kat, release,’ Mei says firmly, like she’s talking to Taco when he’s chewing up one of my shoes.
‘Sorry!’ Kat pulls away from Lee, who looks a little flustered. ‘I forget not everyone is a hugger.’ She beams at Lee. ‘I’m Kat and I’m obsessed with you already. I need to know where you got those boots, and this coat!’ She strokes Lee’s sleeve reverently. ‘I’m dying over this coat.’
‘Kat,’ Luke sighs.
‘Okay, yes.’ Kat pulls back again with a rueful look in her eyes. ‘I’m doing it again. In my defence I have had two of Darlene’s strawberry margaritas and I’m tipsy.’
She’s still smiling as she eyes Lee expectantly.
‘Um, I think the boots are old Ralph Lauren,’ Lee says finally.
‘Dang!’ Kat exclaims. ‘I knew it was too much to hope for that you’d say you got them from Target.’
‘What’s Target?’ Lee asks, shooting me a worried look.
Kat gasps. ‘Oh, you poor, sweet child. You don’t know what you’re missing out on. Don’t worry, I’ll take you.’
‘Thanks,’ Lee manages, but a small smile tugs at her lips. Maybe Kat’s steamroller approach is actually going to pay off. It would be nice for Lee to have friends if she’s stuck here for the next few weeks.
Mei leans over and holds her hand out for Lee to shake. ‘I’m Mei,’ she says, ‘I’m tonight’s designated driver so I’m nursing one beer and unfortunately not tipsy at all.’
‘Not that Mei talks as much as Kat even when she’s hammered,’ Luke puts in, earning himself a shove from his sister.
We all take our seats and Kat holds up her glass. ‘Okay, a toast to the newlyweds!’
‘Do they count as newlyweds if they’ve been married for a year?’ Mei muses.
‘I think if you found out you were married less than a week ago, you should definitely qualify for newlywed status, right?’ Lee says, her posture still stiff.
‘We shouldn’t have to miss out on our honeymoon period just because we got so drunk we didn’t know we were married.
That sort of thing could happen to anyone. ’
‘That’s right,’ I agree as the others laugh and again I watch something like relief flicker across Lee’s face. ‘In fact, I think we should still be able to register for gifts at this point. There’s a crêpe pan I’ve been eyeing up.’
‘Please god, no more pancakes,’ Lee groans before smiling at me. It’s a real smile, one that shows off her dimples, and it feels like a wave of sunlight falling across the table.
‘You said you liked them,’ I protest, trying not to look flustered.
‘I said they had a unique flavour,’ Lee corrects me. ‘And you knew exactly what that meant.’
‘A very polite way of saying they tasted like sewage?’ I ask.
‘Exactly.’
When I laugh and look away from her it’s to find the other three members of our group watching us with avid interest.
‘All this British banter,’ Kat swoons, and Lee blushes. I think for a moment she’d forgotten it wasn’t just the two of us. I know I had.
‘Please don’t try and do the accent,’ I grimace. ‘I haven’t recovered from Art’s Victorian chimney sweep moment.’
Luke grunts in agreement.
‘Congrats on surviving your first town meeting, Lee,’ Mei says. ‘Was it everything you imagined it would be?’
‘There were a lot more bird-related issues than I’d anticipated,’ Lee says diplomatically.
‘Fucking Russell,’ Kat murmurs into her cocktail glass. ‘Talk about ruining the mood when I finally got Tyler back to my place last week.’
‘Can we not get started on your sex life?’ Luke groans.
‘I’m not going to have any sex life if Russell has anything to say about it,’ Kat grumbles darkly into her drink. ‘I swear that bird knows when anyone’s about to get lucky.’
‘Frankly, I think if he stopped you from sleeping with Tyler, Russell’s doing a community service,’ Mei says, and she and Luke tap beer bottles in their own toast.
‘That guy is the worst,’ Mei tells Lee in an exaggerated whisper.
‘Listen, not all of us can accidentally marry a hot single dad in Vegas,’ Kat says and takes another sip of her drink. ‘It’s slim pickings out here.’
‘Actually,’ Lee pipes up, ‘my friend was saying that we’re basically a marriage of convenience trope.’
‘Yes!’ Kat hoots.
‘What do you mean a trope?’ I ask.
‘Like a romance novel,’ Kat puts in, as if that clears anything up.
‘He’s also…’ Lee leans in towards Kat, ‘my brother’s best friend.’ She half whispers the words like an admission of guilt.
‘Nooooooo!’ Kat yells, clearly delighted. I have no idea what the fuck is going on, but as Lee seems to be relaxing and enjoying herself and she and Kat are bonding, I have no problem with it.
‘So you two go way back, then?’ Luke asks.
‘Yep.’ Lee sips her drink. ‘I’ve known Nico since I was five.’
‘Okay,’ Mei rubs her hands together, an evil glint in her eye, ‘so you have all the good embarrassing stories.’
‘Please tell us that Mr Smooth here had an awkward adolescence,’ Luke says and settles back in his seat.
‘Oh yes,’ she replies. ‘Let’s begin with the saga of Tansy Bennet and Nico’s ill-advised foray into amateur BMXing.’
‘Let’s not.’ I choke on a laugh. I can’t believe she even remembers that. Fortunately, I’m saved from that particular story by the arrival of Randall with a giant plate of loaded nachos. As we all dig in, the others pepper Lee for more details and she seems to relax more with every answer.
‘Shall I get us another round?’ she asks, a little shyly, a few minutes later.
‘Yes!’ Kat exclaims, twirling her finger in the air. ‘Let’s keep this party going.’
When Lee disappears into the crowd, Kat reaches across the table and grabs my hand.
‘I’m sorry, but I have a massive crush on your wife.’
I choke on the last of my beer.
‘Join the club,’ Mei says. ‘She’s gorgeous… and that accent! She’s so hot.’
‘So hot!’ Kat echoes.
I look at Luke, who smiles and shrugs. ‘You’ve got to admit that she’s a very attractive woman.
’ My face must do something that I’m not in control of then because his smile widens and he holds his hands up in a gesture of surrender.
‘Objectively speaking, man. I’m obviously not going to hit on her when she’s married. ’
‘Good,’ I say, and the word comes out a lot more snarly than I’d anticipated. ‘Let’s keep it that way. Lee’s off limits,’ I gesture to them with my empty bottle, ‘to all of you.’
‘Oh my god!’ Kat hisses, leaning in again, her eyes darting over her shoulder to make sure the coast is clear. ‘Nico. Do you have a massive crush on your wife?’
If I had any beer left, I’d be choking again. I actually wish everyone would stop referring to Lee as my wife all the fucking time.
‘Lee?’ I laugh. ‘Of course not. We grew up together, I care about her a lot. She’s… like a little sister to me.’
‘If you really felt that way, you wouldn’t be going all growly caveman about Luke,’ Mei says. ‘He’s a genuinely good guy and a catch.’
‘Thanks, Mei.’ Luke lifts his drink in a small salute.
‘If I wasn’t exclusively attracted to women, I’d have locked him down years ago,’ Mei continues breezily.
‘The point is,’ I say stubbornly, ‘Lee is doing me a huge favour. It’s a complicated situation and I’m not going to make it any worse. And neither are you,’ I say firmly, shooting all three of them a pointed look. Luke flashes me a boy scout salute, but Mei and Kat only smirk.
‘Sorry, it took a minute,’ Lee reappears, carrying a tray full of drinks.
‘Hey, Randall,’ Kat catches the man by the arm as he speeds by, ‘will you take a photo of all of us to commemorate Lee’s first night?’ She brandishes her phone at him.
We pose for the photo and when Randall hands her phone back, Kat coos over the picture, leaning over to show it to Lee.
‘Such a good one of all of us, even if the lighting is terrible,’ Kat says.
‘Yes, we need Nico to take one on his proper camera.’ Lee sends me a quick smile, and my heart sinks.
‘Oh!’ Kat exclaims. ‘Nico, do you have a fancy camera or something?’
A line appears between Lee’s brows. ‘What do you mean?’ she asks. ‘Nico’s an amazing photographer.’ When everyone looks blank, she carries on uncertainly, ‘It’s his job.’
‘I thought you were a contractor?’ Mei says slowly.
‘I am a contractor,’ I agree, and there’s a hard knot of anxiety making its presence felt in my chest. ‘I used to take photos but I don’t anymore. It’s not a big deal.’ I take a swig from my fresh beer bottle.
There’s an awkward silence, and Lee is looking at me like I just sprouted a load of tentacles and declared I’d arrived from a different solar system.
I quickly turn the conversation to other things, and the rest of the night is relaxed and mercifully uneventful.
By the time we leave it’s late, and we make the short drive home in silence. Lee looks out the window, clearly lost in thought. I remind myself that, however overwhelmed I’m feeling, she’s been through a lot more today.
‘You must be exhausted,’ I say, as I open the front door. Taco leaps up to greet us, running straight past me as if I don’t exist to dance around Lee’s feet. He lets out several excited yips, then rolls over while Lee crouches down to rub his belly.
‘I am also here,’ I say dryly, but they both ignore me.
‘I’m not feeling too bad at the moment,’ Lee says, her attention on my dog. ‘My body has no clue what time it is, and I guess it’ll all hit me soon. I’ll sleep well tonight.’ She straightens up and gives me a smile. Taco parks himself next to her feet, gazing worshipfully up at her.
I clear my throat. ‘Hopefully, I will too. I usually hate it when she’s gone, but at least I can crash in Phoebe’s room tonight.’ I’m definitely looking forward to sleeping in a real bed; I’m not twenty anymore and the sofa did a number on my back.
I walk towards the kitchen. ‘Do you want a drink?’ I call over my shoulder.
‘Um, just a glass of water, please.’ Lee comes to perch on one of the stools at the breakfast counter and Taco retires to his bed where he can curl up and still keep an eye on her. ‘Does Phoebe stay with Magda often?’
‘One or two nights a week.’ I pull a glass down from the cupboard.
‘It’s good for them to have the time together, but with the inn being renovated, Magda’s moved out to one of the other cottages and there’s not as much space as she’s used to.
’ I fill the glass from the tap and place it in front of Lee.
‘We’ve all been trying to work out the right balance.
She had a whole life with Magda and Tom before I came along so it’s sort of like shared custody. ’
Lee wraps her hands around her water glass. ‘It’s complicated,’ she says quietly, ‘trying to do what’s best for her.’
I lean against the other side of the counter.
‘Yeah. I hate it when she’s away,’ I admit.
‘I’ve missed too much time with her already…
I feel so guilty whenever we’re apart. And then sometimes I think I hold on too tight because of that.
I’m struggling with making decisions for her.
Like this thing with her skipping a grade…
I don’t know what to do. Magda thinks she should, but I’m not so sure.
What if I choose wrong and fuck up her life? ’
If I sound freaked out, it’s because I am. ‘What do you think?’ I ask.
‘Oh, I’m not sure it’s any of my business…’
‘You’ve been there,’ I point out. ‘I’d like to hear your opinion.’
Lee exhales. ‘Honestly? I don’t think my experience would necessarily be the same as hers, or that all of Phoebe’s future happiness will ever boil down to a single decision.
If Phoebe wants to stay where she is and that’s your instinct too, then trust it.
You can always revisit it later if it becomes an issue.
You don’t need to have it all figured out right now. ’
She’s so calm and steady, and the relief that I get from having someone I know and trust to talk about this stuff with is out of all proportion.
‘Nico,’ Lee says tentatively after a moment.
‘Hmm?’
‘Where’s your camera?’
The change of topic throws me for a second. I gesture towards the bedroom, trying to keep my words easy. ‘It’s in storage somewhere. I don’t have much need for it at the moment.’
‘I know you said you couldn’t work like you had been…’ Lee says carefully, ‘but I didn’t realise you weren’t taking pictures at all.’
I shrug, helpless. ‘I have to be here for Phoebe.’
I don’t know how to explain it to her, but maybe Lee understands anyway.
Her gaze softens, and she bites her lip as if physically stopping herself from saying something.
My eyes are on her mouth. I want to run my thumb along her bottom lip.
I want to tug it free from her teeth and claim it with my own.
I want it with an intensity that leaves me shaken.
There’s something crackling in the air, an atmosphere that fills the room, like the minutes before a storm hits. I don’t know when I started feeling so out of control around her, when being around Lee turned into some sort of extreme sport. It feels thrilling, it feels… dangerous.
As if she’s thinking the same thing, Lee takes a step back.
‘You know, I am actually pretty tired,’ she says. ‘I think I’m going to head to bed.’
‘Of course,’ I cough. ‘Let me know if you need anything. I’ll be…’ I gesture towards Phoebe’s room. Then I turn and grab my own glass from the cupboard, keeping my hands busy so that they don’t reach for her.
‘Okay, goodnight,’ I hear her say.
‘’Night,’ I reply, but I don’t look around. I don’t watch her disappear into my bedroom, getting ready to climb into my bed.
Because there’s only so much a guy can take.