And that is clearlyawful.
Iam awful.
I’m lying to the most important people in my world.
I’m an idiot.
‘You okay?’ Libby, my sister, asks me.
‘Yeah, sorry, just a bit tired.’ I realise I’ve been staring into the distance, immersed in my guilty feelings.
Which is so stupid, because as I’ve already decided, this isfine; it was just a stupid idea, and I just won’t do it again, end of. It will befine.
I pull my attention back and focus on Libby and the others; I’m going to stop thinking and get on with enjoying their company.
* * *
Forty-five minutes later, the tennis tournament is done and we’ve all clapped Josh and Jameel (who played better and better the stronger his opposition got until he eventually admitted that he literallydidqualify for Wimbledon as a junior player).
My father and his two brothers have been basically pretty much ignoring everyone else the whole time since we arrived because they’ve been extremely focused on the incredibly important task of getting my dad’s barbecue exactly right.
‘Food’s up,’ he yells, and we all stand up to begin to make our way over to him.
Mum materialises at Nadia’s side and says, ‘Let me introduce you to my husband now he has some attention to spare.’ She indicates to me imperiously with her head that I should follow them and ushers Nadia in Dad’s direction. ‘Jim, this is Nadia.’
Dad squints at her and says, ‘Hello, Nadia.’
‘Tom’s new girlfriend,’ Mum tells him.
I manage not to wince and instead paste a smile on my face.
‘Hello,’ Nadia says. ‘Thank you so much for having me. The food looks and smells amazing.’
Dad preens a little. ‘If I say it myself, barbecuing is very much my forte and you should try a bit of everything.’
We all laugh and then, acutely uncomfortable about my deception, I say, ‘That steak looks amazing. Nadia, what would you like?’ hoping to avoid any more chat.
‘A bit of everything, please.’
‘Good choice.’ Dad’s beaming at her. ‘Where did you two meet?’
Nadia trots out the Waterloo story, pretty much my entire family overhear, and we all agree that under the clock will indeed become our special place.
Once we’ve done that, it’s actually all good; I concentrate on the (very good) food and drink and the conversation and, yep, it’s great.
It’s even good when, after we finish eating, my mother suggests that we all take advantage of the warm evening and late sunset and go for a dip in the pool, and Nadia says she doesn’t have a costume, and Mum obviously says not to worry she can borrow one, and Nadia, less obviously, says, extremely firmly, that she is fine thank you and will watch, and Mum, even less obviously, just says of course, she should do as she likes.
Because, as Josh and Jameel observed, Nadia really does fit very well into my family.
Which definitely does make the lie worse.
9
NADIA
What a very strange experience, I think, as Tom and I finally begin the walk across the lawn to leave his parents’ house.
His family are lovely. I liked them a lot. And I have been here under false pretences. Weird. Misrepresenting your friendship to someone’s devoted family is very different from misrepresenting it to your annoying colleagues, some of whom definitely don’t have your best interests at heart.
