Jack textedme at about five, asking if I could be ready by six fifteen instead of six thirty. I knew Chloe wouldn’t be arriving until seven, so I figured he must have finished work sooner than expected, and I knew exactly why he wanted me early. I rushed through my tasks for the rest of the day, more than willing to make them Monday Morgan’s problem so that I could steal away to my boyfriend’s house for a quickie.
I mean, hewasmy boyfriend, right? We hadn’t used those words, but something about “If you want me, I’m yours” and spending every night together gave off serious boyfriend vibes. I made a mental note to clarify the terminology with him, just as soon as I’d had my second orgasm of the day.
Jack and I had to prioritise the efficiency we’d joked about earlier, but wejustmanaged to get each other off again before Phil knocked on the door. Helpfully we were already on the sofa, so I hurried to pull my pants back on as Jack buttoned his trousers and walked to the entry.
“Why was your door locked?” Phil asked as he walked in with a bag of food in one hand and a tray of takeaway cups in the other.
When he came around the corner to see me sitting on the sofa, no doubt looking extremely guilty, he froze for a moment, his eyes darting back and forth between Jack and me as he worked through the clues: two people moving apart suddenly, one with mussed hair, the other with the top of her dungarees undone, throw cushions cast onto the floor.
When it all clicked into place, he threw his hands in the air like his football team had scored, and several chips launched out of the bag; miraculously the cups stayed securely in the tray.
“Finally!” he yelled, just as the door clicked open again.
“I’m here!” came Chloe’s voice, and she rounded the corner to see Jack standing over me at the sofa, and Phil looking like he’d just scored a goal.
I watched Chloe’s face carefully – I wasn’t worried about her reaction, per se, but I was interested to see just how she’d react – and I was disappointed when, instead of smiling or squealing as she was wont to do, she frowned.
“Ah, shit,” she said, walking over to Phil. She dug through her bag, producing a five- pound note and handing it to him. “I’ve been keeping that on me since my birthday, you know. I really thought they’d hold out on telling us until the Ren Faire.”
“Nah,” Phil said, napping the bank note in front of him before pocketing it. “No way they were keeping that secret for more than a month. You guys only made my deadline by a couple of days, so thank you.”
“I’m sorry,” Jack said, and I looked up to see him staring at them with his mouth agape. “Youbothknew about this?”
Chloe laughed. “Please, you two have been making googly eyes at each other for months. This was an inevitability.”
“I would have known even if I hadn’t been there,” Phil said, setting the food down on the coffee table.
Chloe punched him on the arm. “I’m sorry, you werethere? You didn’t tell me that!”
“It was even at your birthday,” Phil said tauntingly, and Chloe groaned.
“Nobody tells me anything,” she said.
Jack and I looked at each other disbelievingly. If there had been any part of us that had been nervous about this, it was long gone.
“Well, we’re telling you now,” Jack said.
“Fat lot of good that does,” Chloe replied, rolling her eyes. She slumped down on the sofa next to me and put her head on my shoulder, where Jack patted it. “Congrats, I guess.”
“Thanks,” I said, leaning my head on hers. “Very touching.”
“Listen,” Phil said, coming to sit on the other side of me, leaving Jack without a seat. His house had been designed for three at a time. “Since you’re here, I’ve actually got some Ren Faire stuff to show you.”
“Ooh, yes please,” I said as Phil pulled out his phone.
“Here’s the chain mail,” he said, pulling up a picture of what finally looked like a shirt. “We’ll have to spray paint it like I said, but we’re getting there.”
“That’s incredible,” I said, thankful that I wouldn’t have to lug around a fully metal shirt all day. I was sure I was more capable now than ever, with the adventure-packed summer I’d had, but I didn’t relish the idea.
“So are you two like, boyfriend-girlfriend now?” Chloe asked.
“I mean…” I started, tilting my chin back to look at Jack.
“You okay with that?” he asked. He held my gaze softly, like he was just asking me if I wanted a cup of tea.
“Yes,” I said. “I am.” He smiled gently, his eyes wrinkling in the corners like I loved, and he pressed an upside down, Spiderman-style kiss to my lips.
“This is all very sweet,” Phil said, “but if you’re going to be a part of film night, you have to take a turn on food. I can’t keep buying these stupid expensive burgers every three weeks.”
