Page 74 of People Skills

‘What’s your rock bottom?’ he asks while we stand in line.

I consider lying, or saying something vague, but something about James makes me want to tell the truth.

‘My boyfriend helped to get me fired from my dream job and I had to move home with my parents,’ I say.

He raises his eyebrows.

‘Now, see, that’s a good, proper rock bottom. Xavier has nothing on us.’

‘He really doesn’t,’ I say.

‘He thinks he’s this black sheep in the family, this tortured artist. He always has,’ James says. ‘You know his book was based on me?’

‘The Bird House?’

‘No, the weird one no one likes.’

‘The Deep?’

‘Yes. When were teenagers, we went diving, and I came up too fast and got the bends. That’s where he got the idea from.’

‘He never told me that.’

‘He likes to pretend all his ideas are original. The worst part is, he made the character unattractive. Like he really kept mentioning how unattractive he was. He couldn’t have made the character based on his own brother good-looking? It’s the least he could have done.’

‘I don’t think the character was actually meant to be you.’

‘Yes, but if I was going to tell people it was, I needed him to be good looking or good in bed or something.’

‘How does Ettie fit into all this?’

‘Classic eldest daughter.’

‘Right. I understand her plight. I also have two younger brothers.’

‘She’s annoyed at Mum right now.’

‘She is?’ This is news to me.

‘She thinks Mum cares more about Xavier’s issues than her pregnancy.’

‘Oh. Well.’ I pause. ‘She cares about both.’

‘But which one does she care about more?’

‘I’m not sure.’ Hillary has not mentioned Ettie’s pregnancy for the last few weeks, which probably answers the question.

I pay for the groceries, and we walk back outside.

In the car, I turn to him. ‘What do you think is going on between Hillary and Graham?’

‘I really don’t know. It’s fucked-up.’

‘Maybe they will actually get back together.’

James groans. ‘Don’t even think it. It would be a disaster. And Xavier would not cope with that.’

‘Why not?’