Page 22
Toni holds up the oat milk chai they picked up on their way. “Thought I’d bring you a little mid-shift treat.” She gestures at Luca. “Esther, this is Luca, our new drummer. Luca, this is Esther.”
Esther’s blue eyes flicker over to Luca. She looks a bit like a porcelain doll: perfectly falling blond hair, perfect eyeliner, a perfectly pleasant smile. “Hi, Luca.”
“Hey. Nice to meet you.”
Esther looks back at Toni. “Are you going to be home tonight?”
“Yeah. I told you, we don’t have practice today.”
“Right. I wasn’t sure. Sometimes they’re spontaneous.”
Toni frowns. Luca has the distinct feeling she’s missing something. “I’ll be there. We’re doing Mexican, right?”
“If you want,” Esther says. “It’s your final evening.”
Toni makes a face. “That makes it sound like I’m dying. It’ll only be three weeks.”
“And then another two.”
It’s at this point that Luca decides she shouldn’t be listening to this. With her hands in the pockets of her jeans, she strolls over to one of the display tables. While Toni and her girlfriend keep talking, she pulls out her phone and opens the group chat with her two brothers.
Henry:
hey
Henry:
r u free tonight?
Luca:
Mason:
Okay if we drop by to say goodbye?
Luca:
I still have to pack
Henry:
we’ll bring pizza?
Luca:
Henry:
why do u always text like a dad
Luca:
Your mum texts like a dad
Mason:
. . .
Mason:
