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“That’s lovely,” her mother said a little tightly. “It’s always nice to meet your friends.”
Rainne went to open the door of the bus before Alastair could knock.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he said as he looked up at her.
Before she could stop him, he put his hands on her waist, pulled her to him and kissed her hello.
“You must be Alastair,” her mother said behind them.
Rainne flushed as she untangled herself from Alastair.
“Pleased to meet you, Mrs Benson.” He held out his hand.
“Call me Joyce,” she said.
Rainne took his coat as her mother led him into the bus. Most people were disorientated by the lack of space when they came to visit for the first time, but Alastair seemed to take the experience in his stride. He sat at the little bar table against the wall of the bus.
“That smells great,” he told Joyce.
“I hope you like bean stew,” she said.
“I like anything,” he said with a grin.
Rainne poured him a glass of apple cider. She hadn’t felt this nervous since she’d brought her first boyfriend home as a teenager.
“You live in town, then?” Joyce said.
“All my life,” Alastair said. He looked at Rainne pointedly. “Can’t imagine being anywhere else.”
Her mother wiped her hands on the cloth beside the stove, pulled some plates from the rack over the cooker and started dishing up food. The small bells sewn into the bottom of her Indian cotton skirt tinkled as she moved. Rainne smiled nervously at Alastair who winked back. Once the plates were on the table Rainne went to tap her father’s shoulder and tell him dinner was ready. There was no point in shouting, he wouldn’t hear her if he was concentrating. He could block out the world when he was focused on his work. When Eric spotted Alastair at the dinner table he looked at his wife.
“Boyfriend, I think,” she said.
Her father grunted hello and sat to eat.
There was enough space for all of them, but it was tight. Especially with two tall men at the table. Rainne remembered how often they ate outside in the tent as a child. There was more space for a family of six around a table in the tent.
“What do you do?” her mother asked Alastair.
“I work in a fishing shop,” he said.
“He teaches fly fishing too,” Rainne said.
Alastair smiled at her as she fidgeted with her food.
“That’s nice,” her mother said. “But what do you do for the planet?”
Alastair looked at little confused.
“We’re at war, son,” Eric said.
A little snort of laughter popped out of Rainne’s mouth.
“Sorry,” she said. “You sound exactly like Lake.”
They both frowned at her, while Alastair looked a little confused.
“Lake has chosen his own path,” said her mother tightly.
