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Parks and I trade looks.
We walk into the dining room. Fucking love this room. Always have. It’s weird, not like our dining room at home. Both my parents come from money, Dad more so than Mum (Dad’s dad started the biggest supermarket chain in the UK, Mum’s dad was a barrister and her mother was a pretty renowned artist) but money nonetheless. But still, the way we grew up was so different. Mum cooked everything, Dad cleaned up afterwards. The dining room at home feels like a family dining room. I carved my name into the table when I was eight. Mum kept it there. Won’t let Dad get a new table.
The dining room here has always reminded me of that scene from Beauty and the Beast where they’re eating at opposite ends of the table. Huge table, huge chairs, massive room. Theatrically opulent. They have different china for different days of the week. Today’s the Wednesday set.
Parks’s favourite. Old Country Rose from Royal Albert.
Hate myself a bit for knowing that but she’s prattled on about it for years now, told me it wouldn’t be our Wednesday but our Sunday china.
Can’t wait for my Sundays with her.
Harley stands when I walk into the room, extends his hand. “You’re back.”
I nod once, smile. “For the long haul.”
I shrug off my jacket — Burberry — and toss it down on the chair before I give Arrie a kiss, then one for Bushka, then shaking the hand of the new boyfriend. (Nathan. Blonde, looks like a lifeguard. Very young.)
I turn to Mars and grimace a little. Her mouth pulls and she squints up at me before she takes my face in her both her hands. She glares at me but the edges are soft.
“Never thought I’d be happy to see your face but here we are—”
Magnolia nods, sits down next to me. “My shagging a gang lord was a real eye-opener for Mars. Things could be a lot worse than you cheating on me with my best friend and breaking my heart.”
I give Parks a look and she gives me a bratty smile.
“Could be worse, could be better,” Marsaili says, considering this. “Could have not cheated on her in the first place.”
“What?” I scoff. “And spare you the ride of a lifetime up on that high horse? Mars, I’d never.”
Toss her a big grin and Harley gives me warning eyes.
“Watch it…”
Parks looks from her dad to Marsaili, pointing between them.
“I don’t love this friendship.”
“We’re married,” her dad tells her.
“Well,” Magnolia tilts her head, “are you?”
“Yes,” Marsaili says with a nod at the same time Harley goes, “Literally, yes.”
Parks scrunches her nose up. “Perhaps maybe, technically, on some level, you are married—”
“The literal level.” Harley nods. “Yes.”
Parks ignores him.
“It’s just that sometimes when I’m not totally on board with this, I find it easier to categorise your relationship in my mind as purely friends.”
Harley flicks me a look, mostly amused, tiny bit alarmed.
He presses his tongue into his cheek for a second before he nods again.
“Yes, but darling, we’re actually married.”
Parks shrugs happily. “Agree to disagree then.”
