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When I return, she is sitting cross-legged on the couch typing away on her laptop, surrounded by a stack of paperwork.
‘What’s all this?’ I grab the mug of builder’s tea she’s made for me.
‘Cads, contracts and compliance that should’ve been finished on Friday. I’ll move later if someone is coming over tonight?’
‘Nah, I’m too knackered.’
She immediately zeros in on her laptop. I watch her place a pencil between her teeth, type a couple of notes, grab a sheet from her stack, liberate the pencil and start writing. Tea isn’t going to see me through the afternoon.
‘Want a beer instead?’
‘It’s three o’clock!’
‘…On a Sunday. The entire country started in the pub at noon, so if anything, we’re behind.’ I see her waver.
She nods, so I grab a couple of beers and plonk myself next to her on the sofa. I pick up some of the paperwork.
‘This looks complicated.’
‘Words too big for you?’ she teases, gently easing the papers out of my hands.
I’m not in the mood to work, so I distract her instead. ‘Your mum is ridiculously hot!’
‘Maybe you can pop her on your booty-call list.’ She smirks.
Look at Little Miss Sassy. Going home and being around her family has clearly relaxed her.
‘No way. She’s the one you want to drag down the aisle and marry before she changes her mind. I wouldn’t want to take your dad on, though. You’re him through and through. Neither of you are easily pleased.’
‘You’re not the first to have made that observation.’ She smiles, like any daddy’s girl would. ‘What’s your family like?’
I flinch. I should give her the full story so she understands how easy life is for her. ‘Where to begin? Let’s go with poor and stupid.’
‘Seriously, what are they like?’
I get up to grab another beer; I’ll need it. ‘I grew up so poor that everyone on our street had rats and cockroaches apart from us, because even the rodents judged us.’ I laugh, and she rolls her eyes like she doesn’t believe me.
‘Do you have siblings?’
‘I have a sister, Kayleigh, and a brother, Curtis. They’re both older.’
‘Are they still in Liverpool?’
‘Oh yes.’
‘What do they do?’
‘Well, Kayleigh’s permanently pregnant. She’s got about five kids from goodness knows who. The last time we caught up, she was trying to get on a TV show for a paternity test and a nice day out. Curtis is currently serving at the pleasure of His Majesty.’
She blinks rapidly.
‘Yes, Ariella. He’s in prison. They exist.’
‘Oh my goodness. What for?’
‘Take your pick. Theft, arson, GBH, assault, drugs…he’s a criminal polymath.’ I intentionally omit the hate crimes and lifelong National Front membership, just like my father. I don’t want to scare her.
‘Your parents must be so proud of you.’
