* * * * *
Margaret Thompson glanced at Peter and Jayden from where she stood in the kitchen, armed with a knife and chopping board. She wondered what they were doing, sitting there for almost an hour now, staring at the BlackBerry that was on the coffee table. It looked as though they were daring it to ring, so intense they were at their task. The air was thick with tension and anticipation.
The telephone on the side table beside Peter shrilled out, causing the two men to jump. They glanced at each other. Peter ignored the ringing phone beside him that seriously demanded his attention and leaned closer to his BlackBerry. A second later, the continuous buzzing was starting to annoy the men. They both frowned at the damn thing and demanded it to shut up.
Peter said, “Mum, aren’t you going to get that?”
Margaret looked up, her green eyes peering above her spectacles at Peter, her red hair bright and glowing under the light. “I’m busy, Peter. Aren’t you going to pick it up?”
“I’m waiting for an important call, Mum,” Peter said, signifying that this could be a life-and-death situation.
“Well, your call must be very important, then,” Margaret retorted, shaking her head. She wiped her hands clean with a towel and rushed to pick up the receiver. Meanwhile, the two men turned their attentions back to the BlackBerry that refused to give any sign of an urgent incoming call.
“Hello, Margaret speaking,” she said, heading toward the kitchen. A short pause and then, “Hello, Alex dear, how are you?”
The two men snapped their heads up and zeroed in on the phone in Margaret’s hand. They both jumped up at the same time and rushed toward Margaret, who was oblivious to their eager advance and was chatting animatedly to Alexandra.
Peter raced up and intercepted his mother. “Mum, Alex?”
“What?” Margaret asked, clearly confused. “Of course it’s Alex. Wait! What are you doing?” she snapped as Peter tried to seize the phone from her hand. “Don’t you dare! I’m talking to Alex.” She shoved the phone away from him.
“No, Mum, this is important,” Peter begged.
“What is so important? It’s only Alex,” Margaret said, the phone up in the air and away from their reach. “Besides, I haven’t talked to Alex for ages.”
Pete snatched the receiver from his mother simply because he was taller. “Sorry, Mum, you can talk to her later.” He placed the receiver against his ear. “Alex? That you? It’s Pete here.”
“Oh! Hey, Pete.”
“So what is it? What’s your decision?” Pete asked as he eyed Jayden, who looked rather nervous all of a sudden.
“Look—um—I’ve been thinking—I’ve—I’ve decided to help Jay.”
Peter grinned and motioned a thumbs-up at Jayden, winking at the same time. Jay nodded and smiled.
Margaret saw Peter winking cheekily and shook her head as she went into the kitchen. She said loudly, “Why don’t you invite her over for dinner?”
“Who? Alex? Okay,” Peter said and then to the phone. “Great, Alex. Good decision. Listen, why don’t you come over for dinner?”
“Oh, okay. I’ll be there in a jiffy. Bye now.”
“Bye,” Peter said and hung up. The two men laughed.
Margaret saw and raised an eyebrow. She wondered if Peter was trying to set Alex and Jay up. She hoped so because that sweet girl deserved a fine young man like Jayden.
“She’s coming over,” Peter shouted to his mum.
Jay said, “I still haven’t forgiven you.”
“About what?” Peter asked innocently.
“About that lie. I’m not gay.”
Peter chuckled. “Hey, bro, I know you’re not, but it’s the only way to get her to change her mind. She feels sorry for you. You ought to be pleased with that.”
Jay took a seat and leaned back against the comfortable sofa. “Yeah, I suppose I should.”
* * * * *
CHAPTER 5
The room suddenly felt awfully small and the air so thick Alex had to sit down and take deep, slow breaths to calm herself.
It’s done. She had agreed to Jayden’s proposal, and her stomach still hadn’t stopped fluttering. She wondered what it would be like to live with her Mr. Hot-Choc for two long weeks and to see him every single day.
Oh, shoot! Had she just referred to Jayden as her Mr. Hot-Choc? Oh God! What was she thinking?
Shaking her head at her silly thought, she rushed up and busied herself trying to find clothes for a quick shower. As she headed to the bathroom, she shouted, “Mum, I’m going out for dinner tonight.”
“Will you be late home?” her mother asked from the kitchen.
“No, I won’t. I’m only going to the Thompsons’,” she replied.
“Great, say hi to them for me, won’t you? Oh, we’ll have to give them some of our lettuces and silver beet.”
“Yeah, sure. I’ll pick them after my shower.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll do it.”
“Okay,” Alex shouted and then shut the door. When she was out and ready to leave, her mum grabbed her attention. “Don’t forget this.”
Alex got the plastic bag full of lettuce and silver beet as she said, “Thanks, Mum.” She glanced at her dad in the La-Z-Boy chair, now reading the Otago Daily Times. His face wasn’t as pale as before.
“Bye, Dad.”
Jacob looked over to his daughter. “Drive safely, won’t you?”
“You know I do,” she commented and came over to kiss him on the cheek.
“Good girl.”
“Hey, I want to come,” Emma said over the many scattered papers and science books on the dining table. Her dark curls were in a wild mess, and her brown eyes were sparkling with hope as she looked at Alex.
“No, you may not. They only invited me. There will not be enough food for everyone if you come along.” Alex teased.
Tim, his eyes narrowed as he glanced at his younger sister, said, “Get back to your homework, missy. Otherwise, you won’t get into Uni with your laziness. All you think about is food.”
Emma poked her tongue at her brother, telling him to bugger off. Then turning back to Alex, she said, “I don’t eat that much. I’ve been told I’m too thin anyway.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Alex mumbled. She turned to her mom and gave the woman a peck on the cheek. “Love you.”
“Love you, sweetheart,” Mali said.
Ten minutes later, Alex parked her Toyota Corolla in front of the Thompsons’ house and got out. She rushed to the door and rang the bell. As she waited, she gazed at the beautiful view before her.
The Thompsons’ house sat on top of a great hill that overlooked the harbor and the city below. On days like this one, though slightly breezy and cold, the view was spectacular. There was the turquoise blue of the glistening water, the dark blue of the clear sky above with the occasional clouds scattering here and there, and the stunning green of the hills with dots of houses on the other side.
The door opened. Alex glanced up, smiling and expecting to greet one of the Thompsons. But it was not any of the Thompsons who stood there at the door, grinning down at her. It was Jayden.