Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 116999 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 585(@200wpm)___ 468(@250wpm)___ 390(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116999 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 585(@200wpm)___ 468(@250wpm)___ 390(@300wpm)
Now that’s a punishment I can get behind. Literally. Although it will have to wait until after our first real couple’s outing. Outing in every sense of the word, as we’re on our way to Ben’s eighteenth, where I plan to stand with my arm linked proudly to that of my male partner’s, in front of my technically-still-wife, children, friends…Becca’s mum.
What could go wrong?
Chapter Twenty-Two
William
“You’re not coming in,” Laurence tells Ned, who pulled up behind us in the car park behind the cricket club. “You know that, right?”
Expression as stoic as ever, Ned shrugs. “No intention,” he says.
Laurence grunts, storming away from Ned’s car with more attitude than my teenage son, who in the eyes of the law is now an official adult.
“You know why he has to be here,” I explain, rubbing Laurence’s shoulder. “I’ve talked to my kids, but it’ll only take one of their friends to text one of their friends, and so on, and we could end up with a real crowd out here.”
“Which is why I should go back to a hotel. This is your son’s night. I don’t want to cloud it.”
Taking his arm, I pull him to one side, around the corner from the entrance. “This is practically the same argument as we had in the car. This is my world, and I want to share it with you. As for Ben, he knows about Ned. He knows what could happen but probably won’t. I talked to him and discussed it with Becca, and everyone is fine with you being here.”
“Fine?” he repeats.
“Come on, Laurence, you can’t expect Becca to be pissing her knickers in excitement to see us together, but she’s trying, you know.”
“Right. Of course. Aye.” His eyes pinch as he looks up at the sky, and his top lip gets sucked between his teeth.
“Look at you,” I say, smoothing out his lip with my thumb. “My big shot movie star who walks red carpets all over the world, all nervous about a teenager’s party in a hometown cricket club.” Chuckling, I peck a quick, chaste kiss on his mouth. “So cute.”
“Get away,” he says, laughing. “I’m nae cute. I’m sexy. Check BuzzFeed, that’ll tell you. I feature on multiple lists.”
“Oh really? You come first?”
His face falls. “Beaten by Jamie Dornan, Idris Elba, and Henry Cavill, but that’s nae the point.”
I tilt my head, flash my best sympathetic smile. “Aw, well, you’re second to me. That’s all that matters.”
He starts to smile. “Wait…second?”
I raise my hands, start walking backwards, ready to lead him into the function room. “Come on…it’s Idris.”
The look I get in return tells me I’m going to be working overtime trying to earn that forgiveness later, and I can hardly wait.
The room Becca and I hired is through a set of heavy doors and up a flight of stairs. I feel out of sorts guiding Laurence, him trailing a couple of steps behind. Usually, I’m the one with a mouth full of cotton wondering what he’s about to walk me into. The music vibrates under our feet when we reach the first floor and it’s in this moment my own nerves kick in, because it’s real now. I can hear it. The party. The people. And they’re going to see me. Us. Together.
“You ready?” I ask Laurence, although, really, I’m allowing myself an extra moment to shake out the tension in my shoulders.
He proffers his hand towards the door. “Lead the way.”
One, two, three… Palms flat on the wood, I push it open before I can talk myself out of it and thrust myself into the classic family knees up feeling as if my forehead has just lit up with the words, I’m gay. For a moment, I’m too scared to look up from the worn burgundy carpet in case anyone can see the neon sign etched above my eyebrows, but then I feel fingers spike through mine…and I could take on the fucking world.
“Is this okay?” Laurence asks before closing his hand around mine.
I squeeze his fingers, lift my head and smile. “Yeah. It’s okay.” I see now that people are staring, although they’re trying to be discreet about it, only it’s not me or the imaginary sign on my head they’re captivated by. It’s the movie star holding my hand. “Looks like you’ve got a few fans in here.”
Becca’s influence is palpable amongst the younger guests, who try so badly to hide their glances and whispers behind their drinking glasses or hands. My kids’ friends have very clearly been warned, and I can almost hear her saying it. Don’t embarrass yourselves, kids. He’s just a man. The funny thing is Laurence’s movies aren’t marketed to a teenage audience and I doubt a single one of them has watched anything he’s starred in. They’re simply suffering from that weird fascination we all get upon seeing a face from the picture box enter the real world.