So I have my answer, he didn’t split up with Jen over me. What an absolute bastard. How could he do this in front of me?
Now I have to sit through this dinner in agony.
“What a lucky girl.” Mum cooes, pathetically. “Rebecca, you must help our Tristan also.”
“Right, now that we’ve sorted a wife for Danny, it’s time for dinner.” Tristan makes gestures for us to move out of the kitchen.
I force a smile and get up from my stool. Karl falls into step beside me. “Hey, gorgeous girl.” He puts his arm around my waist. “You ok?” “Of course.” I lied.
His face says he knows. He knows everything. Of course, he knows. Danny and Karl are close. How embarrassing. He must think I’m pathetic.
It’s good to see you, Karl”. This time I wasn’t lying. We take seats at the table, and I’m glad that Karl sits beside me. Tristan takes his seat at the head of the table, and the seats fill out, leaving one empty directly opposite me, which Danny takes.
The caterers haven’t just made the food; they’ve set his table in advance. We have four sets of cutlery resting on cut slabs of stone and three types of glasses, one for water, one for wine, and the third was anyone’s guess. There’s an elaborate centerpiece made from roses and other flowers I don’t know the name of. The napkins are made from a material that is better suited to a designer dress. There’s a monochromatic theme going on that I know is not by accident; he has paid a lot of money to make it appear casual, probably for my Mum’s benefit.
Tristan comes out with the venison starter. It looks suspiciously similar to the fancy restaurant where Danny paid for our meal.
We chorus our oohs and ahhs.
“A toast.” He stands at the head of the table, beaming around us. “To my amazing friends and family who have supported me these past 40 years.” “I’m not even 20!” Callie yells.
“To the next 40!” Jack shouts, raising his glass.
“To amazing friends,” Danny raises his glass.
We all take a drink.
“Did you get any nice presents, Tristan?” Rebecca smiles.
“Your weekend in Florence, of course.” He winks.
“Don’t forget your 6-month membership to Stringfellows from me.” Jack grins as my mother’s lips form a tight line.
He looks at him dryly as he takes his seat. “Thanks, Jack.” “And Charlie’s present, of course.” He raises a glass to me.
“What did you get him, Charlie?” Rebecca turns to me.
“What do you get the brother who has everything?” I laugh. “I got him a joke tie because I can’t afford where he actually shops and some aftershave that he’ll definitely put down the sink when we leave.”
“Oh, come on.” Tristan cuts in excitedly. “She’s leaving out the best bit.”
He looks around the table, building suspense. “She wrote me a beautiful song called ‘Brother.'” I blush as they all turn to me in surprise.
“How sweet!”. Rebecca gushes, clashing her hands together. “We have to hear it.”
“So you did find something for the brother that has everything.” Karl muses. “That’s a pretty cool gift.”
“It’s silly,” I murmur, fiddling with my knife. “It was the only thing I could think of that would be unique from me to him. I churned it out pretty quickly.” “And after dinner, we’ll get to hear it.” He adds.
“No, Tristan,” I groan. “In that case, I’m going to get so drunk you can’t possibly let me play it.”
“Absolutely not.” He pokes a finger in my direction. “I was worried sick on Wednesday when you didn’t reply to my text.”
“You need to reply to me, Charlie.” he berates like he’s scolding an impotent child. “Let me put a tracker on your phone for safety.” “Absolutely not!” I yell.
Mum’s ears perk up. “What happened on Wednesday?”
Callie sniggers. “Charlie got drunk, went back to some dude’s house, and vomited all over his bathroom.”
“She did what?” Mum barks as I fire Callie a nasty look.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Danny stiffen.
“Ignore her.” I continue glaring at Callie. “Callie, stop listening to my conversations.”
I turn to Tristan. “Tristan, I am not a child you need to protect, and no, you are not putting a tracker on my phone!”
Dissatisfaction plows his brow. “I don’t like you being out on blind dates. It leaves you exposed.”
“At least Danny can look after you on work nights out. You can stay close to him.” Karl looks at me innocently as he emphasizes the words. I choke on my wine.
“Good thing he was out on Wednesday evening looking after you.”
I wipe wine from my chin as Karl leans back in his chair, trying to hide his smirk. Grass.
What the hell is he playing at?
“Yes.” Tristan nods approvingly. “Make sure you go home with Danny, Charlie. The Nexus crowd drink too much, and there’s a lot of random attacks happening in London these days.”
Danny puts his scotch glass to his mouth, his granite expression focused on Karl. The drink hovers over his lips before he takes a large slug. “Danny?”
Fuck the Michelin star food. This isn’t worth the torture.
He looks between Tristan and me. “Of course, Tristan.” He responds, his gaze settling on me rather than Tristan. “I’ll look after her.”
I’ll never get through three courses of this.
Charlie
We are tipsy and talking loudly over one another by the desert course. There are four different conversations at the table that sometimes cross over each other.
Even Danny is relaxed and laughing.
A few times, his legs brush against mine under the table, and I wonder if it’s an accident.
Tristan had served up or, more precisely, paid someone else to serve up a storm. The extent of his work was letting the caterers in and showing them where the kitchen was.
Dinner was a complicated decadent beef wellington with trimmings followed by an even more labour-intensive baked Alaska that Mum turned her nose up at. I could read her mind. Too fancy.
I’m so full that I subtly open the top button on my jeans without anyone noticing.