Kylie & Jack 1: Humble Beginnings

53. Changes

Saturday 29th Jun, 5:13 PM

What was supposed to be a girls night out, ended up being a couple's night in at Kylie and Jack's again. Jack fired up the barbie, cooking steaks, snags and kebabs while Kylie got everyone drinks.

It was a bitter cold evening so everyone huddled around the dining table and chatting, waiting for Jack to bring in the oven tray full of charred and well done cooked food. Harry and Aiden, as ever were destroying the living room and completely ignoring Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs that was playing on the TV.

Ryan was perched carefully into a dining chair and looking both awkward and uncomfortable with an arm and a leg in plaster. Loz had to stop herself from mothering all the time and letting him ask for help, which everyone (except for Jack who didn't know Ry that well) was stunned to see him do. Clearly, the accident had rattled his cage more seriously than even he realised.

Sophie had darted off to the bathroom while Dean knocked back her drink by accident, thinking his was Jack's.

"Aw sorry mate –" Dean said to Jack, who waved him aside.

Just then, Ali burst through the front door as if she owned the place. Frankly, if Ali didn't do this at their houses, they would all be convinced there was something wrong.

"G'day peoples!" Ali declared in a loud and grandiose manner, strolling like a boss up to the dining table. There was a man behind her, looking very awkward. He had short brown hair, dark green eyes, a high brow and a broad nose. As far as the girls were concerned, he looked exceptionally average – not at all Ali's type ...

"Hello, hello, hello – who's this?" Loz said with a nod to the man behind Ali.

Ali cleared her throat and stepped aside dramatically, "everyone, this is Chris – Chris, meet everyone."

"G'day Chris! Who are you, exactly?" Sophie cheered.

"Just a bit of a thing –" Ali said casually, sitting down beside Dean and grabbing a satay chicken kebab off the tray.

"– ooh!" Kylie, Loz and Soph teased loudly. Jack, Ryan and Dean nodded congenially to Chris and offered him a beer. Ali nudged Chris' knee with her foot and told him to sit down before going around the table making proper introductions.

"Ok, so we're at Jack and Kylie's place – that's Kylz, the red head. She'll kill you with a look without warning, but otherwise she's harmless, right Jack? The bloke pretending not to look like Thor is Jack – they're shacked up and we're waiting for the mini Jacko to spawn –"

Everyone cackled listening to Ali's unique way of introducing her best people to Chris. Jack snorted loudly, drowning his beer and Kylie whacked Ali over the head with a tea towel.

"– for fuck's sake, Al!" Kylie howled, getting pulled into Jack's lap and feeling his arms snake around her waist.

"What?! Look, the bloke can't keep his hands off you!" Ali cried, hands outstretched and palms facing skyward.

Loz leant forward past Ryan, Sophie and Dean to yell at Chris that it was always like this.

"Ooh – oh! Yeah, ok so that's Loz – and the Egyptologist next to her is Ryan, her hubby –"

"– Egypt – what?" Chris asked, while Loz and Ryan tossed their heads back laughing.

"She's being a dick – cause he's all wrapped up like a mummy – you know ..." Loz said, rolling her eyes back, sticking her tongue out and holding up her arms in front of her.

"Jesus Christ ..." Chris muttered under his breath. He didn't know if he should laugh or not.

"Don't worry mate, you get used to it." Ryan said, with that glowing smirk that made Loz (and Soph, Ali and Kylie) melt.