Tough Luck

5

Nessa

I was so screwed. The afternoon after Jacks accident I had called my mom. Surprisingly she had answered, although it was after five calls.

"Ah good you called," was how she answered the phone. "I needed to talk to you anyway. I just couldn't find the time."

God forbid she didn't have five spare minutes to call her youngest daughter and child. It's not like she actually worked.

"Hi mom. I was calling to ask about Jack. He wasn't answering." I fiddle with the book in my lap.

"He's fine." She dismisses my concern and instead says, "we're having a brunch this Sunday at ten. Be there." my mother, Grace, didn't invite me to anything. Especially brunch.

"Um what?" I ask. "I- uh. What's the brunch for?"

"Excuse me! Do not say 'what' to me young lady." She sounded so propped it got on my nerves. "And the brunch is for your sisters engaged party. The weddings in three months and this is when she wanted to the party."

"Sure I'll be there." I really didn't want to go.

She sighs into the phone before adding, "it seems your sister has accidentally given you a plus one. I won't have a spare seat at the table and I know you don't have a boyfriend or friend that will come so I'll have to ask if one of Gina's boys will go with you."

God forbid there's an empty seat at the brunch I'm assuming is being held out our house. And she knows I have friends. Jesus Christ Flo was with me most of my teenage years. And my mother knew her and Elle lived with me.

But I wanted to one up her. Just this once. "Actually I have a boyfriend." I slap my hand over my mouth. I did NOT mean to say that. Friend! Friend is what I meant to say.

My mother sucks in a breath before saying, "really? Since when?" She was using the voice that she'd use on me when she knew I was lying about something.

Well now I have to keep the lie going. I'll just bale on the brunch last minute and they'll never know.

"We've only been dating for a few weeks. It's nothing serious." I pray she believes the lie enough to end this conversation.

"I expect you to bring him to brunch then." She says and I can tell the call is about to end. Thank god. But before she end the call she adds, "there will be over a hundred people in attendance so don't make a scene. The brunch is about your sister not you"

Now I was pleading with Elle to come with me so I could tell my family my made up boyfriend was sick so Ellie offered to come. Flo was going out of town to spend the weekend with her moms so she was a no.

"Ness I really wish I could buy Piper has planned a really special date for us." She genuinely sounded guilty for not being able to come. But I could also see the amusement in her eyes at my predicament.

"I'm sure she'll understand please. I'll even make it up to her by.. I don't know Ill think of something." I plead with my friend. I know Piper would be more than fine with it but I did feel guilty.

Piper was so kind and was an introvert so she didn't like confrontation. I also knew she was about ten metres away sitting at her desk waiting for me to let Elle take her seat. She was petite and red headed and absolutely gorgeous.

Elle and I go back and forth between the issue before I feel someone staring at me. I look up a and sure enough Levi was looking directly at me. He looked good. His dark curls were a mess on his head an- nope no stop I tell myself. I mentally tell myself not to react before turning back to Elle.