Under Your Skin

Chapter 12

Ready to meet the parents?

“Lana, you look gorgeous!” Judith exclaimed as Lana walked into the room and came to a stop in front of her. Victoria didn’t even look up.

“You don’t think it’s too much?” she replied, pulling at the bottom to make it longer.

“No of course I don’t. Your parents are going to love it. Am I taking you to the airport to pick them up?”

“No, Carlos offered. We’ll be back about 7-ish, are you okay getting the food ready?”

“It’s all sorted. Greg’ll be doing the barbecue, he’s all set to make this the best party we’ve ever thrown, think he’s excited about it.”

“Thank you. Well Carlos should be here in about 10 minutes or so.”

“He’s such a nice boy; you and he seem to be getting very close.” Victoria looked up at that, her face contorting into an expression of disgust.

“Haha, not really. He’s only doing what you said he had to do, looking out for me a bit until I’ve settled in. But yeah, he really is amazing, although he’s damned annoying too.”

“Well, if you say so.”

The buzzer went and Lana ran to answer it.

“Come on in Carlos. Leave the car outside, I’ll be there in a sec.”

“Oh, that’s nice. Hello Carlos. How are you Carlos? Very nice of you to give me a lift, Carlos.”

“Just get in here and stop moaning, ‘k.” Lana held onto the button until she’d heard the gate open and shut, then put the phone thing back on the hook and walked back into the living room.

“I’ll be off then, see you in a couple of hours,” she said to Judith as she grabbed her bag.

“See you later Lana. Say goodbye, Vic,” Judith urged.

“Bye.”

Lana shut the door behind her, taking the stairs down two at a time. Carlos was at the bottom.

“Okay, give me five minutes.”

Lana ran inside and the door swung closed after her. She headed straight to the sofa and grabbed the banner. The steps were already out from where she tried to put it up earlier, but had to go and change before she could finish.

“Lana, let me do that,” Carlos called from the door.

“No, I can manage. I’m not…unable to put up a banner on my own Carlos.”

“What were you going to say? I mean, you hesitated after I’m not”

Lana bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. “It was a cross between ‘I’m not Victoria’ or ‘I’m not Carmela’. Take your pick.”

“Funny. You won’t be laughing in a minute, will you?” Carlos said, running towards her with the balloons. She ran behind the sofa before he could hit her.

“Carlos, please, let’s just do this. We have to get going.”

She climbed up the steps and reached out for Carlos to pass her the banner and the balloons. He did so, but instead of walking away, he stayed there, behind her, almost as if he was trying to stop her from falling.

Ten minutes later they were in the car heading out of the gate and down the road.

 “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you- how is it that you can drive already? You have to be 18 here to drive,” Lana asked him, biting her lip as she said it. She wasn’t sure she should’ve asked.