Bad Company

Chapter 67: Grow Up, Little Girl

The rest of the afternoon was spent setting up for tonight's dinner party. Christy and Julia were actually getting along and to my surprise Christy was spending most of the afternoon looking after Shaun so that Megan, Julia, and I could make the salads and prep the BBQ - that was surprisingly in good condition - for the steaks.

Spring had definitely arrived. While it was damp and the grass from the snow drying up gave off a distinctive weird smell, I loved it. It was warm enough outside that you didn't need a coat, yet still chilly enough that you needed a sweater.

"Need help?" Julia called out to me from inside the house.

"Nah, I got it," I replied, shaking my head slightly to wake myself up. I let out a shaky breath and knelt down to get the bbq ready.

"You alright?" Christy asked, stepping out onto the deck, lighting a cigarette.

I nodded, "Yeah why?"

"Megan said she seen you in a heated argument with a blonde outside the grocery store..." Christy started in a choking like voice caused from speaking while inhaling smoke, "was that blonde Kori?"

I cringed at the sound of her name, suddenly becoming pissed off yet once again. Not at Christy, and really not even at Kori, more so at Billy. Did he send that bitch after me to remind me what would happen if I tried anything?

"Yup," I breathed, slightly grinning at the fact that I just managed to fire up the bbq on my first attempt, "She's somethin' else, ain't she?"

"She was like Joey's best friend, they were always together... even after shit with Billy and Charlie went south and they had to be secretive about their friendship," Christy explained.

"So they were fucking?" I asked, leaning back and staring at Christy wide eyed.

Christy giggled, "Nah, they were more like brother and sister."

"What's her deal with Billy?" I asked dully.

"I don't know... who knows... he wasn't really... a good person back when she knew him," Christy winced.

"He isn't a good person now," I mumbled.

"Hey, he's your husband. The fuck is going on?" Christy scolded.

I frowned, "You're right. That wasn't fair to say... I'm just bitchy and not exactly thrilled that a couple days before my 'wedding', I get threatened by some chick that he knows,"

"She was always nice to me... she doesn't seem all that bad," Christy winced again.

"She can fuck off and mind her own business," I hissed, slamming the bbq lid shut.

Christy rolled her eyes and smirked, "Don't worry mom, you're still queen bee here."

A smirk formed from the corners of my mouth as I stopped next to Christy and nodded slowly, pursing my lips, "Time I start acting like it? Huh?"

Julia and Megan were bonding and getting along, Christy was surprisingly doing a good job bbq'ing the steaks and we all were sharing laughs and stories about our lives to one another. It was a wonderful time to say the least, almost like we were all old friends and new eachother for years, which for Christy, Julia, and I... we did.

Shaun was getting fussy, so while Megan and Julia set the table and Christy was outside bbqing, I dressed Shaun up in a tuque and jacket and carried him around the yard, humming songs to him.

"Amber! Is that the baby?!" A familiar child's voice called out, startling me a little by catching me off guard.

Kid Billy, my next door neighbour.