Finding Finley // h.s

The Actual Family Dinner

"And what did he say?"

"Well after calling me daft he looked over my numbers and realised I hadn't been talking out of my arse the whole time. So, as I knew, I was right and we're following my idea."

"As he should've done days ago."

"Precisely!"

I laughed as Margot continued on to explain this weeks drama that her boss had created for her. Margot, my best friend of almost six years now, is one of the most self-righteous people I know but nine times out of ten, she is actually right.

It was ritual for us to debrief our work week on a Friday evening. 'The perfect way to decompress' she claimed a few months after we had graduated uni and had been barely keeping up in the real, adult world of full time work. And while we did see each other most weekends, we liked to keep work out of it in order to fully relax. So, here I was, phone cradled to my ear listening to Margot 'decompress' away.

Normally I was tucked away in my room during these conversations, but tonight I found myself in the back of an Uber on the way to my parent's house for family dinner. An actual family dinner this time. I had been promised no surprise blind date. It was only a half-hour drive from home so I knew it would be the perfect chance to catch up with Margot.

"Anyways, we have well established by now that my boss is a bit of a cock. Any news on your front? How's HR life?"

"Same old." I glanced out the window, noticing that I was almost at my destination. "I'm taking on some recruitment responsibilities which could be exciting."

"My girl is moving on up in the world." She laughed. "Oh hey, I saw that new dumpling place has finally opened in Whitechapel. Wanna grab dinner there tomorrow night?"

My Uber rolled to a stop outside my parents home. I thanked the driver before sliding out. "Saturday?"

"Yes, Saturday. That is the tomorrow I am referring to."

"Umm..." I stalled. Tomorrow I was supposed to be seeing Harry for that party. I definitely had not mentioned Harry, the blind date or our grand plan to Margot. She would definitely start to psychoanalyse every word and action I would make in relation to this whole thing.

"Hello... Finley? Are you still alive over there?"

"Uh- Sorry, I just got to my parents, hold on." I feigned distraction, well sort of. I was just about to pull my keys out when the front door burst open.

"Fin!"

"Jesus mum. Were you waiting at the door for me?" I didn't even have a chance to pull my phone away as my mother had already wrapped me in a tight hug.

"Oh, is that Barb I hear? Tell her I said hi!" Margot chirped in my ear.

"I'll try to," I choked out, "when she bloody lets go."

My mum pulled away, but still held me at arms length. "What was that?"

"Margot," I pointed at my phone still held to my ear. "I was in the middle of a conversation before you attacked me."

"Oh, tell her I said hi!"

"I'm sure she can hear you."

"Hi Margot!" Mum yelled.

Margot laughed. "Yep, I can definitely hear her."

"Just give me a sec, Go." I followed mum into the house, the smell of a roast dinner immediately greeting me.

"Finny! I thought I heard you." My dad thundered down the stairs, pulling me in for a one-armed hug.

"Hey, dad. I'll catch up with you in a minute, yeah?"