The purple mask was little more than a piece of fabric with eye holes cut into it, tied around his face, but him wearing it and chatting away normally to Owen and Paul was the most hilarious thing.
Nate touched his face, seemingly surprised that he was actually still one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He smiled sheepishly and tugged it off over his head.
‘When a kid hands you a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle mask, you put it on.’ He shrugged.
She laughed. ‘Your hair, it’s all…’
Nate smoothed it down, extremely badly.
‘No, it’s not—’
He attempted to smooth the other side down, frowning.
‘Oh, for god’s sake,’ she said, exasperated, and reached up to flatten a stray lock of hair that he’d missed.
Laurel did not miss the meaningful look that passed between Jess and Owen, and fought to keep a blush down. Did Nate’s friends think they were together? Was she being too obvious? She should have kept her hands to herself and let him look stupid. She didn’t want to put Nate in an awkward situation, and certainly didn’t want his friends to see something between them that wasn’t there. He had made it perfectly clear that she was there as his friend, and that was that.
She shuffled away from him, putting a little space between them, and straightened the skirt of her dress over her legs. Jess was wearing a pair of cut off denim shorts with a white lacy top and whilst Laurel could tell they weren’t Primark, they were certainly not designer. In fact, nothing about Jess or Owen, or their house, was pretentious, they were just normal people with a lot of money. The barbeque was a battered old thing that had seen better days, and the house was big but homely.
They’d obviously spent money on Benji, making sure he had the best they could afford – the house was filled with toys, and they had bought him a farm for crying out loud, but who wouldn’t? If Laurel had money, and a child, then she’d spend every penny making sure that child was happy. There was a hint of spoiled-ness about the boy, but surely, wasn’t every only child that little bit spoiled? They didn’t get hand-me-downs, they didn’t have to share, and all their parents’ attention was on them. Although, it must be lonely to grow up without any siblings.
Yeah, she’d spent a lot of her childhood mothering Robin, but they’d had some really good times. Days spent swimming in the lake and picnics with Jack, until he got too old and started helping on the farm. Pirates, cowboys, spacemen. Whatever Robin wanted. As much as she moaned about her brothers, she loved them, and she loved their childhood.
‘You alright?’ Nate asked quietly, snapping her back to the present. Owen telling some ridiculously convoluted story that was only funny to the four of them who had been at uni together.
‘Yeah, good.’ She nodded.
‘You want another?’ he indicated her nearly empty wine glass.
‘Yes, Owen, grab another bottle, would you?’ Jess said, elbowing Owen off the arm of her chair.
‘Whatever your command, my love.’ He bowed away from her. ‘Guys? Another beer?’
‘I’ll help,’ Nate said, leaving Laurel on the sofa. Paul reluctantly followed.
Jess watched her friends head into the house.
‘He’s completely smitten,’ she said.
Laurel grinned at Angeline. ‘He is, and you two are so cute together.’
‘No, I meant Nate.’
Laurel spluttered on her wine. ‘Uh, no, no, I don’t think so. We’re friends.’
‘I’ve known Nate a long time, and he doesn’t bring just anyone to meet us.’ Jess smiled.
‘I don’t, we’re not,’ Laurel took a breath. ‘I needed a break, and Nate suggested I come here. Seriously, we’re just friends.’
‘Okay,’ Jess said, knowingly.
What could she say to that? Jess wouldn’t believe her anyway.
They were quiet for a moment, and Laurel fiddled with the stem of her empty wine glass. Eventually, Angeline broke the awkward silence.
‘Paul told me about who would be here today. Are you expecting Alex and Lucia, is it?’
Jess nodded, draining the dregs of her wine. ‘Yeah, both of them are always late. Alex because he’s a lazy shit, and Lucia because she floats through life being beautiful and successful.’
