The Debt & the Doormat(75)

‘I think this is her apology,’ he says, smiling knowingly at me.

‘Excuse me! We did all help,’ Jazz shouts. ‘We’ve spent all day at it.’ She suddenly drops onto her knees and strokes the grass. ‘Look at this grass – I mowed it!’

‘Yes Jazz,’ he nods, bemused. ‘Very impressive.’

‘And I jet hosed the patio,’ Izzy says proudly.

‘Great. And what did you do Gracie?’ he asks turning to her.

Why does he have to involve her? She’s just stood there looking like she’s sucking a wasp.

‘Um...I...I supervised,’ she says finally.

‘Well done,’ he nods before stealing a quick grin at me.

‘Ha! Supervised,’ Lilly complains under her breath. ‘Hi Ryan, I’m Lilly,’ she says shyly.

‘Yeah, we’ve met, right?’

‘Yeah we have,’ she beams, winking at me.

‘Is this the old table?’ he asks inspecting the bamboo table.

‘No, it's new,’ Jazz beams.

‘Well, second hand...but new to us,’ I add.

‘It's cool,’ he says finally, still seeming to be taking it all in.

‘Great. You want a beer? Jazz is doing a barbeque.’

He immediately pulls a face the minute I mention Jazz cooking and I try to hide my smile. My phone starts flashing ‘Oliver’.

‘Hello?’

‘Didn’t you get my messages?’ he asks, his voice frantic.

‘Yeah, but I’ve been kind of busy,’ I say backing away from the rest of them as they fuss over Ryan.

‘Oh. Well, have you heard from Jazz?’

‘Of course I have. Why?’

‘Why? Because I’ve tried to ring her like a hundred times since Leicester and she’s just ignoring me,’ he says, irritated.

‘OK and think about it. Is there any reason why she’d be pissed off with you?’

God, he’s slow sometimes.

‘I don't think so. I thought we were having a good time, but the drive home she was really off with me.’

I walk into the house so Jazz can't hear me. I lower my voice to a whisper.

‘You don't think it's got anything to do with you sleeping with someone, when you invited her all the way to Leicester?’

‘What do you mean?’ he says, after a long pause. ‘We’re just friends.’

‘Friends with benefits!’ I spit out, still pissed off they’ve put me in this situation.

‘W..what?’ he asks, trying to sound innocent.

‘Look, Jazz told me you’ve been sleeping together.’

‘Yeah, as friends!’ he laughs.

‘Oh, for goodness sake! This is why that never works.’

‘Anyway, she’s still dating Jake....isn’t she?’

‘I think so.’

‘I Just...’ he tails off, sounding embarrassed.

‘You just what?’

‘I don't know. I just...kind of miss her I guess.’

‘Really?’ I ask a bit too enthusiastically.

I immediately start fantasising about them falling in love and getting married. Jazz would be my official sister and we could have babies at the same time. And we could buy houses next door to each other and build a gate into the fence so we could wander into each other’s houses all the time.

‘I guess,’ he sighs.

Well, that's hardly a love confession, but its close. Jazz had said she’d been bothered about seeing him with someone else. Maybe they’re both secretly in love with each other and they just need a little push.

I glance out into the garden and jump guiltily when I see Jazz looking around for me. I creep into the kitchen cupboard where she can't find me.

‘Look Ollie, you could turn up later for the barbeque, but you’d have to accidentally turn up.’

‘Accidentally? But you just invited me.’

‘Jesus, are you that dense? Jazz won't want me inviting you. Just turn up and say you popped in to see me and then maybe Jazz will talk to you.’

‘Ok, got it. Thanks Sis, I owe you.’

‘Understatement of the year.’

I hang up and imagine him thanking me in the wedding speech. ‘And of course we wouldn’t have gotten here today if I wasn’t for my fabulous sister and her amazing meddling.’

The cupboard door swings open and I scream, jumping out of my skin.

‘Pops?’ Jazz says, a confused expression on her face. ‘What the hell are you doing in the cupboard?’

‘Oh...I just thought it was…a bit cosy in there.’ I smile brightly, hoping she’ll buy it.

‘Riiiiight,’ she smirks.

‘Did I tell you I spoke to Ollie earlier?’

‘Oh really,’ she says, pursing her lips together. ‘Telling you about that slut he got with, was he?’

‘No. He was just chatting. He said how much he missed you actually.’

‘Well obviously he misses me. I’m fabulous. It's just a shame it's taken so long for him to realise that.’

‘Better late than never though right?’ I ask desperately.

‘Nope. That ships sailed. Any chance he had with me has gone. I’m not interested anymore.’

Then why is it she’s biting her hair? She always does that when she’s confused or nervous.

‘OK, whatever you say.’

Maybe in hindsight I shouldn’t have invited Ollie.

* * *





‘This really is a delicious pizza. Jazz, where did you get the recipe?’ I ask in mocking tones.

‘Ha ha! It's not my fault I burnt everything.’

‘Really? Because I thought you cooked it?’ Ryan adds, grinning.

‘Yes, but....Well, I’m not used to cooking meat am I? Everyone always forgets that I’m a veggie. It's too inconvenient for them.’

Oh, here we go. Jazz is going to play the ‘I’m a veggie and no-one understands me,’ card.

‘And the jacket potato?’ Ryan asks, trying to hide a giant smile breaking out on his face.

‘Just shut up!’ She flicks her hair, looking the other way.

‘Anyway, this pizza really is lovely. I’m kind of glad you burnt it,’ Izzy says, smiling kindly at Jazz, as she moves the take-away box.

‘Well thank you Izzy’. She turns to glare back at both of us. ‘Nice to know someone cares about my feelings.’

‘I’m just glad they’ve started doing salads at Pizzamia,’ Grace says, as she tucks into her Caesar salad with no dressing.

I mean, who orders a salad from a pizza place? A mental case, that's who.

A knock on the door startles me. Shit, I’d completely forgotten about Ollie. Whoops. Please don't hate me Jazz.

‘I’ll get it,’ Jazz says, bouncing into the house.

I lean back and try to quickly make a nice memory of tonight, before Jazz throws a hissy fit and falls out with me forever. Whenever I’m having a great time I try to sit back and remember everything. Like the smell of baked dough pizza and garlic bread. The sound of Jazz’s Mariah Carey album that she’s insisted on playing, wine being poured and Izzy’s giggles. If Grace weren’t here it really would be the perfect evening.

‘Look who it is,’ Jazz says sarcastically, as Ollie follows her out into the garden. She glares at me, seeing through me immediately, completely aware of my plan. I stare back at her as innocently as I can manage.

‘Hi Ollie! I didn’t know you were coming round!’ I say, a little too dramatically.

‘Yeah, just one of those spur of the moment things,’ he grins.

‘This is my brother Oliver everyone. Izzy, Grace, Ryan,’ I point round, ‘and of course you know Jazz.’

‘Hi,’ he smiles charismatically around at everyone. ‘Pops, I thought you said you were having a barbeque?’ he asks.

Damn it Ollie! Way to blow my cover. He’s not supposed to know it was a barbeque!

‘It was,’ Ryan says, ‘but Jazz burnt it, so we had to order a take-away.’

Oliver chuckles. ‘Let me guess, she used the “I’m a veggie” excuse?’

‘So you know her well then,’ Ryan says, laughing freely at her.

Jazz goes and sits back in her chair. She decides to glare at Ollie, while seeming to still act like she doesn’t really care. Which I know she does.





After another hour or so, the drink is flowing and everyone is getting on well. Ryan and Ollie seem to be hitting it off, talking about the latest BMW on the market. Grace sits next to him, her claws possessively on his thigh. Jazz has somehow moved to sit next to Ollie and is wrapped up in his oversized grey cardigan. She’s clearly trying to pretend that she’s not interested anymore, but the chemistry between them is undeniable.

Izzy has persuaded our neighbours Ralf and Karen to join us. They’re both in their forties, with no children or pets. Which I myself find a little strange. I mean, fair enough – maybe they could never have children. But wouldn’t you want an animal? A few cats or maybe even a bird or some goldfish? They keep commenting on how we should make the most of our young lives while we can. They look so prim and proper I can never imagine them being young and reckless.

‘Well enjoy it while you can,’ Ralf says, glugging his red wine, ‘because believe me, once you’re married it's over.’

‘It's over? That's a bit of a pessimistic way to look at it, isn’t it Ralf?’ Karen asks him, laughing nervously.

‘Is it Karen? Because since we got married I’ve had to give up all of my hobbies.’