back. Not to mention that beautiful thing you have going on. Yeah, I'm totally not getting through this meal alive,” he finishes to himself.
I giggle slightly and catch sight of my parents and brother. Bing is here? Wait – in a suit? I giggle again.
We thank the hostess, and I grin at Bing across the table. He stares at me stony faced.
“What?” h e hisses.
“Are you wearing a suit?” I ask, amused.
He tugs at the tie around his neck. “Yes, I'm wearing a bl-” Mum glares at him. “Yes, I'm wearing a suit.”
“Any particular reason?”
“I asked him to,” Mum says, looking at me sternly. “That is why. We are having a civilised meal tonight to welcome Jen to London, which means no swearing.” She glances at Bing again. “No undressing with eyes.” This time she focuses on Alec. “And no crazy-”
“You have no idea how glad I am to see you again, my little ball of summer lovin'!” Jen's voice exclaims behind me.
“Outrageous e xclamations of excitement,” Mum finishes wearily.
I laugh and stand, turning to greet Jen. We hug and she ruffles Alec's hair. After greeting my parents in a more... Civilised way, she takes the free seat between Alec and Bing.
“Evening, Samuel,” she says, taking the menu.
“Jennifer,” he says tightly and shifts in his seat.
“No need to move away. I won't bite.” She grins.
He swallows and hides his face behind a menu. Jen looks at me and raises an eyebrow. I shrug. Alec hides behin d his own menu. His shoulders are shaking and I kick him under the table, but he just shakes his head.
I look at Mum , who rolls her eyes, and Dad is trying to hide a smile. This has to be the most dysfunctional table in the restaurant. We place our orders, and Mum takes control of the conversation.
“So, Jen, how was your journey here?”
Jen sighs. “It was okay, if you ignore Mr. Let’s Make Babies eyeing me on the train, and of course then there was the Barbie Bitch on the tube who thought I was making eyes at her man. I told her not to worry, her boyfriend looked too much like my best friend's brother for me to even consider him being partially good looking.”
I choke on my wine and Alec pats my back. Bing glares at me across the table before turning his attention towards Jen.
“And what did she say?” he asks.
“She asked what your name was and I told her.”
“And what did she say then?”
“She laughed and said I was a very smart girl.”
I drop my head and purse my lips, trying my hardest to keep my laughter inside.
“Something funny, Lexy?” Dad questions in an innocent voice.
I swallow the bubble of laughter in my throat and look up. “Nope, nothing, Dad. Nothing at all.”
Alec nudges my foot under the table with his when Dad winks and distracts Mum.
“What?” I whisper.
“Do you think Bing fancies Jen?” he says in the same, hushed tone I used.
I glance over at them. Jen is grinning and Bing looks annoyed. “Maybe.” I shrug a shoulder. “But Bing fancies an awful lot of girls, so I'm not sure how it's a big deal.”
Alec's eyes flick towards them. “I think he fancies her a bit more than he usually does.”
I half-frown, half-smirk. “Really? That's crazy. We're not in Lilac Bay anymore, Alec.” My heart pangs a little as Grammy's face flashes in my mind. “Bing's home now... It's different in London. He was calmer in Devon because of Grammy, but now we're back...”
“It'll be someone new every weekend,” Alec states.
“Pretty much.” I sigh. “Jen has Carl, anyway, so it's never gonna happen.”
Alec coughs and rubs his neck uncomfortably.
“What?” I whisper harshly. He opens his mouth then closes it again. “What?”
He sighs and leans his head into me until his lips are right by my ear. “I spoke to Carl earlier, before you came over. When Jen left, they weren't on good terms.”
“Why not?”
“He's, uh... He's refusing to come to London to see her until at least half term.”
“But she'll be going
I giggle slightly and catch sight of my parents and brother. Bing is here? Wait – in a suit? I giggle again.
We thank the hostess, and I grin at Bing across the table. He stares at me stony faced.
“What?” h e hisses.
“Are you wearing a suit?” I ask, amused.
He tugs at the tie around his neck. “Yes, I'm wearing a bl-” Mum glares at him. “Yes, I'm wearing a suit.”
“Any particular reason?”
“I asked him to,” Mum says, looking at me sternly. “That is why. We are having a civilised meal tonight to welcome Jen to London, which means no swearing.” She glances at Bing again. “No undressing with eyes.” This time she focuses on Alec. “And no crazy-”
“You have no idea how glad I am to see you again, my little ball of summer lovin'!” Jen's voice exclaims behind me.
“Outrageous e xclamations of excitement,” Mum finishes wearily.
I laugh and stand, turning to greet Jen. We hug and she ruffles Alec's hair. After greeting my parents in a more... Civilised way, she takes the free seat between Alec and Bing.
“Evening, Samuel,” she says, taking the menu.
“Jennifer,” he says tightly and shifts in his seat.
“No need to move away. I won't bite.” She grins.
He swallows and hides his face behind a menu. Jen looks at me and raises an eyebrow. I shrug. Alec hides behin d his own menu. His shoulders are shaking and I kick him under the table, but he just shakes his head.
I look at Mum , who rolls her eyes, and Dad is trying to hide a smile. This has to be the most dysfunctional table in the restaurant. We place our orders, and Mum takes control of the conversation.
“So, Jen, how was your journey here?”
Jen sighs. “It was okay, if you ignore Mr. Let’s Make Babies eyeing me on the train, and of course then there was the Barbie Bitch on the tube who thought I was making eyes at her man. I told her not to worry, her boyfriend looked too much like my best friend's brother for me to even consider him being partially good looking.”
I choke on my wine and Alec pats my back. Bing glares at me across the table before turning his attention towards Jen.
“And what did she say?” he asks.
“She asked what your name was and I told her.”
“And what did she say then?”
“She laughed and said I was a very smart girl.”
I drop my head and purse my lips, trying my hardest to keep my laughter inside.
“Something funny, Lexy?” Dad questions in an innocent voice.
I swallow the bubble of laughter in my throat and look up. “Nope, nothing, Dad. Nothing at all.”
Alec nudges my foot under the table with his when Dad winks and distracts Mum.
“What?” I whisper.
“Do you think Bing fancies Jen?” he says in the same, hushed tone I used.
I glance over at them. Jen is grinning and Bing looks annoyed. “Maybe.” I shrug a shoulder. “But Bing fancies an awful lot of girls, so I'm not sure how it's a big deal.”
Alec's eyes flick towards them. “I think he fancies her a bit more than he usually does.”
I half-frown, half-smirk. “Really? That's crazy. We're not in Lilac Bay anymore, Alec.” My heart pangs a little as Grammy's face flashes in my mind. “Bing's home now... It's different in London. He was calmer in Devon because of Grammy, but now we're back...”
“It'll be someone new every weekend,” Alec states.
“Pretty much.” I sigh. “Jen has Carl, anyway, so it's never gonna happen.”
Alec coughs and rubs his neck uncomfortably.
“What?” I whisper harshly. He opens his mouth then closes it again. “What?”
He sighs and leans his head into me until his lips are right by my ear. “I spoke to Carl earlier, before you came over. When Jen left, they weren't on good terms.”
“Why not?”
“He's, uh... He's refusing to come to London to see her until at least half term.”
“But she'll be going
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