I frown in confusion as I look at Cam, but Marley speaks before I can ask Ash what she’s talking about. “How the fuck d’ya know him, Ash?” He gestures with his chin at Cam. Ashley shrugs and looks at me then back to Marls.
“He’s G’s Mr TDH, babe, I’ve known him years. He owns the wine bar we used to drink in.”
“Why’d you call him TDH?” he asks and I can’t help but smile as I wait to hear her response, Cam’s just gonna love this and it’ll make that self-inflated ego of his even bigger no doubt.
Ashley smiles as she says, “It’s just what we christened him, back in the day, Georgia’s Mr Tall, Dark and Handsome. TDH for short.” She shrugs. I watch Cam as he sucks in his cheeks while trying not to smile; it makes my belly squirm, flash fucker. Ashley turns back to me. “So is it true, you ol’ slag. Did ya spend Saturday night shacked up in a hotel room with Mr Nine-Inch Nob?”
No, she didn’t just say that?
Out loud?
In front of Cam, my parents and my brothers? This day, seriously could not get any worse.
My mum steers my nieces and nephew out of the room as I sit and stare open mouthed at my friend. I don’t take my eyes from her as I’m too embarrassed to look at anyone else in the room.
“How the fuck d’ya know he’s got nine inches?” Marley asks. I bury my face in my hands. Please just let me be dreaming all of this. Please let me be hallucinating due to my jet lag.
“Oh, come on, Marls, girls talk about these things.” I take my hands from my face and look up at the ceiling, what must my dad be thinking? I don’t have to wait long to find out.
“Georgia, you said nothing happened in that hotel room Saturday night. Were you lying?”
“No,” Cam and I both say at the same time. I sit forward on the sofa.
“Dad, look, Cam and I had a relationship when Sean and I split up. I was still seeing Cam right up until I got back together with Sean. We haven’t seen each other for years, except for the odd occasion. I bumped into him Saturday night and everything happened exactly like I told you.”
“Nothing happened between us Saturday night. I swear, Frank. Georgia was a little drunk and tearful. It was a tough day for her. I didn’t know that when we first started talking, but once I realised, I got her out of the club and back to her hotel and made sure she ate, and drank some water.” He turns and looks at me. “We talked through a lot of stuff that was never resolved between us and that was it.” Not all entirely true but I’ll go with that.
My mum walks back in the room, her hands on her hips. She looks furious and I’m not sure if it’s aimed at me or Cam as she seems to be looking between us.
“Have you got a pregnant girlfriend?” Oh, fuck!
“No, I, let me explain… I, she’s not my girlfriend.” Cam looks from me to my dad.
“Spit it out, son. I’m listening.”
I stand up. “I can’t take much more of this. Why is my life up for discussion by everyone? Why is it okay, for all of you, to talk about me and my relationships like this?” I look around at everyone. “I’ve never sat at the dinner table and discussed the brothels, the prostitutes or the drugs you two have been involved with.” My dad’s mouth falls open. I look at Marley and then at Ash. “I’ve never discussed in front of everyone else that you like to watch your wife with other women.” I turn and look at my mum. “I’ve never sat with Dad and talked to him about the fact that you know he’s fucked other women. So why, please tell me, do all of you openly discuss everything about my life?”