Lori’s mouth dropped open.
“Sarah, Sasha, ignore her. I did not smoke weed.”
Maggie tilted her head to the side and raised her eyebrows, in an ‘oh really?’ gesture.
“Well, maybe a little, but not too much.”
“My mum used to smoke weed,” Sasha stated. “She used to be really cool, but she’s changed.”
“How so?” Lori asked, obviously relieved she didn’t have to justify her pot smoking habits.
“She’s turned really nasty. I don’t know what happened, but it was about ten years ago. She’d been acting weird for a while, and then we were all going to a festival one weekend.” She turned to me. “Do you remember, Sares? We all went to Glastonbury before Luke went travelling.”
I nodded my head.
“One minute she said I could go and the next she was screaming at me, telling me I wasn’t allowed and she wasn’t having a daughter of hers whoring herself out to group of older boys in a field full of druggies.”
“How old is she?” Maggie asked.
“She’s forty-three now so she would’ve been in her early thirties then.”
“Your mum’s only forty-three?” Lori questioned.
“Yeah, she was only sixteen when she had my sister and eighteen when she had me. That was the next thing she started on at me about and has kept on about it for the past ten years.”
“What?” Both Maggie and Lori were leaning forward in their chairs and listening intently as they sipped their wine.
“She’s just become really bitter and constantly banging on about how having us so young ruined her life. I don’t know how my dad puts up with it.”
“It makes her sound like she’s jealous to me. She fucked up her life by getting pregnant so young, and she’s jealous that you’ve not made the same mistake and are still young, free, and single.” Maggie offered her opinion.
“Hmmm, maybe,” Sasha replied.
We were all quiet for a few long minutes.
“So, have we got anyone hot and single coming for lunch Christmas day, or are they all paired up?” Maggie broke the silence and had an almost hopeful look in her eyes.
“All paired up. Although . . .” I contemplated how she’d react to my suggestion and decided to go for it regardless of what it might be, “I could always invite Will.”
“Will?” They all questioned together.
“Yeah.” I shrugged.
“Will from the wedding?” I nodded at Maggie. “Will from the wedding who never took his eyes off you the entire day? No thanks.”
I felt myself blush and knew that comment just raised my blood pressure considerably.
“He did not,” I protested, but it was weak and everyone in the room knew it.
“Oh come on, Sares. We all know Will Bennet is bang in love with you. He moved away because you broke his heart so badly.”
I gave Sasha the look, wishing that I’d never made the suggestion.
“So, back to me. Is there any one coming to dinner that’s hot, not in love with Sarah, and single?”
“Well Shain might be if Sasha finishes with him,” I suggested.
“And not a dick.” Maggie added.
“Why’d you think he’s a dick?” Sasha was looking directly at Maggie. “What makes you say that?”
“I think he’s a bit of a flirt, and he doesn’t care if you’re around, he still does it.” Maggie shrugged her shoulder. I had noticed it too, but I figured if Sash didn’t say anything then she was okay with it, or at least happy to just let it go.
“Yeah, we have had words about that.” Guess I was wrong.
“As long as you’re aware and are happy to put up with that, it’s fine, but personally, I find it a little disrespectful.”
I chewed on my bottom lip, debating whether I should add my thoughts on Shain, which were pretty on par with Maggie’s. But I had a banging headache and wasn’t sure that I wanted to get into it with Sash right then.
“D’you think he’s a flirt?” Sasha asked. Before I could school my features and come up with a neutral answer, she added, “Great, everyone thinks my boyfriend is a fucking dick. I can’t wait to sit around the Christmas dinner table now knowing what you all think of him.”
“It doesn’t matter what everyone else thinks, it’s only what you think that matters.” Lori told her.
“I’m not an idiot, I’m aware that he flirts, and it has caused arguments, but he’s not a dick. I think he’s so used to me not being around that he forgets to rein it in when I am.”
“Does that not make you worry then? Does it not concern you what his flirting could lead to when you’re not around?” Maggie asked.
“We have a long-distance relationship. There has to be a high level of trust for it to work. In the beginning, I didn’t care too much, then things got serious, and I did. Honestly, I don’t know what to think.”
“What’s the sex like?”
“The best I’ve ever had.” Sasha tells Maggie.