“Who is this guy?” I asked Tess.
“No idea, but I’m assuming anyone who comes to try and chat up a girl who’s sitting in a corner, miserable, is a bit of a creeper.”
“Hey, I was just trying to be friendly,” he spluttered.
“Cool, lots of girls here that would be keen to meet a friendly guy,” I said, waving at the rest of the shop.
“What?"
“We wouldn’t have a problem here, would we, mate?” Gabe appeared, putting a hand on the man’s shoulder.
“Who the fuck are you?” the guy asked, turning towards him, hands starting to ball into fists.
“The bloke who’s gonna knock your block off if you don’t leave these girls alone.”
“Gabe,” I said, getting to my feet, “settle down.”
“We understand each other?” Gabe demanded, staring into the other man’s face, not moving an inch.
“You’re just lucky I don’t want to mess up Flea’s new place,” the guy said, taking a step backwards. Gabe just watched the guy move away, disappearing back into the crowd.
“Seriously?” I asked. “That almost came to blows. We had it covered.”
“Not saying you didn’t, just didn’t want you to have to deal with dickheads like that,” Gabe said.
“We deal with dickheads like that every day. Probably have more experience than you at it,” I said. “You can’t try and protect us all the time.”
“Now, don’t you two start a fight. Mum’s looking like she’s going to do an appraisal of Flea’s assets. Let’s go before we get kicked out,” Tess said.
“Therese! Where’s this new mystery man of yours?” Mum asked the minute we got back. “I’ve been dying to meet him.”
“Ah–” I started to try and find a way to deflect Mum’s focus, but Tess straightened and met her gaze head-on.
“It was a misunderstanding on my part,” she said. “I thought he was interested, but when I pursued it, I realised I was wrong.”
“Oh, Tess,” Mum said, “you do this so often! Remember the next-door neighbour boy?”
“Jacob?” I said. “Seriously, Mum, they were seven years old.”
“And she made a fool of herself chasing him around. His mother had to have words with me. Well, no matter, I know some lovely young men who would be over the moon to meet you. One of the new partners is gorgeous–”
“Mother–” I growled.
“Seriously. Could even give Ashley’s man a run for his money, though in a more tailored, refined way. Dark hair, bright-blue eyes–”
“Mother!” Tess looked like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. A deer with big sad blue eyes that were about to start swimming with tears if this didn’t stop. Then Mum would never let this stuff go.
“Why are you shouting at me in public, Ashley? I didn’t raise you to act in such a way. And anyway, I’m speaking with your sister.”
“Hey, ladies,” Flea said as he passed by, "get you anything to drink?”
“But I have a new boyfriend,” Tess said, wrapping her arm around Flea’s and drawing him close. “Flea and I, it was a rebound thing at first, but I think we’re both anticipating it turning out to be something more.”
Suddenly, everything went very still. My parents’ eyes catalogued every single one of Flea’s many, many tattoos and the ratty clothing that seemed to be almost falling off of him, meshing that with the fact his name was a pest insect. I watched the cogs turn, looking at Tess and Flea and then Mum and Dad, then back again. I admired Tess’s ability to improvise, but wasn’t sure how this was going to end.
"Yeah, I knew I had to tie this lovely lady down," Flea said, wrapping his arm around Tess's shoulders like it was the most natural thing in the world. He laid a gentle kiss on the side of her face, his lips lingering longer than was perhaps needed. "Been the best couple of weeks of my life."
"Me, too," Tess said, snuggling into his side, almost using his lean body as a protective wall to put between her and us. We all just watched as Flea reached up to slowly push a lock of brown hair back behind her ear, his hand trailing down to caress her jaw.