Page 18

Well, this was mortifying. Did everyone know she’d started her friggin’ period? “Yeah, it’s not been a super fun day for me.”

“Would watching lesbian films help?”

Halle wanted to spend the evening with her watching films? What in the world was happening? “You don’t have to babysit me, Halle, I’m fine. There has to be something better you could be doing?”

Lydia watched Halle’s excitement ebb away. “Sorry, I should have called first. But for the record, I didn’t come here to babysit you, Lydia. I just thought it would be nice to chill together.”

Now Lydia felt like an arsehole. “Shit, yeah, of course it would be. I’m just a little out of it. If you’re okay with me falling asleep during the first hour, then I’d be happy to chill with you.”

“You can even dribble if you want.” Halle smiled, squeezing past Lydia through the door. “I brought popcorn, but not buttered. It’s supposed to be healthy. Oh, and these crisps are made from lentils or something.”

Lydia followed Halle to the kitchen. Monty launched himself at the back door, demanding to be let in so Halle could shower him with the love he deserved from every human. “That’s sweet of you, thanks. Monty, get down!”

“He’s alright,” Halle laughed as Monty bounced around, trying his damndest to reach Halle’s outstretched arms. “Come here, you nutter.” Leaving Monty and Halle to their love fest, Lydia excused herself to the bathroom. Christ on a bike. She looked bad. Ideally, she’d jump in the shower, because her hair was not going to cooperate. The brush Lydia tried to run through it got stuck several times. In the end, she tied it back into a less frantic topknot.

At least her make-up was easy to remove, although Lydia wasn’t sure she looked any better for having a fresh face. Her chin displayed several angry looking blemishes and her eyes looked tired.

“Do you want a sugar-free hot chocolate?” Halle was busying herself in the kitchen, leaving Lydia a few uninterrupted seconds to observe. Halle looked great in athletic wear. She’d probably come over straight from work. Realising those few seconds were stretching out too long, Lydia cleared her throat.

“Love some, please. Can I do anything?”

“Nope, go get comfy on the sofa. I’ll be in soon.”

A lightness seeped through Lydia’s heavy mood. How could it not? Halle was here, taking care of her. There had been a couple of previous partners who had adopted the role, but after a few days, they got irritated with it all. Would Halle feel the same in the end?

Surely it was inevitable. Halle was only a couple of years older than Lydia’s 34 years. She had a great job, good health, and some fine looks. As soon as the shine wore off, Halle, like everyone else, would disappear. Not entirely, they were still friends, but Lydia knew she’d end up alone again every month until Dr. Maynard worked her magic.

“Grub’s up.” Halle balanced two hot chocolates and a bowl of popcorn on a tray far too small for everything to sit safely.

“I would have helped, if you’d called.” Lydia made a move to take one mug off the tray.

“Ah, ah, ah, I got it. Sit your bum down.” Halle skilfully set the tray down, spilling nothing, much to the chagrin of Monty, who was eagerly awaiting to snap up any fallen popcorn kernels. “For tonight’s entertainment, we have three classics. Imagine Me & You, Kiss Me and Elena Undone.”

Lydia groaned comically. “Elena Undone is not a classic. It’s painfully cheesy. Who names their kid Payton?”

“That rules out Elena Undone then.”

“I’ve never even heard of Kiss Me, so that can’t be a classic either!”

“Hold the phone. You’ve never heard of Kiss Me, or its original Kyss Mig.”

“Nope.”

“Lydia, Lydia, Lydia. How is this even possible? It’s a gorgeous film. Swedish, but don’t fret, it has subtitles.”

“I’m gathering you’d like to watch that one.”

“We have to now. You’re gonna love it, just you wait and see.” Halle bent over putting the DVD in. Lydia averted her eyes from Halle’s toned backside.

Chuckling, Lydia curled herself in the corner of the sofa. Monty took his usual spot at the other end, leaving Halle no choice but to sit next to Lydia. The sofa was only a small two-seater, so the space between them was minimal.

“Comfy?” Halle asked, already throwing popcorn in her mouth.

“Yeah, let’s do this. I’ve never watched a Swedish film before.”

“You’re in for a treat.”

Even though Lydia struggled with fatigue all day, she was wide awake now. The film–true to Halle’s word–was wonderful. It was heart-warming, and no lesbians died. What a treat!