Toro y Moi - Go with You

Rose lay on the sofa in her pyjamas with a large mug of tea and This Morning on the TV.

“Hello! You’re up bright and ea…” Dragging her eyes from the screen to look at me, her smile dropped and her eyes widened. “Uh…where have you been? Actually, don’t answer that, I can work that one out for myself.”

“I brought you a sausage and bacon baguette”, I smiled meekly, hoping the brown bag I held up for her to see would distract her. “Loads of brown sauce.”

“Well, at least you know to placate me with food, you haven’t completely lost your mind.” Holding out her hand to accept her food, she sat up then turned the volume right down.

I sat on the other smaller sofa opposite her and waited for her to take a bite of her sandwich and hopefully calm down. She wasn’t angry or even judging me, I knew that for certain: she was worried and knew that if anyone was to find out my life would be completely over.

“So,” Rose started, trying to remain serious whilst licking brown sauce off of her pink finger. “A migraine is what they’re calling sex with a 19 year old, is it?”

“Well, I could hardly tell you where I was in a text! ’Can’t do cinema, about to have a world famous pop star bend me over the back of the sofa, tomorrow maybe?’”

Her eyes widened and she couldn’t help but grin. Rose wanted to pretend like she wasn’t happy with what I was up to, but she also wanted to ask for all the juicy details. My sex life usually consisted of living vicariously through her and her dates and one night stands, or passable but not very exciting nights with Will on birthdays and anniversaries.

“Lil, I have to say, I have never seen anyone look like they’ve been shagging all night as much as you do right now.” Shaking her head, Rose’s demeanour changed. “It’s really lucky you came here first and not home because you look absolutely fucked.”

I looked down at myself and knew she was right. I’d been mortified walking through the hotel in yesterday’s clothes, minus my knickers which I’d stuffed into my handbag. I’d tried to re-style my hair and tidy my make up so it didn’t look so slept in but, as my heels clicked on the marble floor noisily, I knew that all those who saw me, knew I was doing the walk of shame.

“I am knackered, Rose, I’ve never been so worn out in my entire life. I think we went to sleep about 5 then woke again at 7, had sex again, another shower, where more sex was had, then I left because Harry had an interview to get to and I was worried my vagina was going to fall off from overuse.”

Rose snorted into her tea, then tried to look sympathetic but failed. “Good night then, was it?”, she grinned.

“I’m red raw, exhausted and feel like I ran a marathon.” I slumped back into my seat, relieved my best friend was willing to talk and joke about something we both knew was so wrong. “It was the best night of my entire life.”

Rose shook her head once more but grinned, “I’m glad.”

---

Terrance Daniels always made me smile, so ad it not been for him insisting I came along I would never have agreed to go golfing. I hated the so called sport with a passion but I was very fond of Will’s long time family friend who also happened to be his business partner.

Terry had set up the company with Will’s father in the 70’s, when they were both pot smoking hippies with Oxford degrees and a love of music. My father in law died shortly after Will and I married meaning my husband had to step into his dad’s footsteps.

I like Terry a lot and would always find myself sat with him at family gatherings, both of us were the outsiders who didn’t fit in with my mother in law’s idea of how a person should be. She was prim and proper, hair always perfect and would never be seen dead without her double row string of pearls. We, on the other hand, were the riff raff her husband and son had brought into the family.

“Layla, your smile almost looks genuine”, Terry greeted me as Will and I walked into the mahogany walled clubhouse. He pulled me into a warm father like hug then whispered, “I’m so happy you came, sweetheart.”

“My smile I always genuine for you, Terrance, you know that.” Leaning my head against his chest I enjoyed how comforting he felt. My own father was long, long, long gone so I guessed this old sellout was the closest thing I had. “I told Will you both owe me large drinks for this.”

“It’s a deal!”, he grinned before letting me go and hugging Will, who had been talking to Terry’s daughter, Mia.

I was about to say my own hellos to Mia when suddenly Will called out, “Mr. Styles! I hope you’re ready to lose!”

My head snapped around to the main entrance so fast that I thought it was going to keep going and roll right off my shoulders. Dumbfounded, I watched Will and Terry walk towards Harry: he wore a navy polo shirt and navy golf trousers, and his hair was pushed back with the same sort of headband I’d wore in the late nineties but somehow still looked incredible.

“Are you ok, Lil?”, Mia asked, a hand on my own polo wearing shoulder. I hope she couldn’t feel that I was trembling.

“I’m fine,” I looked at her, forcing a smile. “Just think I might need one of those drinks your dad owes me sooner than I thought.”

Notes