BR - Balls! Part 3

She’s not wearing her witchy florist clothes, but she’s not dressed for clubbing either in her pants and cute, asymmetrical sweater. Edna joins you and Beth at the bar.

Beth indicates the club. “It’s rubbish, innit?” she says. It’s hard to hear her.

“I’m sure it’s no better or worse than any other place,” Edna replies serenely, channeling powerfully calm, classy, motherly energy. She leans casually on the bar, smiling at you both.

“Come here a lot?” Beth asks, a bit rudely, looking Edna up and down.

“Never,” she replies with a shrug. “But I saw your mum’s car outside and wondered what she was doing here. I might’ve guessed.”

“How’d you get in?” you ask. “No offense,” you add quickly.

Edna’s trying not to laugh as she looks over at you. “This is Leamington, Riley. Not Ibiza. What’s really the matter with you two?”

Edna’s right. It’s not the club. It’s the tension between Beth and her mother that you still don’t fully understand. And the tension between you and Beth about having to hide your relationship. Speaking of which.

You quickly move away from Beth to look like less of a couple.

Edna’s eyes follow you.

“What?” Beth asks in a challenging voice, watching the older woman’s face.

“I see why you’re avoiding the house,” Edna replies, looking amused.

“Oh, do you? I’ll have you know I own a pig farm,” Beth warns.

Edna laughs, then gazes at the two of you. “Come on,” she says, plucking your drink out of your hand and setting it on the bar. “Let’s go somewhere civilized.”

It’s a testament to how much Beth does not feel like clubbing that she agrees at all. Twenty minutes later you’re at a different place: this one is a jazzy kind of bar, much nicer with a very different crowd. Once again, it’s not your kind of music, but it’s a lot easier on the ears.

“Are you going to out me?” Beth asks Edna bluntly after she’s had half a glass of dark beer.

“No,” Edna replies, looking amused by the idea. “Where would be the sport in it?”

“Sport?” you say.

Edna shrugs. “Shauna’s idiocy truly knows no bounds.” Her eyes flick to you. “You aren’t subtle.”

“Now I’m offended,” Beth says.

“Don’t be. Your mum is lovely. You can be lovely and daft at the same time,” Edna says dismissively.

“Only I can call her an idiot,” Beth says irritably.

“Fine, fine.” Edna waves a hand and smiles. “Your brilliant mum must have very brilliant reasons for not seeing through you.”

“Nothing to see through,” Beth retorts. “It’s not what you think.”

“Oh?”

“I’m not,” Beth begins, looking uncertainly at you. She changes position and crosses her legs. “I’m not gay,” she says.

“You are dating a woman.”

“Yes, but I’m not gay. That’s important,” she adds.

You aren’t sure if you should be offended. You are thinking that you shouldn’t, but it’s still uncomfortable.