David, “you must be Katrina’s friend, ” was that
jealousy I detected just then?
David took his hand and shook it firmly,
“Hey man, I’m David and yes I’m Katrina’s best friend.” They stood there
having one of those silent battles of the mind that males tend to have when
they are sizing each other up.
“Ok,” I interrupted the exchange, beginning
to feel uncomfortable – especially with Bianca watching; what the hell was
Elliot doing? “David, would you mind getting me another glass of wine?”
“Sure,” he said moving off towards the bar,
eyeing off Elliot.
“I’ll come too,” Bianca said trotting off
to join him and leaving Elliot, and I standing together. The noise in the room
was rising as everyone started to relax and become more animated with a couple
of drinks in them.
“Hi,” he smiled at me then cleared his
throat and looked as though he just realised where he was and went into office
mode. “How has your first week been?” he asked me politely.
Fine - I could play this game too, “Well Elliot my first week has been fine. I’ve met a lot of nice people, and my job is
pretty easy. Excuse me,” I said curtly and was about to turn and walk away,
when he gently touched my arm to stop me.
“Wait,” I turned around to look at him
again. “It’s probably none of my business but is that guy your boyfriend? You
seem pretty close.”
“Elliot, you’re absolutely right – it is
none of your business; but for future reference if I say someone is my friend
that’s exactly what they are.”
Elliot nodded solemnly and then laughed at
himself, “I’m sorry; I just don’t know how to do this.”
“Do what? Talk nicely to a girl twice in
one day? Or behave like a person at work?”
“Both I guess, you know what’s at risk
here,” he said quietly.
“Then why are you even standing here?” I
asked him.
“I don’t know, I guess I figure there’s no
harm in talking to the people – the person; I want to talk to.”
“Well then perhaps you should get Evan out
here. He seems to know how to have fun,” I joked. He smiled and nodded slowly
at me, looking at his hands. “You know, you can probably be seen hanging out
with people from work and not cause too much of a stir. You're over thinking
all this.”
“What? I hang out with Andrew over there.
That counts.” I looked over to see another of the junior solicitors - a very
tall lanky, dark-haired guy who looked around the same age as Elliot; standing
in the corner speaking quietly with one of the account managers, she was a
little more than half Andrew’s height with brown curly hair and looked to be in
her mid to late 20s.
I smiled and asked if maybe he and his
friends would like to join us at Pontoon later. “And when I say you – I mean
Evan,” I grinned.
An amused smile crept over his face,
“Alright. I'll think about it.”
David returned with my drink, Bianca
trailing behind him, and handed it to me. “Everything alright?” he asked giving
Elliot the once over again.
“Everything’s fine David,” I assured him,
touching his chest in a ‘back down’ gesture, “Why don’t you get to know some of
the guys here, instead of hitting on all the girls?” I moved over to Kayley,
Albina and Jo to socialise were there wasn’t so much tension.
We ended up staying there drinking until
8pm before we all headed off as a group to Pontoon at Darling harbour – Elliot
included. As we walked he introduced me to his friend Andrew and the woman he
had been talking to earlier, Carmen. It turns out that she lives near David and
myself, so we made a plan to catch the train home together and swapped mobile
numbers, in case we got separated.
Pontoon was packed. The music was loud, the
air was thick with body heat and the bar was ten people deep - you needed to be
slightly aggressive to maintain your position so you would actually get to the
front of the line.
Bianca had David well within her sights and
wouldn’t leave
jealousy I detected just then?
David took his hand and shook it firmly,
“Hey man, I’m David and yes I’m Katrina’s best friend.” They stood there
having one of those silent battles of the mind that males tend to have when
they are sizing each other up.
“Ok,” I interrupted the exchange, beginning
to feel uncomfortable – especially with Bianca watching; what the hell was
Elliot doing? “David, would you mind getting me another glass of wine?”
“Sure,” he said moving off towards the bar,
eyeing off Elliot.
“I’ll come too,” Bianca said trotting off
to join him and leaving Elliot, and I standing together. The noise in the room
was rising as everyone started to relax and become more animated with a couple
of drinks in them.
“Hi,” he smiled at me then cleared his
throat and looked as though he just realised where he was and went into office
mode. “How has your first week been?” he asked me politely.
Fine - I could play this game too, “Well Elliot my first week has been fine. I’ve met a lot of nice people, and my job is
pretty easy. Excuse me,” I said curtly and was about to turn and walk away,
when he gently touched my arm to stop me.
“Wait,” I turned around to look at him
again. “It’s probably none of my business but is that guy your boyfriend? You
seem pretty close.”
“Elliot, you’re absolutely right – it is
none of your business; but for future reference if I say someone is my friend
that’s exactly what they are.”
Elliot nodded solemnly and then laughed at
himself, “I’m sorry; I just don’t know how to do this.”
“Do what? Talk nicely to a girl twice in
one day? Or behave like a person at work?”
“Both I guess, you know what’s at risk
here,” he said quietly.
“Then why are you even standing here?” I
asked him.
“I don’t know, I guess I figure there’s no
harm in talking to the people – the person; I want to talk to.”
“Well then perhaps you should get Evan out
here. He seems to know how to have fun,” I joked. He smiled and nodded slowly
at me, looking at his hands. “You know, you can probably be seen hanging out
with people from work and not cause too much of a stir. You're over thinking
all this.”
“What? I hang out with Andrew over there.
That counts.” I looked over to see another of the junior solicitors - a very
tall lanky, dark-haired guy who looked around the same age as Elliot; standing
in the corner speaking quietly with one of the account managers, she was a
little more than half Andrew’s height with brown curly hair and looked to be in
her mid to late 20s.
I smiled and asked if maybe he and his
friends would like to join us at Pontoon later. “And when I say you – I mean
Evan,” I grinned.
An amused smile crept over his face,
“Alright. I'll think about it.”
David returned with my drink, Bianca
trailing behind him, and handed it to me. “Everything alright?” he asked giving
Elliot the once over again.
“Everything’s fine David,” I assured him,
touching his chest in a ‘back down’ gesture, “Why don’t you get to know some of
the guys here, instead of hitting on all the girls?” I moved over to Kayley,
Albina and Jo to socialise were there wasn’t so much tension.
We ended up staying there drinking until
8pm before we all headed off as a group to Pontoon at Darling harbour – Elliot
included. As we walked he introduced me to his friend Andrew and the woman he
had been talking to earlier, Carmen. It turns out that she lives near David and
myself, so we made a plan to catch the train home together and swapped mobile
numbers, in case we got separated.
Pontoon was packed. The music was loud, the
air was thick with body heat and the bar was ten people deep - you needed to be
slightly aggressive to maintain your position so you would actually get to the
front of the line.
Bianca had David well within her sights and
wouldn’t leave
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