into the back. “You got the job!”
“Knew you would, given half a chance.” Kenny winks.
“I can’t believe it,” Christian says. “I thought I was about to get fired!”
“Me too,” I admit.
“You’re a lifesaver.” He grins. “Thank you.”
“Sounds like you owe me a drink.” I smile.
“Definitely. Just... not tonight.”
“Smile, you two busy barpeople!” Vix cries. “This is a moment to remember!”
I turn as she points her camera phone at us.
Flash!
“NO!”
Christian jumps backwards like he’s been shot, his hands flying to his face.
Vix stares at him. “Sorry...”
“No, I’m sorry,” he mumbles. “It’s just—I’m not... very photogenic.”
“Seriously?”
Vix raises an eyebrow.
“It’s true—you should see his driving license.” I smile uneasily.
“Anyway, I’ve... got to get going,” Christian says, heading for the coat hooks.
“You can stay for one drink, surely?” I protest. “At least wait till the rain eases off—it’s pissing it down outside.”
“It’s okay, I’ve got a jacket,” he says, grabbing it from the rack and slipping the pub keys into the pocket.
“How is your poor jacket?” I take it from him. “Wow, there isn’t even a mark.”
“Good as new.” Christian smiles. “It’s like it never even happened. No one would ever know.”
If only all stains were so easy to remove.
“Thanks again for your help today, guys,” Christian says, pulling on his jacket.
“You’re welcome, mate.” Kenny grabs him in a bear hug. “Any time.”
“Whoa, someone’s affectionate after a few drinks!” Christian laughs, patting Kenny on the back as he finally releases him. “Have a good night, everyone!”
“Come on, Christian, it’s still early!” Vix protests. “What’s so important about being home at six-thirty on a Saturday night?”
Christian sighs. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me,” she challenges.
I watch him closely.
“I can’t miss
Doctor Who
!”
Vix groans. “Nerd.”
“You got me.” Christian grins. “Bye!”
“Bye, mate!” Kenny waves.
“Lame,” Vix comments when he’s gone.
“Totally,” I agree miserably.
SEVEN
“You’re alive!” Vix cries as I answer my mobile the next morning. “Thank goodness! I was really worried when you didn’t answer your door last night—I thought you must’ve just been asleep—but when there was still no reply this morning I was starting to panic you’d been missing all night!”
“You knocked on my door last
night
?” I frown. “What time?”
“When I got back from clubbing, just after two-thirty.”
“Two-thirty?”
I cry. “Good thing I’m a deep sleeper—I would
not
have been a happy bunny to be woken at that hour!”
“Sorry. I was drunk and I just... I wanted to apologize for going clubbing without you. You’re my best friend here, and I shouldn’t just abandon you when you’ve got a bad ankle.”
“Vix.” I smile. “It’s fine. Really. Just cos I’m not up to dancing the night away, it shouldn’t stop you going out.”
“Thanks, Lou. You’re the best. Where are you, anyway? What’s that
noise
?”
“St. Augustine’s church clock.” From my bench I crane my neck to see the time. Ten o’clock. “I’m doing research. You know, for our creative writing assignment?”
I’ve actually been here since nine-thirty, hoping to bump into Christian and get some quality time alone with him, albeit in a public place. It’s impossible to talk to him properly when he’s working and there are so many people around, and if I invite him for a drink one more time, I’m going to look ridiculous. This way, hopefully we’ll get to spend some time together “accidentally.”
Even if it is accidentally on purpose.
But there’s still no sign of him, so what started as an invented pretext for being here is now actually the truth.
“Research?” Vix says blankly. “What research? We’ve just got to write a ghost story,
“Knew you would, given half a chance.” Kenny winks.
“I can’t believe it,” Christian says. “I thought I was about to get fired!”
“Me too,” I admit.
“You’re a lifesaver.” He grins. “Thank you.”
“Sounds like you owe me a drink.” I smile.
“Definitely. Just... not tonight.”
“Smile, you two busy barpeople!” Vix cries. “This is a moment to remember!”
I turn as she points her camera phone at us.
Flash!
“NO!”
Christian jumps backwards like he’s been shot, his hands flying to his face.
Vix stares at him. “Sorry...”
“No, I’m sorry,” he mumbles. “It’s just—I’m not... very photogenic.”
“Seriously?”
Vix raises an eyebrow.
“It’s true—you should see his driving license.” I smile uneasily.
“Anyway, I’ve... got to get going,” Christian says, heading for the coat hooks.
“You can stay for one drink, surely?” I protest. “At least wait till the rain eases off—it’s pissing it down outside.”
“It’s okay, I’ve got a jacket,” he says, grabbing it from the rack and slipping the pub keys into the pocket.
“How is your poor jacket?” I take it from him. “Wow, there isn’t even a mark.”
“Good as new.” Christian smiles. “It’s like it never even happened. No one would ever know.”
If only all stains were so easy to remove.
“Thanks again for your help today, guys,” Christian says, pulling on his jacket.
“You’re welcome, mate.” Kenny grabs him in a bear hug. “Any time.”
“Whoa, someone’s affectionate after a few drinks!” Christian laughs, patting Kenny on the back as he finally releases him. “Have a good night, everyone!”
“Come on, Christian, it’s still early!” Vix protests. “What’s so important about being home at six-thirty on a Saturday night?”
Christian sighs. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me,” she challenges.
I watch him closely.
“I can’t miss
Doctor Who
!”
Vix groans. “Nerd.”
“You got me.” Christian grins. “Bye!”
“Bye, mate!” Kenny waves.
“Lame,” Vix comments when he’s gone.
“Totally,” I agree miserably.
SEVEN
“You’re alive!” Vix cries as I answer my mobile the next morning. “Thank goodness! I was really worried when you didn’t answer your door last night—I thought you must’ve just been asleep—but when there was still no reply this morning I was starting to panic you’d been missing all night!”
“You knocked on my door last
night
?” I frown. “What time?”
“When I got back from clubbing, just after two-thirty.”
“Two-thirty?”
I cry. “Good thing I’m a deep sleeper—I would
not
have been a happy bunny to be woken at that hour!”
“Sorry. I was drunk and I just... I wanted to apologize for going clubbing without you. You’re my best friend here, and I shouldn’t just abandon you when you’ve got a bad ankle.”
“Vix.” I smile. “It’s fine. Really. Just cos I’m not up to dancing the night away, it shouldn’t stop you going out.”
“Thanks, Lou. You’re the best. Where are you, anyway? What’s that
noise
?”
“St. Augustine’s church clock.” From my bench I crane my neck to see the time. Ten o’clock. “I’m doing research. You know, for our creative writing assignment?”
I’ve actually been here since nine-thirty, hoping to bump into Christian and get some quality time alone with him, albeit in a public place. It’s impossible to talk to him properly when he’s working and there are so many people around, and if I invite him for a drink one more time, I’m going to look ridiculous. This way, hopefully we’ll get to spend some time together “accidentally.”
Even if it is accidentally on purpose.
But there’s still no sign of him, so what started as an invented pretext for being here is now actually the truth.
“Research?” Vix says blankly. “What research? We’ve just got to write a ghost story,
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