The Night That Changed Everything by Laura Tait and Jimmy Rice Page A

reason for this becomes clear once I’ve seen the other two places. Turns out the first one was pretty good for my budget. The second one, described as ‘a blank canvas’, is so blank it has no toilet, shower or sink. The last one isn’t an actual home. Seriously, back when the whole building was someone’s mansion, the section Liudvik is trying to flog me was probably used to house the dustpan and brush. Not even a Hoover – Henry would have refused the living conditions.
    â€˜What do you reckon?’ asks Ben, though my face says it all.
    â€˜I need a drink. Let’s say bye to the Russian and get the hell out of here.’
    â€˜She’s Ukrainian.’
    â€˜How do you know?’
    â€˜I was chatting to her about it earlier.’
    Course he was, friendly bastard.
    â€˜That was the most depressing experience of my life.’ I throw myself dramatically into our booth at Arch 13 and slump over the table. ‘Why does Danielle have to move out?’ I sigh heavily. ‘I don’t want to live by myself.’
    Ben looks at me as though he’s confused.
    â€˜What?’ I ask.
    â€˜Nothing,’ he says, reviewing me for a second or two longer before his face returns to normal. ‘So what are you going to do?’
    I sigh. That’s the two-hundred-thousand-pound question. ‘Maybe I should widen my search. Try somewhere a bit more up and coming?’
    â€˜Estate-agent-speak for currently down and out?’
    â€˜Maybe I should ask for a bigger mortgage.’
    â€˜Maybe you should give yourself a bit more time. There’s no rush to buy, is there?’
    â€˜Maybe I should sell a kidney.’
    â€˜Maybe we should live together.’
    â€˜Maybe I should—’ I sit bolt upright. ‘Hang on, what?’
    â€˜What?’ he echoes.
    â€˜Did you just say . . . ?’
    â€˜Yeah, OK.’ He adjusts himself in his seat like he’s trying to get comfortable, though he ends up in the same position he started. ‘I said it: we could live together. If you like. I thought you wanted to live by yourself, but if you don’t, I’m just saying, I . . .’ He shuffles in his seat again. ‘Look, I don’t want to push you into anything. But it’s my last chance to say anything, so . . .’
    I stare at him, baffled. ‘Ben, do you want to move in together or not?’
    He stares back. ‘Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.’
    â€˜You need to be clearer, Ben . . . Is that a yes?’
    â€˜YES.’
    â€˜Why haven’t you asked before? I figured you were having doubts about us, or you weren’t ready or something.’
    â€˜Doubts? I’m not having doubts, you wally – I wanted to ask but then at your dad’s you said you couldn’t imagine living at the flat with anyone else, and then you started to look for somewhere to live by yourself.’
    â€˜I didn’t think I had a choice – you never asked. So, er . . .’ I shrug, unable to stop a smile spreading across my face. ‘Are we doing this?’
    â€˜I’m in if you are?’
    â€˜I’m in.’ Relief washes over me – he
is
in this for the long haul.
    He grabs my head and kisses my lips, laughing at my scrunched-up face.
    â€˜Put her down, Nicholls, and drink your beer,’ interrupts Jamie, placing a pint in front of Ben, followed by a glass that clinks with ice as he slides it towards me. ‘And a Scotch for the lady.’
    â€˜I can’t see any ladies,’ says Danielle, appearing in a puff of Chanel No. 5. ‘Sorry I’m late.’
    â€˜Not like you,’ says Jamie with a wink. ‘Drink?’
    â€˜Mojito please.’
    â€˜Coming up.’
    â€˜Hang on a bit, mate,’ says Ben. ‘We have something to tell you.’
    â€˜We’re moving in together,’ I add quickly, in case they think we’re about to announce an engagement or something