by Caragh Bell
Luca stirred his coffee contemplatively. ‘Are you guys living together?’
‘Oh no, Colin wouldn’t slum it with me,’ exclaimed Lydia in mock horror.
Colin shook his head. ‘No, no. What she means is that I have my own flat by the river and it is what you could call stylish.’
‘Stylish? It’s amazing,’ said Lydia.
‘Lyd shares with Sam,’ continued Colin. ‘They live right next door to college.’
Luca raised an eyebrow. ‘Me too.’
Lydia cleared her throat and changed the subject. ‘So, Luca, why are you studying here?’
‘My mom is Irish, from Cork actually. I always wanted to come here.’
‘Do you like it?’ asked Colin.
Luca stared at Lydia. ‘I think I do.’
She blushed and took a gulp of coffee. It scalded her throat and she coughed.
‘Jesus, Lyd, are you okay?’ Colin looked concerned and thumped her on the back.
‘I’m fine, I’m fine.’
Her phone buzzed. It was a message from Samantha.
Where R U? X
Lydia punched in a reply. Samantha answered immediately.
‘Sam is joining us,’ announced Lydia.
‘Your room-mate?’ said Luca.
‘Yes.”
“Is he in college too?’
‘She is a teacher.’
‘That’s cool.’ His eyes twinkled.
Colin got up to order another coffee. ‘Do you two want top-ups?’
Lydia and Luca shook their heads in unison and Colin left.
‘Where are you from, Lyd?’ Luca asked, adopting her pet name automatically.
‘Close to a little village called Baltimore. I live by the sea. It’s really beautiful down there.’
‘I plan on visiting the whole county. My grandparents died before my mother ever left Ireland but I wanna catch up with some uncles and cousins. I never got to meet my mom’s family.’
‘Where are they based?’
‘Some place called Macroom?’
‘Oh, that’s not too far from Cork.’
Colin appeared, holding a mug of coffee and a flapjack on a plate.
‘I know, I know. I don’t actually need this flapjack. I mean, I had a huge panini at lunchtime.’
‘Oh, relax,’ said Lydia. ‘Treat yourself.’
Suddenly Samantha arrived. ‘Hi, everyone!’ she beamed. Suddenly her gaze rested on Luca. ‘Oh, hello! I’m Sam.’
Luca got to his feet and held out his hand. ‘You sure look familiar,’ he said, putting his head to one side. ‘Have we met?’
Samantha looked at him closely. ‘Wait a second! Were you in that funky new club down town last weekend? Elixir?’
‘Yeah, I was.’
‘I was there with my friend Kirsty. It was really nice.’
Luca nodded in agreement. ‘Yeah, I had a great night.’
‘We should all go next weekend!’ suggested Colin. ‘I can make mojitos beforehand, so we don’t have to spend so much in the actual club.’
‘Not that you can’t afford it,’ said Samantha.
‘Shut up, Sam,’ said Colin mildly. ‘Lyd, ask the boyfriend to come – it would do him good. And Sam, you could invite your new man. I’ll tell Val to pick up some Malibu – I’m sure I saw it on offer in Tesco. We can all meet in mine – maybe I could do some canapés …’
Luca was staring at Lydia.
‘Can I bring my girlfriend?’ he asked suddenly, stirring his coffee slowly. ‘Her name is Jessica.’
‘Of course,’ said Colin. ‘The more the merrier!’
He took an enormous bite of his flapjack and closed his eyes in pleasure. ‘This is so worth the calories. It’s almost as good as something I’d make myself.’
‘So you can cook?’ asked Luca.
Colin nodded. ‘Let’s just say, I like to eat well.’
‘He’s a wizard in the kitchen,’ said Lydia, ‘hand on heart. He can make pastry and everything.’
‘Impressive,’ said Luca. ‘I can’t even make a grilled cheese.’
‘Me too!’ Lydia laughed. ‘I burn everything.’ She turned to Samantha. ‘Will I cook later?’
‘Not for me, Lyd. I’m going to the cinema.’
Colin clapped his hands together. ‘Wooooooo! Samantha’s going on a date.’
She blushed. ‘Shut up. You’re so immature.’
Luca grinned. ‘What are you going to see?’
Samantha shrugged. ‘Not sure. I don’t really care to be honest. I’m pretty easy-going.’
‘She won’t be watching the film anyway,’ said Colin slyly. ‘She will be Craig-watching.’
‘Enough!’ Samantha got to her feet. ‘It might be a disaster, who knows?’
‘Craig?’ said Luca, frowning. ‘My cousin Craig is going on a date tonight now that you mention it.’
Samantha gasped. ‘That’s it! You were in the club with him. That’s where I saw you!’
‘So, you’re the reason he left early.’ Luca laughed. ‘It all makes sense now.’
Colin clapped his hands in delight. ‘It’s such a small world! I love it.’
Luca grinned. ‘I’m glad I know what you look like now.’
‘What?’ squeaked Samantha. ‘Has he mentioned me?’
‘Sure. He said he was going to the cinema with a beautiful lady tonight.’
Samantha put her head in her hands in embarrassment.
Lydia smiled and got up. ‘I’m going to head home,’ she announced, putting on her coat. ‘Nice to meet you, Luca. See you around.’
He got to his feet and shook her hand. His skin felt cool to the touch.
‘Nice to meet you too, Lydia.’
‘You coming?’ she asked Samantha.
‘Yeah. See you all soon.’
Luca grinned. ‘Enjoy your evening, Sam.’
Luca arrived home to find an empty house. Idly, he picked up the newspaper discarded by Craig on the kitchen table. Fiacra and Brian were out which meant that he had the house to himself for the night. He debated what to do. He could ring Jessica. She was always up for a laugh. Or Maria, the girl from the laundrette he’d met that morning. She had given him her cell-phone number straight away.
Flopping down on the couch, he yawned. It had been a hectic couple of weeks. His social life was busy, not to mind his love life. Jessica’s sexual demands were zapping his energy. Not that he was complaining. He took his phone out of his pocket and paused.
He could text her and ask her over. Maybe she’d wear that black lacy outfit again. He bit his lip. Then again, was a whole night of mindless chatter worth that half an hour of fun?
He locked his phone and placed it on the coffee table. Maybe he would have an early night. Maybe he would go to bed and sleep for a change. God knows, he needed a rest. Settling back into the couch, he closed his eyes. An image of Lydia floated into his mind. She smiled at him. He sighed peacefully and within a minute was fast asleep.
‘Col? Can I call over to your place? I’m lonely.’
‘Of course, cuz. I’m just watching TV and chilling. See you in a minute.’
‘Cool, I’ll bring some chocolate.’
‘Ciao.’
Lydia walked briskly as the October air was chilly. Orange leaves were scattered all over the street and the stars shone brightly in the sky. She pulled her scarf tightly around her neck.
Colin’s flat was a ten-minute walk from her flat, but in the cold it seemed a lot longer.
She buzzed his doorbell and hopped from foot to foot while she waited.
‘Yeah?’
‘Hi, Colin, it’s Lyd.’
‘Okay. Come on up.’
The door buzzed and Lydia pushed in. She got in the lift and pressed 3.
Colin was in his ‘vegging out’ clothes as he called them: Juicy Couture sweatpants, a Weird Fish hoodie and his chocolate-coloured Uggs. He hugged Lydia warmly and then recoiled in horror.
‘Oh Lyd, you’re like an icicle. C
ome and warm yourself by the fire.’
He padded over to the couch and picked up a steaming cup of herbal tea.
‘Kettle’s boiled if you want a cuppa,’ he said, taking a tentative sip.
‘Thanks, Col, I’ll grab a coffee.’
Minutes later, they were both snuggled up on Colin’s white couch, watching the best moments of the MTV Music Awards.
‘Check out Kanye, he really does love himself.’ Colin shook his head. ‘Imagine telling that poor girl that Beyoncé deserved the award more than she did.’
‘TV gold,’ agreed Lydia.
They watched the screen in silence, comfortable in each other’s company.
‘I wonder how Sam is getting on,’ said Lydia suddenly. ‘I hope that Craig guy is nice.’
‘I’m sure they’re having a lovely time,’ said Colin, giggling. ‘I hope they went to see a movie with mad sex scenes in it. That has to be the most awkward thing ever on a first date.’
Lydia laughed. ‘Yeah, that and eating spaghetti.’
‘Touché! That is pretty bad too.’
‘I remember the first time Dom and I went out for dinner. He ordered this big steak and I was starving. I wanted the same but felt that ordering a steak wasn’t very ladylike. I ended up ordering this awful vegetable risotto that I left behind.’
‘Risotto? But you hate risotto.’ Colin’s eyes were wide.
‘I know, silly, but I could eat it in a refined way.’
‘You’re bonkers, do you know that?’ Colin threw his eyes to heaven. ‘As if Dom would care.’
‘I know that now, Colin, but starting off it’s all about the first good impression.’ Lydia put her cup down more forcibly than she intended on the coffee table.
‘Lydia!’ Colin was on his feet in a heartbeat. ‘You could have spilled it!’
‘God forbid!’ Lydia feigned horror. ‘Imagine that.’
‘Where’s your –’
‘Coaster. I know.’
She got to her feet and went to the dresser by the window to get a coaster. The street lights sparkled on the river below.
‘Can I go out on the balcony?’ she asked.
Colin nodded. ‘Just close the door after you. No point freezing the house.’
Colin’s flat boasted a tiny balcony looking out over the river. Lydia opened the sliding door and carefully closed it after her. The cold air was overwhelming so she rubbed her hands together. The moon was half full, gleaming in the night sky.
Inevitably she thought of Dominic. He was coming down to see her again next weekend and she couldn’t wait. The week seemed to be crawling by without him. She missed him and everything about him. Living with a man had its annoying points, like him stealing the toothpaste and not replacing it, never washing up, a penchant for shows like Trawlermen and Scrapheap Challenge. On the other hand, there was always a razor on hand to use, a feeling of security, someone to make you tea in the morning and, most importantly on these cold nights, a human electric blanket.
Lydia shivered. She had no plans for the weekend. Colin’s mojito party sounded tempting but she doubted that Dominic would have the energy for clubbing. Maybe they could do a Samantha and go to the cinema.
Stepping back inside the flat, she welcomed the gust of warm air.
‘Hurry, Lyd, Britney is on after the break.’ Colin had a bowl of nachos and was eating furiously.
Lydia smiled. Thank God for Colin.
Chapter 9
‘Wake up!’
Samantha groaned. ‘Go away, Lyd.’
‘Wake up! Tell me all the news, come on! Colin is on standby for the goss.’
‘Piss off.’
‘Sam! Open your eyes. I want to know the news.’
‘Get a life and close those curtains.’
‘Was the film good?’
‘Not telling.’
‘Okay, fine. I’ll go and make breakfast. Snooze away for a few minutes. I’ll come and get you when it’s ready.’
‘Whatever.’
Ten minutes later they were in the kitchen, Samantha yawning loudly. Her cropped dark hair looked dishevelled and her brown eyes were red-rimmed. Her tiny frame sat slumped in the chair as Lydia set down a glass of juice with a clatter.
‘You are evil, Lyd. Really evil. I have the worst hangover ever.’
Lydia poured some milk into her cereal. ‘Get over it, it’s eight o’clock. You have school in an hour.’
‘A precious half hour in there that I could have spent in bed.’ Samantha winced as the sunlight streamed in the window, making her squint.
Lydia took a bite of granola and regarded her friend. ‘Are you going to eat something?’
Samantha shook her head. ‘Not right now. I don’t feel the best.’
‘You need something to soak up the alcohol.’
‘I might have some toast in a while.’ Samantha laid her head on the table and closed her eyes. ‘When will I learn? Never go out drinking on a school night.’
‘Speaking of last night, how was it? Disaster or success?’
‘Success. Bigtime success.’ With supreme effort, she raised her head again.
Lydia squealed. ‘Fantastic! What happened?’
‘We met outside The Roundy, as arranged. He suggested that we get a drink there first. I was delighted as I needed something to calm the nerves. After a glass of vino, the world seemed so much brighter. We talked and talked. He’s amazing.’
‘So, what film did you go to see?’
‘We didn’t. We just stayed in the pub talking and drinking. We have so much in common. He talked about his family, I told him about all of you ...’
Lydia ate her cereal thoughtfully. ‘He sounds really nice.’
‘He is.’ Samantha hugged herself. ‘He wants to meet up again later.’
‘Really?’ Lydia shrieked. ‘Are you officially going out then?’
‘God, no. It’s only been a millisecond.’ Samantha gave her a look. ‘I did mention Colin’s thing on Saturday to him and he was pretty interested.’
Lydia clapped her hands in delight. ‘What are you going to wear? You must look foxy!’
‘Don’t I always?’ said Samantha haughtily.
Lydia laughed. ‘Let’s go shopping later. You never know what we might find.’
‘Okay. Now stop talking, my head hurts.’
‘Not another word,’ promised Lydia.
Colin was pacing back and forth outside the West Wing of the university as Lydia approached.
‘You’re late,’ he said, pointing at his watch. ‘I’ve been here for ages.’
‘Not my fault,’ said Lydia, tossing her hair over her shoulder. ‘Blame Sam. I had to practically walk her to work. Cloud nine and a hangover don’t mix.’
‘God, to think that she’s teaching the youth of today.’ Colin clucked in mock disapproval. ‘But I don’t envy her. Imagine dealing with teenagers in that state.’
‘Molly multiplied by a thousand.’
‘Yeah.’ Colin grinned. ‘Come on, I hate being late.’
He took off down the stairs to the lecture theatre at a frightening speed.
‘Hello,’ said a voice in her ear.
Lydia jumped and swung around to see the smiling face of Luca.
‘Oh, hi,’ she said, flustered. ‘I didn’t see you there.’
He started to walk down the stairs, indicating that she should follow him.
‘So, how are you?’ said Lydia lamely as she did, at a loss as to what to say.
‘Great, actually. Had my first full night’s sleep in weeks. The social life here is too much.’
Lydia smiled. ‘Sam was so sick this morning. Looks like the date went well.’
‘Really? I haven’t seen Craig yet.’
He paused and reached out to brush a stray leaf off her shoulder. She blushed in confusion.
Luca grinned. ‘You’re so cute when you’re embarrassed.’
Lydia opened her mouth and shut it again. Best not to react. ‘Come on,’ she
said briskly. ‘We’re so late.’
She strode purposefully into the lecture, ignoring Colin’s looks of disapproval as she walked past.
‘Disgraceful,’ he mouthed at her, wagging his pen.
Predictably, Luca sat down next to her and opened his notepad which was filled with little drawings. Lydia stared at them, fascinated.
‘They look amazing,’ she whispered. ‘Did you do them?’
He nodded and turned a few pages. Each sketch was incredibly life-like. An old woman sitting on a bench, the girl who served coffee in the student centre, a girl with long hair who Lydia presumed must be Jessica and a child sitting on the grass. Boldly she turned another page and gasped. There was a perfect drawing of her, writing notes, her long hair flowing around her face. She didn’t dare look at him. Wordlessly, she closed the book and stared at the clock on the wall.
It’s just a sketch, Lydia. He was probably bored and you were sitting in front of him. She glanced sideways to find him watching her.
‘What?’ she whispered loudly.
‘Nothing. Just memorising your face for my next drawing.’
‘Why draw me?’
‘Why not?’
Lydia wrote ‘Research Methods’ in bold deliberate writing at the top of her page. She turned her attention to what Dr. Moloney was saying. Something about paradigms … Hastily she began to scribble notes as he activated his PowerPoint. Glancing sideways, she noticed that Luca was not writing anything.
‘Are you memorising all this stuff?’ she whispered.
‘No. I guess I was hoping to get the notes from you later.’
She tried and failed to look affronted. ‘No way, mister, I’m not going to do all the donkey work.’
‘I’ll pay you back.’
‘How?’
‘I’ll think of something,’ he said, straight-faced.
Lydia blushed. ‘Oh, stop it,’ she said, flicking her hair back. ‘We’d better be quiet. Colin is practically falling off his seat with disapproval.’
Craig picked up a slice of pizza. ‘She’s gorgeous, man, really hot.’
‘Did she put out?’ Luca took a swig of beer.
‘No, and I didn’t even try it. She’s too classy.’