‘I’d still want to know. Hell, I’m still interested in who people I dated years ago are with now. I’m all over Facebook, checking that stuff out.’
‘That’s like stalking.’
‘Well, you’d know all about that, wouldn’t you!’ Rachel pointed at me and laughed. ‘I keep thinking of you reading that poem out to Daniel. So funny.’
‘Oh, stop it! I’m still mortified. In fact, I’m so mortified I don’t think I’ll ever be able to face him again.’ I sipped my wine and winced. ‘This wine is foul. Do you like it? You can have mine, I can’t drink it.’
‘Go on then, pass it over. What are you going to drink instead?’
‘I might get a gin and tonic.’ I looked at the queue for the bar and winced. ‘Going back to Alex’s new woman, I suppose I do wonder what she’s like and how much she differs from me. It’s weird to think of him with someone else. He never seemed to look at anyone else. Some guys are really flirty, aren’t they, and you can see them checking other girls out? But Alex was never like that. Yeah, he was boring, but he was also safe.’
‘Perhaps he was just good at hiding it?’
‘Maybe. Did you ever think he was the type to stray?’
‘No. Not at all. He barely had time for you, so why would he look for another woman?’
‘I suppose it must be because she works with him. Shared interests.’ I sighed and shifted uncomfortably on the bench seat. ‘So, are you doing anything with Patrick’s daughter tomorrow?’
‘Yes. Haven’t I told you? We’re taking her to see Disney on Ice!’ Rachel’s face flushed with pleasure. ‘I’m really excited. I’ve wanted to see that for years.’
‘Me too. I’m jealous. What’s Patrick like as a daddy?’
‘He’s amazing! So sweet and patient.’ Rachel got all shiny-eyed and glowy when she talked about Patrick. I hadn’t seen her so keen on anyone for a long time.
‘So, what went wrong between him and his ex-wife?’
‘They weren’t married. She’s a bit crazy, apparently.’
I snorted. ‘That’s what all men say about their ex-girlfriends or ex-wives or whatever.’
Rachel gave me a funny look and I ducked my head guiltily. ‘Sorry. Do they get on okay?’
‘Mostly. I think Patrick finds it hard though because she’s married to someone else now and her husband effectively gets to spend every weekday with Gemma and is like a new daddy to her.’
‘Ah, bless. Could he ask for more access?’
She shrugged. ‘He works long hours so she’s usually in bed by the time he gets home.’
I made sympathetic noises while Rachel rooted in her bag for her phone to show me pictures of Patrick’s four-year-old daughter. She was very pretty, with rich dark skin like her father and adorable curly hair in pigtails. She was grinning at the camera, her big eyes shining with joy.
‘She’s gorgeous!’ I said, taking Rachel’s phone from her and scrolling though the photos. I paused at one of Gemma on Rachel’s lap. Rachel looked completely in love with her.
‘She is, isn’t she?’ she smiled.
It was weird looking at Rachel holding a child, especially one I hadn’t met. She’d never been particularly maternal and had often claimed she hated kids, yet here she was looking delighted to be holding one on her lap. Rachel and I had been friends since primary school and had done everything together. We’d even lived together when we went to uni and our regular meet-ups and chats had continued even after I’d moved in with Alex. I felt like I knew her inside out, but looking at this picture now, I wondered if she was changing. It was only natural, of course. She had fallen in love, and that was bound to change her perspective on life. And I was happy she’d met someone after being single for so long, I really was, but I still felt a prickle of anxiety that Patrick might pull her off in a completely different direction. I hadn’t even met him yet. I suppose it wasn’t a massive problem if I didn’t like him; after all, she hadn’t particularly liked Alex. But Patrick seemed to spend most of his time in London. What if she moved down there to be with him? I handed back the phone, hiding my feelings with a smile. ‘Right, I’m going to get that drink. Do you want one too?’
‘No, I’ll just drink this. I don’t want to be paralytic by the time I meet Patrick.’
I got up and went to the bar. Groups of people pressed in on me from all sides and I clutched a ten-pound note in my hand to try and encourage the bartender to serve me. I didn’t have to wait long. In fact, I was pretty sure there were people waiting before me. I started to protest, but the barman laughed and shook his head. ‘No, it’s okay. A guy down the bar wants to buy you a drink. Just let me know what you want.’
Surprised, I looked down the bar to see who it might be. I could see no one I knew until the bartender gestured at someone hidden behind another man. In that instant, Daniel Moore leaned over the bar and waved at me.
‘Oh!’ It felt like all the breath had left my body at once and my cheeks burned. ‘Oh, err, I’ll have a gin and tonic, please.’
‘Ice and a slice?’
‘Yes, please.’ Oh no! I wasn’t ready to see Daniel yet. Not after last night. I bit my lip, my heart thudding in my chest, and smiled as the bartender handed me my drink.
‘Enjoy.’
Blimey. I’d have to go and say thank you. Glancing over at Rachel to check she was okay, I made my way to Daniel, who was handing a beer to his friend and slipping the change back into the pocket of his jeans. He took a sip of his beer and smiled as I approached, his green eyes focused intently on my face. His hair looked even shorter than the other day, and he was clean-shaven this time. My heart fluttered and I gritted my teeth. I was not attracted to him any more, I told myself firmly. I would not swoon over his strong, square jaw and chiselled cheekbones.
‘Hello!’ he said, his smile widening. Damn, he had a nice smile. And those eyes… ‘Why’d you only get one drink? Are you here on your own?’
‘No, I’m here with Rachel but she’s still got my wine. I didn’t like it, so she’s drinking it. As well as hers. So I’ve got this. And thank you.’ My cheeks grew even hotter with embarrassment. Get a grip, Elena. You sound like an idiot.
‘Rachel?’ he asked, his eyebrows shooting up. ‘Rachel from college?’
‘Yeah, that’s right. Do you want to come and say hello?’
‘Okay! This is Zach, by the way. Zach, Elena, Elena, Zach.’
I smiled at the lad by his side and shook his hand. Zach was small, thin and wiry. His brown hair was shaved at the sides but long on top, and was tied up in a man bun. I wanted to hate it, but had to admit it suited him. He looked open and friendly, and greeted me enthusiastically, like a happy spaniel.
We made our way back over to Rachel, who was craning her neck in an effort to look around the pub.
‘Oh, there you are!’ she said, when she spotted me heading back to her. ‘I wondered where you’d got to. I couldn’t see you at the bar. Ooh, hello! Who have we got here?’
‘You remember Daniel from sixth form?’ I gave her a look, which I hoped conveyed that I did not want the poem or my crush mentioned under any circumstances, while also warning her not to be mean to him.
‘Of course.’ For a horrible moment, I thought she was going to laugh out loud, but she managed to control herself and turned it into a wide, friendly grin instead. ‘The Daniel who looked after you in the lift.’
‘Yes, and this is his friend Zach.’
‘Hi, Zach. Here, have a seat.’ Rachel pushed a stool towards Zach who seemed only too happy to sit down with two women he’d never met before. Daniel settled on the bench seat next to me. His warm, hard thigh pressed up against mine. Did he have to sit so close? I could smell the spicy fresh scent of his aftershave and heat seemed to be washing over me in waves. I was sure my face must be the colour of a beetroot. ‘It’s packed to the rafters tonight. Is it just the two of you out?’
‘Yeah, we’re here for the kar
aoke. Zach loves it.’ Daniel leaned over and smacked his friend on the shoulder before sitting back even closer than before, his arm pressed against mine. I felt another wave of heat. He was wearing a blue, short-sleeved shirt and I tried not to notice the width of his forearms, the way the tendons moved as he lifted his pint, the golden hair that covered them. And his hands were so large and powerful-looking. I found myself comparing them to Alex’s thin, pale fingers and looked away, feeling disloyal. Though why, I wasn’t sure. Just habit, I guessed. But why did Daniel have to be so sexy and masculine? My hormones didn’t stand a chance with him sitting so close to me, and I really didn’t want to resurrect my crush on him. Especially as I wasn’t certain what he wanted from me. He seemed interested, but maybe he was just an overly friendly person. He might just want to catch up with some people who remembered him from college, and then he’d be off, leaving me mooning about after him like I had when I was seventeen.
‘That’s why we’ve come tonight,’ Rachel said. ‘Although if they don’t get cracking soon, I’ll miss it. I’m meeting my boyfriend at ten.’
‘Why doesn’t he come here?’
Rachel wrinkled her nose. ‘It’s not really his scene, to be honest. Besides, I got all dressed up. I can’t just spend the night in here.’ She indicated her lovely dress and Daniel wolf-whistled.
‘He’s a lucky guy!’ Daniel looked across at me. ‘Are you going at ten too, Elena?’
‘Yes, but I’m not playing gooseberry with Rachel. I’m dressed for the Feathers, obviously.’ I indicated what I was wearing and then promptly regretted it as Daniel’s eyes travelled down over my body and back up again. He didn’t wolf-whistle this time, but the intensity in his eyes turned my insides into molten lava. ‘I’m just going hot. Home! I mean home.’ I gulped and looked away, ignoring Rachel’s knowing look.
‘You can’t go home so early on a Friday!’ Zach said, leaning towards me with a frown. He looked appalled that I should be leaving. ‘Stay out with us.’
‘You don’t even know me, Zach!’ I laughed.
‘Daniel likes you. That’s good enough for me.’ He smiled and sipped his drink, looking over towards the stage.
‘Oh, look,’ I said, ignoring the rush of pleasure that flooded through me. ‘I think the karaoke’s starting. Is anyone singing?’
‘I always have a go.’ Zach scraped back his stool and got to his feet. ‘I’m going up to put my name down. Anyone else?’
‘Nah, not tonight,’ Daniel said. He looked across at Rachel. ‘So, what are you up to these days, Rachel?’
‘I’m a florist,’ she said, proudly. ‘I run my family’s shop in Chester. So, if you ever want any flowers for anyone special, you know where to come.’
‘Oh, nice.’ Daniel nodded, impressed.
Rachel looked at him, appraisingly. ‘Do you buy flowers for your girlfriends?’
‘Girlfriends?’ he asked, stressing the s on the end and laughing. ‘I don’t have one girlfriend, let alone multiple girlfriends.’
Rachel raised her eyebrows, amused. ‘You had plenty back in college.’
Daniel shrugged. ‘Times change.’
‘Elena said you’re a tree surgeon,’ she said. I shot her a look. I didn’t want him thinking I’d been talking about him. ‘How’s that going?’
‘Great. I get to climb trees and use a chainsaw. What could be better?’
‘Isn’t it dangerous?’
‘A bit, I suppose. You have to be careful and use the proper safety equipment. I don’t just go climbing up a tree with a chainsaw in my hands, you know.’
I found myself looking at his hands again and wondered how they’d feel on my skin. It was suddenly very hard to breathe and I looked quickly away. I needed to get a hold of myself and stop thinking about him in that way. I wasn’t seventeen any more. Thoughts of the Prom Kiss filtered into my mind and I flushed guiltily. The truth was that I’d never stopped thinking about him. And now here he was, sexier than ever, and to top it all he seemed really nice.
‘And you’re still in a band?’ Rachel was saying.
‘Yeah, Zach’s the lead singer. We play covers of rock songs, mainly. Are you coming to see us play next week?’
‘I can’t. I’m going away. My boyfriend is whisking me off to Paris.’
‘Oh no!’ Daniel looked across at me, eyebrows raised. ‘You’ll still come though, won’t you?’
‘Erm, I’ll have to see if anyone will come with me.’
‘Come on your own. I’ll look after you.’
Rachel smirked. ‘You could wear a T-shirt that says “I’m With the Band”. You’ll be able to stand with all the other groupies.’
‘Groupies?’ Daniel laughed. ‘We don’t have groupies, just friends and family. We’re not exactly living the dream. This crowd tonight is about the biggest Zach gets to sing to. That’s why we come.’
‘Aw, bless him.’ I watched Zach, who seemed to be having a very serious conversation with the guy setting up the karaoke. ‘What’s he doing now? Discussing his vocal arrangement?’
‘Probably.’ Daniel laughed and sipped his beer. ‘He loves it. Do you remember Kev? He played in the school band too? He’s our drummer.’
‘Red curly hair?’
‘That’s the one.’
‘What happened to the lead singer? What was his name again? Luke?’
‘He died in a motorbike accident.’
Both Rachel and I physically sagged and gaped at this awful news. How hadn’t we heard about this before? Surely it would have been in the local news. Daniel flushed red. He reached for his pint and took a hefty gulp. He obviously still found it difficult to talk about.
‘Oh no, that’s awful,’ Rachel said, appalled. Tears burned behind my eyes. I had hardly known Luke, but it was horrible to think that his life had been cut so short. He’d been so vibrant at college. ‘When did it happen?’
‘Four years ago.’ Daniel buried his lips in the frothy head of his pint and the colour faded from his face slightly. I wanted to reach out and touch him, to say how sorry I was that he’d lost his childhood friend, but I didn’t know how.
‘Did you keep in touch with him after college?’
‘We weren’t as close as we’d been at college, but we were still mates.’ He shook his head slowly. ‘I still can’t believe he’s gone. Kev and I were talking about him the other day.’
‘I’m gutted and I barely knew him!’ Rachel gave a humourless laugh. ‘It’s always a shock when you realise someone you used to know, who’s the same age as you, has passed away.’
I nodded in agreement, keeping my tears and wobbly lip firmly under control.
‘There was someone else who died too. Don’t know if you knew him though. Year above us? Gareth?’
We shook our heads.
‘Drug overdose.’
‘Oh Lord!’ Rachel recoiled slightly. ‘Thanks for that, Daniel. You’ve been with us for less than ten minutes and yet in that time you’ve managed to make us both truly miserable.’
Daniel chuckled. ‘Sorry. Have I ruined your night?’
Rachel laughed. ‘It’s all right. Elena isn’t exactly a laugh a minute at the moment anyway.’
‘Thanks a lot!’ I gaped at her.
‘Oh, I don’t know. She made me laugh last night!’ Daniel laughed and nudged me, and I went scarlet.
‘That was a misunderstanding,’ I said stiffly.
‘I’m only joking.’ Daniel touched my hand, briefly, making it tingle. ‘So, why are you down in the dumps then? Are you missing your ex-boyfriend?’
‘No, I’m fine. I don’t know what Rachel’s talking about.’ I raised an eyebrow at her and she grinned.
‘I was only joking. Elena knows she’s better off without him, don’t you?’
‘Of course.’ I tucked my hair behind my ear and smiled. ‘I don’t need a man! Especially when I’ve got my mum making me three meals a day. I wish I’d moved home ages ag
o.’ I picked up my drink and promptly spilt it all down me. ‘Whoops! Oh no, did I get you too?’
‘Just a bit!’ Daniel indicated his wet crotch, laughing.
‘Sorry!’ I said, mortified.
‘It’s okay. It only looks like I’ve wet myself. No big deal.’
‘Here, have some tissues,’ Rachel rummaged in her bag and then passed over a packet of Kleenex. ‘It always pays to carry tissues when you’re out with Elena. She’s always spilling and dropping things.’
‘I’ll bear it in mind.’ Daniel smiled, mopping at his crotch.
I cringed. ‘Alex was always telling me off for being clumsy.’
‘Alex sounds like a knob. Was he really cheating on you? He must have been mad.’ Daniel balled up the napkin and threw it on the table.
‘He is a knob and he must be mad,’ Rachel agreed. ‘You should have got out of there as soon as you felt it was going wrong.’
I felt a prickle of alarm at the direction this conversation was going. I really didn’t want to discuss this here in front of Daniel, even if I had told him a bit about it already. I shrugged. ‘It was a gradual thing.’
Zach came and sat back at the table. He rubbed his hands over his face as though he was stressed.
‘What’s up, Zach?’
‘Can you believe they haven’t got any U2 songs at all? He reckons he’s wiped the file, or something. That’s like blasphemy.’
‘What did you pick?’
‘Bon Jovi.’
‘Maybe we should get up and do one, Elena?’ Rachel grinned at me.
‘Err, maybe not.’
‘Oh, go on, we could do Madonna or something. We always used to do the dance routines when we were younger. I bet we could still remember them now.’
I looked at her, horrified. ‘I really don’t think anyone in this pub would want to see our dance routines! Or hear me sing.’
‘Oh, come on! We’ve done it before.’
I winced at the memory.
‘You have?’ Daniel looked across at me, eyebrows raised. ‘I can’t imagine Elena doing anything like that. You were always so shy at college.’
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