month’s payslip would be my guess.’
Terry laughed. ‘Aye, no doubt. You’re welcome to stay and smoke for another couple of hours.’
‘Why thank you, kind sir.’
‘As long as you don’t mind sitting on your own while I have a bath and iron my clothes for tomorrow.’
‘Seriously?’ Now I was worried.
‘Fuck off. A lack of hangover is the only concession I’m prepared to make to the corporate monster, just yet.’
‘Thank God for that.’ I lit another cigarette.
‘So anyway, what’s going on with the beautiful Ms Fraser?’
I sighed. ‘Nothing new. She said she’d see me in the pub at some point, but I’m not holding my breath. She was only there to see Sammy, and he’s not going to be working there for much longer apparently.’
‘I thought you said you had a moment ?’
‘I think that was the tequila talking, unfortunately. She never even gave me her number.’
‘Did you ask?’
‘Don’t be daft.’
Bing bong .
It was Simon Fraser. Terrific.
- pint stube thirty minutes yes no -
As succinct and unpunctuated as ever. ‘It’s Bruce Lee’s agent,’ I told Terry.
‘What incredible fact is he enlightening us with tonight?’
‘None, he wants to get a drink.’
‘You’re on your own I’m afraid, mate.’
‘Do you think I should?’ I wasn’t sure. Meeting up with Simon before Paula came home had made some sort of sense (at least to me). Now she was back, I couldn’t help thinking that going for a beer with her dad was a bit, well, weird.
‘You said you fancied a pint.’
‘Yeah, but ...’
‘You should know something before you make your decision.’ Terry sounded nervous again.
‘What?’
‘I think I am actually going to have a bath and, possibly, iron.’
- See you in there. -
***
Stube was relatively quiet and there was no sign of Simon Fraser when I arrived. I bought a pint and settled at the same table we’d used for our first meeting a few weeks previously.
I hadn’t spoken to Simon since the day we’d watched the football together, and his texts and emails had thankfully tailed-off to only one or two an hour. I knew far more than felt healthy about Bruce Lee by that point and was glad Simon had calmed his communications down. I wondered what had prompted his text tonight. I didn’t think I had said anything to upset Paula at my leaving do, though when tequila’s involved you can never be sure. I hoped being in a house all day with two women had simply prompted a desire in Simon for some male company. At any rate, I was sure he’d be pleased about the progress I’d made with my parents. I decided not to tell him about the smoking thing.
I was idly wondering what he would want me to call him tonight when I was, once again, surprised by an Irish accented voice behind me. I really needed to start facing the door on nights like this.
‘Hi, Jim.’
‘Paula?’
Paula Fraser slipped into the booth opposite me. She smiled gorgeously. ‘Thanks for coming,’ she said stunningly.
‘ Ack ,’ I replied inanely.
‘Are you okay?’ she asked beautifully.
‘But ...’ I countered idiotically as I looked around to see if she was alone.
‘ Shit , you thought I was my dad.’ Her eyes widened with ravishing understanding. ‘Oh God, I’m sorry, Jim. Your number was in his phone so I used it to text you. I forgot you wouldn’t know it was me. Christ, I’m so sorry.’
‘No, it’s okay. It’s fine !’
‘Are you sure? Do you want me to go?’
‘ No! ’ I shouted, causing Paula to flinch with grace and finesse.
‘Okay.’ She looked both uncomfortable and enchanting.
‘Sorry,’ I said, trying to get it together. ‘I just wasn’t expecting to see you. How are you? You look great. Is everything okay? Can I get you a drink?’
‘Just a beer, ta.’
The trip to the bar gave me time to calm down a little and I felt relatively composed as I retook my seat and smiled.
Paula smiled back.
I smiled some more. This seemed to be going
Terry laughed. ‘Aye, no doubt. You’re welcome to stay and smoke for another couple of hours.’
‘Why thank you, kind sir.’
‘As long as you don’t mind sitting on your own while I have a bath and iron my clothes for tomorrow.’
‘Seriously?’ Now I was worried.
‘Fuck off. A lack of hangover is the only concession I’m prepared to make to the corporate monster, just yet.’
‘Thank God for that.’ I lit another cigarette.
‘So anyway, what’s going on with the beautiful Ms Fraser?’
I sighed. ‘Nothing new. She said she’d see me in the pub at some point, but I’m not holding my breath. She was only there to see Sammy, and he’s not going to be working there for much longer apparently.’
‘I thought you said you had a moment ?’
‘I think that was the tequila talking, unfortunately. She never even gave me her number.’
‘Did you ask?’
‘Don’t be daft.’
Bing bong .
It was Simon Fraser. Terrific.
- pint stube thirty minutes yes no -
As succinct and unpunctuated as ever. ‘It’s Bruce Lee’s agent,’ I told Terry.
‘What incredible fact is he enlightening us with tonight?’
‘None, he wants to get a drink.’
‘You’re on your own I’m afraid, mate.’
‘Do you think I should?’ I wasn’t sure. Meeting up with Simon before Paula came home had made some sort of sense (at least to me). Now she was back, I couldn’t help thinking that going for a beer with her dad was a bit, well, weird.
‘You said you fancied a pint.’
‘Yeah, but ...’
‘You should know something before you make your decision.’ Terry sounded nervous again.
‘What?’
‘I think I am actually going to have a bath and, possibly, iron.’
- See you in there. -
***
Stube was relatively quiet and there was no sign of Simon Fraser when I arrived. I bought a pint and settled at the same table we’d used for our first meeting a few weeks previously.
I hadn’t spoken to Simon since the day we’d watched the football together, and his texts and emails had thankfully tailed-off to only one or two an hour. I knew far more than felt healthy about Bruce Lee by that point and was glad Simon had calmed his communications down. I wondered what had prompted his text tonight. I didn’t think I had said anything to upset Paula at my leaving do, though when tequila’s involved you can never be sure. I hoped being in a house all day with two women had simply prompted a desire in Simon for some male company. At any rate, I was sure he’d be pleased about the progress I’d made with my parents. I decided not to tell him about the smoking thing.
I was idly wondering what he would want me to call him tonight when I was, once again, surprised by an Irish accented voice behind me. I really needed to start facing the door on nights like this.
‘Hi, Jim.’
‘Paula?’
Paula Fraser slipped into the booth opposite me. She smiled gorgeously. ‘Thanks for coming,’ she said stunningly.
‘ Ack ,’ I replied inanely.
‘Are you okay?’ she asked beautifully.
‘But ...’ I countered idiotically as I looked around to see if she was alone.
‘ Shit , you thought I was my dad.’ Her eyes widened with ravishing understanding. ‘Oh God, I’m sorry, Jim. Your number was in his phone so I used it to text you. I forgot you wouldn’t know it was me. Christ, I’m so sorry.’
‘No, it’s okay. It’s fine !’
‘Are you sure? Do you want me to go?’
‘ No! ’ I shouted, causing Paula to flinch with grace and finesse.
‘Okay.’ She looked both uncomfortable and enchanting.
‘Sorry,’ I said, trying to get it together. ‘I just wasn’t expecting to see you. How are you? You look great. Is everything okay? Can I get you a drink?’
‘Just a beer, ta.’
The trip to the bar gave me time to calm down a little and I felt relatively composed as I retook my seat and smiled.
Paula smiled back.
I smiled some more. This seemed to be going
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