‘I discovered vodka made me less shy! Besides, college was a long time ago. I’ve grown up a bit since then.’
‘I suppose it was a fair few years ago,’ Daniel said, looking thoughtful. ‘I don’t think I’ve changed much at all.’
‘Well, you look older,’ Rachel said, looking him up and down.
‘Well, yeah, obviously. I cut my hair. Grew a bit more. Built some muscle. But personality-wise—’
‘You’re still as cocky and self-assured as you always were?’ Rachel finished for him.
‘Hey!’ Daniel laughed. ‘There’s nothing wrong with a bit of self-confidence.’ Rooting in the front pocket of his jeans, he brought out some gum and offered it around. I shook my head and Rachel recoiled slightly.
‘No thanks, that’s been by your crotch!’ Then, ignoring Daniel’s laughter: ‘Do you still have girls following you around?’
I tensed, and Daniel laughed. ‘I never had girls following me around. I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘That’s how we remember it, don’t we, Elena? You had a different girl every week.’
‘Ah, but I only kissed one girl at the prom, didn’t I?’
The air around me grew very hot and still. ‘Oh, be quiet!’ I said, my cheeks burning. ‘Fancy bringing that up now!’ I looked away across the pub, feigning interest in the group of girls who were getting up to sing karaoke. Daniel laughed and sipped his drink.
‘Well, it happened, didn’t it? No point being shy about it now. Especially as we were talking about it in the lift the other night.’
I didn’t know what to say to that. Rachel watched us curiously through narrowed eyes. ‘Everyone was amazed when you kissed Elena,’ she said, at last.
‘Oh, cheers!’ I forced a laugh, although I was dying inside. ‘Can we leave this, please?’
‘Well, you said yourself you thought it must have been a bet!’
‘Did I? I don’t know, it was a long time ago.’ I shot her a warning look. What was she trying to do?
Daniel frowned. ‘It wasn’t a bet. Why would you think it was a bet?’
‘It hardly matters now, does it?’ I scoffed.
‘It matters to me.’
‘I think it was because you were such a player and Elena was so quiet. She didn’t seem to be the type of girl you’d normally go for.’
Daniel chewed his gum, looking confused and a bit pissed off. He gave me a long look and I frowned at Rachel, who shrugged. Zach watched us all with a confused expression on his face, as though he didn’t understand what was going on. I didn’t blame him. I wasn’t sure what Rachel was getting at and she was annoying me.
‘It hardly matters,’ I repeated, to fill the awkward silence that had developed between us. ‘It was one kiss a long time ago.’
‘It matters to me that you thought I was the kind of guy to do that,’ Daniel said, seriously. ‘Especially as back then I kissed a lot of girls I don’t remember, and yet I remember you and that kiss very well.’
It took a moment for his words to sink in and then I was flooded with relief.
‘Good answer.’ Rachel smiled at him and then looked at her phone. ‘Right, well, we’d better be going anyway.’
‘It can’t be ten already?’ I said.
‘Well, it’s twenty to and I’ve got to walk there, so—’
‘You can’t go yet, you haven’t heard me sing!’ Zach protested.
‘Are you up first?’ she asked
‘No, I’m about fifth, I think. Lots of eager beavers in tonight.’
‘Sorry, Zach, I can’t wait that long, I’m afraid. I’ll catch you next time.’ Rachel leaned across and kissed his cheek and he smiled. ‘I’m sure you’re better than these girls anyway,’ Rachel said as the girls onstage started shouting along to ‘Stuck in The Middle With You’.
‘They’ve got their own thing going on, that’s for sure.’ Zach laughed.
Daniel rolled his eyes. ‘They murder the same song every week and it’s one of my favourites. Well, it used to be anyway.’
‘Blimey, even we could do better than that,’ she said to me.
‘I wouldn’t be so sure.’ Leaning down, I picked up my bag from the floor and stood up with Rachel. ‘Right, bye, you two.’
‘Don’t go, Elena.’ Daniel caught my hand in his and I looked down at him in surprise. ‘Stay with us. You can keep me company while Zach goes up and sings. He’s bound to have put his name down for at least five songs.’
‘Errr…’ I hovered, unsure.
Rachel looked slightly worried. ‘Well, I don’t want Elena left on her own.’
Daniel pulled a face. ‘What’s that meant to mean? She’s not a piece of luggage.’
‘You know what I mean. I’d rather know she’s got home safe.’
‘I’ll see her home.’
‘Are you sure? What if you meet other people? Are you going on anywhere else?’
Daniel stared at her in disbelief. ‘What, like you are now? We’re staying here and then we’re getting a taxi home. She’ll be fine with us.’
‘I can get myself home, you know,’ I said. ‘I am a grown woman.’
Rachel’s eyes settled on me. Was she worried about me getting home, or just concerned about me falling for Daniel again?
Daniel’s fingers were still curled around my hand. ‘Stay,’ he said, and smiled up at me. Looking down at him, I saw the intensity in his green eyes and something shifted in my chest. There was no way I wanted to leave now. I hadn’t felt this alive for months. It was just starting to hit me what a joyless existence I’d been living, and this was my chance to have a bit of fun.
‘Well, send me a text later to let me know you’re okay,’ Rachel said, leaning over to peck my cheek. ‘Bye, Daniel. Bye, Zach.’
Chapter Seven
Rachel walked away and I sat back down, hoping I’d made the right decision. I felt slightly nervous now that I had committed to staying out. Not that I had any reason to, of course; it was just a drink with friends. Zach said something and Daniel leaned over to catch what he’d said. I stood back up. ‘Right, well, I’ll get the drinks in then.’
‘I’ll buy them.’ Daniel went to stand up but I waved him away.
‘No, I’ll get these. Especially as I poured the one you bought me all down you. Same again?’
They both nodded, and I pushed my way through to the bar and ordered two beers and another gin and tonic for me. The girls on the karaoke were making a horrendous racket, shouting and laughing their way through the song. I was relieved when they’d finished. A couple of lads got onstage next, and by the time I got served, it was Zach’s turn. He had a rich, gravelly voice that made people stop talking and turn to look at him.
‘He’s good, isn’t he?’ I said to Daniel, returning to the table with the drinks. I sat down on the bench next to him, leaving a bit more space between us than had been there before.
‘Yeah. He loves it, look at him.’ Daniel laughed fondly. ‘You know, when we’re playing gigs in pubs and working men’s clubs, Zach treats it like he’s playing to a big stadium full of people. He’s like “Everybody at the back, wave your hands!” and there’ll just be an old man sitting on his own drinking a pint of mild or something. He’s off his head.’
I laughed and turned my head to watch Zach. He might have been a bit crazy, but the crowd in the pub was lapping it up. They clapped along and cheered as he strutted his stuff on the mini stage, pelvis thrusting and hips wiggling. He’d even taken out his man bun to make his headbanging look more effective.
‘Wow, he’s amazing!’ Leaning my elbows on the table, I rested my chin on my hand and chuckled. Daniel leaned on the table next to me, his arm close to mine. He brushed the back of my hand with his fingers, sending goosebumps racing across my skin, and I turned to look at him. His face was very close and I could see all the different shades of green and yellow and brown in his eyes; the darker ring around the outside of
his iris. I stared at him, wide-eyed.
‘It’s really great to see you again,’ he said. ‘College seems so far away in some ways, and yet in others it feels like yesterday.’
I smiled and nodded, trying to get a grip on my emotions.
‘Did you really think I’d kissed you for a bet?’
I shook my head. ‘I don’t know why Rachel said that. I never thought that.’
‘Good.’
He carried on staring at me and I found I couldn’t look away. His eyes dropped from my eyes to my lips and back up. Please kiss me.
‘How was that?’ Zach asked, arriving back at the table, covered in a fine sheen of sweat. He picked up his beer and took a long drink, seemingly oblivious to the way Daniel and I had been staring into each other’s eyes.
‘You were fantastic!’ I said, breaking away from Daniel’s gaze.
‘I’m up again after this next one. He likes to space me out, keep the regulars happy.’
Daniel rolled his eyes at me and laughed.
‘What?’ Zach said, pretending to be offended. ‘You should get up and sing something, Dan. We need a bit of quality entertainment. I’m sick of these girls getting up and squawking along to girl bands and shit.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with girl bands,’ I protested.
‘Of course not. I just don’t want to hear them being impersonated by drunk lasses.’
‘That’s what karaoke’s for, surely?’
‘No, it’s not. It’s for me to get up and prove I’m the next Freddie Mercury, that’s what it’s for.’ He laughed. ‘I’m only joking. Each to their own.’ He twisted the leather bands around on his wrist and stared up at the stage as another bunch of girls began to caterwaul.
‘Is Stacey here tonight?’ Daniel asked him.
Zach flushed red and apparently became very interested in his leather bands. ‘Yeah, she’s over in the corner with her mates.’
Daniel nodded. ‘Stacey’s Zach’s muse. He’s desperately in love with her but doesn’t know how to tell her.’
‘Yeah, all right, man!’ Zach’s cheeks were scarlet now and he glanced up at me, sheepishly. I shot him a sympathetic smile.
‘So, you can get up onstage and sing and perform, but you can’t ask a girl that you like out?’
‘It’s different, isn’t it?’ He shrugged. ‘The stage stuff’s just an act, but admitting your feelings is a whole new ballgame.’
‘How long have you liked her?’
He shrugged. ‘Years. She’s my next-door neighbour. We used to play in the sandpit together and everything. She just sees me as a mate though.’
‘Are you sure? Can’t you write her a letter or something?’
‘No! It would ruin everything. Besides, she’s already got a boyfriend. A big boyfriend.’
‘Well, how about you ask another girl out? Maybe that will help you move on?’
Zach wrinkled his nose and picked at the label on his bottle of lager. ‘I’ve tried that. It didn’t work.’
I winced and looked at Daniel, but then looked away again. This was a bit too close to the bone for me. I hoped Daniel wasn’t going to embarrass me by telling Zach how I’d had a crush on him at college. I knew I should be past it by now, but I still found it uncomfortable that he knew.
‘Besides, she’s going away soon,’ Zach said, getting back on his feet as the karaoke man called his name. A group of girls in the corner whooped and yelled his name. I looked over and saw three virtually identical girls with blonde hair and crop tops.
‘Let me guess, Stacey’s one of them?’
Daniel leaned across to look through the gap in the crowd. ‘Yeah, she’s the one in the middle.’
‘Do you think she might feel the same way about him?’ I asked as Zach started to belt out Oasis lyrics into the microphone.
Daniel shook his head. ‘I’ve no idea, to be honest. She seems like a nice girl and she always comes to our gigs, but I’ve hardly spoken to her.’
‘That’s sad though, isn’t it?’
‘Hmm.’ Daniel picked up his beer bottle and took another swig. ‘He needs to grow a pair and tell her.’ Then he looked away and laughed.
I didn’t know what he was laughing about so I ignored him and watched Stacey and her friends watching Zach onstage instead. Stacey seemed to be enjoying the song and her expression was one of proud adoration. But was that because she thought of him as a brother or as something more?
‘She looks like she likes him,’ I said.
‘And you can tell from here, can you?’
‘Well, look at her face.’
‘She always looks like that. She’s deceptively sweet. She’s actually some kind of kick-ass Thai boxer or something.’
‘Really? Good for her.’
Zach finished his song and jumped offstage. But he didn’t come back to us. Instead he went straight over to Stacey, who threw her arms around him as soon as he got close. He stayed talking to her, standing really close, his hand on her hip. I could practically see the stars in her eyes as she looked up at him, and he was talking to her so intently it was like she was the only girl in the room that mattered. What was wrong with him? She was clearly into him. ‘Look at them,’ I said to Daniel, nodding towards them. ‘Look how close they are. She’s definitely into him.’
Daniel slid his arm along the back of the seat and leaned into me so he had a better view. I felt my stomach flutter and heat spread upwards. All I could smell was his aftershave and I suddenly felt dizzy with desire. I closed my eyes briefly and felt him shrug. ‘She’s got a boyfriend though.’
‘Maybe she’s trying to make him jealous?’ I said, gulping down more gin.
‘He’s definitely jealous, but he’s too insecure to admit he likes her.’
‘But he must be in agony!’
‘Yeah, but he writes good love songs that way.’ Daniel grinned and I rolled my eyes. He still had his arm along the back of the seat behind me and I was acutely aware of the heat from his body. I was getting hotter and hotter with each passing second, and it seemed like every fibre of my being was urging me to move closer to him. My heart was thumping and I was struggling to control my breathing. I wanted to feel his arms around me. I wanted him to kiss me. I fixed my eyes on the guy onstage singing a Green Day song.
‘He’s not as good as Zach.’ I said, more for something to say than anything else.
‘Pardon?’ Daniel leaned closer, and suddenly all I could focus on were his lips, just a whisper away. His nose touched mine, and his eyes were questioning, like he was asking for permission. Just a small movement and I’d be able to feel those longed-for lips once more. But was this the right time? I was fresh out of a relationship. Surely it was wrong to kiss him so soon after Alex.
‘I’ve got tequila!’ Zach shouted, slamming a bottle and three shot glasses down on the table in front of us. Daniel and I broke apart.
‘What? Oh no, Zach!’ Daniel groaned, shaking his head. ‘Why have you bought a whole bottle?’
‘I haven’t! Look, it’s only half.’ He picked it up and sloshed the contents around for us to see.
‘How did they even charge you for that?’ I said, touching my lips with my fingertips and feeling deeply disappointed I’d botched my chance to kiss Daniel. Why had I hesitated? Alex obviously hadn’t when he’d kissed his new woman.
‘Bar manager just said twenty quid. I thought it was a bargain.’
Daniel rolled his eyes. ‘I just want beer.’
‘Don’t be boring. Come on, Elena. You’ll have some, won’t you?’
‘Have you got lemon and salt?’
‘Yep, be back in a minute.’
He disappeared again and Daniel looked at me. Was I imaging it or did he look just as disappointed as I felt? ‘I’m sorry about him. He’s nuts.’
‘It’s all right.’ I laughed.
‘You don’t have to drink tequila if you don’t want to.’
&nb
sp; ‘I don’t mind a couple,’ I said. ‘I haven’t done shots for a long time. Usually I spend my Friday nights in front of the TV.’ I cringed after I’d said it, realising I’d made myself sound like the most boring person on earth. Way to go, Elena. Besides, after that failed kiss, I felt like I needed a few shots for Dutch courage. I made up my mind to kiss him before the night was out.
Zach reappeared with a saucer of lemon and a salt cellar. Pouring out three shots, he pushed them towards us before picking up his and banging it on the table. ‘Come on!’ he said, before throwing the tequila down his throat.
I glanced at Daniel before raising the glass to my lips and swallowing the tequila. It burned my throat and continued burning all the way down to my stomach. I coughed and grimaced, eyes watering as I set the glass back down on the table.
‘Yeah!’ Zach beat furiously on the table with his hands and whooped. ‘Go, Elena! Now you, Dan. Come on.’
Daniel swallowed his tequila and held up his glass. ‘Happy now?’
‘Only if you do another.’
Daniel looked annoyed. ‘Haven’t you got more songs to sing?’
‘Nope, I’m done. He had a massive long list of people tonight.’ He looked over at the man singing ‘My Way’ on stage as he poured more shots.
‘Where’s Stacey gone?’ I asked, after downing my next shot and taking a bite of lemon. It took all of my willpower not to heave.
‘To meet her boyfriend.’
‘Elena reckons she fancies you.’
‘Yeah, right! No chance.’
‘But the way she was looking at you, and standing so close to you.’
‘She thinks of me like a brother. She’s always telling me so.’
I cringed. ‘I don’t look at my brother like that.’
Zach shrugged and threw down another tequila. ‘Come on, keep up.’
‘I might sit this one out,’ I said. My vision was blurring slightly.
‘How about we play a drinking game?’
‘How about we don’t?’ Daniel said.
Zach poured out more tequila. ‘Come on. I’ve had a shit week at work.’
Stuck With You Page 8
