opposite her.
“Why? You haven’t done anything wrong.”
No, I never got the chance. “True.”
I set down my drink and sit opposite her. Ness studies each move I make, watching my hands as I take a drink.
“How’s poetry class?” she asks.
“Fine. How’s the battery farm?”
“Painful.”
Funny we should have a greeting, a shared joke. “I didn’t think you came to the Union? Hated being amongst the student masses?”
“I don’t but Abby insisted. She’s not been out since your friend dumped her so I couldn’t say no. She’d probably have locked herself in her bedroom with ice-cream for another two weeks.”
I grin at her Ness view of the world. “Having fun yet?”
“Immense. Nothing brightens an evening like watching your best friend make a drunken embarrassment of herself.”
This girl amuses me, I’ve missed talking to her and wish I’d not avoided her. Hopefully I haven’t blown my chances completely. She was eager enough when we kissed. Ness’s vanilla perfume hangs in the air evoking a memory of holding her, tasting her and the softness of her lips. I’m staring at her mouth again and Ness looks confused.
“You look good tonight,” I say.
Her eyes narrow slightly. “Thank you.”
“You do.” I thought girls liked compliments?
“So, which girl are you screwing?”
Ness and her out of the blue questions. I’m caught off guard. “None. No-one. Recently. And let’s not start playing that broken record again.”
A smile edges onto her face. “I told you before, go the poetry option, if you’re not having any success. Girls love that crap.”
“You’re funny, Ness.”
Ness takes a drink and looks at the table, I can’t figure out what I’ve said wrong. I tip my head trying to catch her eye.
“And you’re strange,” she says, looking directly into my eyes, in the unsettling way she does.
“Strange?”
Ness rubs her lips together, and sips from her glass. Her cheeks are flushed; she’s drunk. “That night. When you ran away. And now you’re sat here talking to me again.”
Oh shi t . The kiss.
“I didn’t run away. I had to go.”
“Who called?”
I shake my head, “No-one. It wasn’t important.”
“Not important… But you had to go. Okay. None of my business, I guess.” Ness cranes her neck, searching the crowd for someone or something.
Now I know I’ve said something wrong, and I am aware what this time. I told her she was unimportant. Way to go, Evan.
“Serendipity.” I say to her.
She snorts as she turns back to me. “What’s that? Word of the day?”
“That I saw you tonight. When I’ve been thinking about you.”
Ness sinks back in her seat. “Wow, you use the dictionar y an d poetry in your seduction techniques.”
“If you stopped behaving as if I was going to try and tear your clothes off at the first opportunity, we might have an actual conversation. Get to know each other.’
“You want to get to know me?”
Ness sits up and tips her head to one side. Her face is flushed but I think that’s the alcohol and not me. I’m not drunk but the few beers in my system are making me admit things I’ve not considered. “I do. Yes.”
The weird something from before hovers in the air again, our barriers wavering.
“Why?” she asks.
“Because you’re different to other girls.”
Ness chokes on her drink. “Are you resorting to clichés now?”
“No.”
Leaning forward she says, “Because I’m a challenge?”
I lean forward in response. “No, because you’re Ness. And I like you and I’m sorry I never got in touch before.”
Our heads almost touch as her eyes search mine, gauging my bullshit meter. “Really?”
“Really.”
Ness sits back, takes a drink and keeps her eyes on me. “I need to look after my pissed friend,” she says.
“Okay, can we meet up? Maybe tomorrow?”
I’m waiting for her reply when Abby returns. “I’ve changed my mind! Let’s go! I don’t want to be in the same city as
“Why? You haven’t done anything wrong.”
No, I never got the chance. “True.”
I set down my drink and sit opposite her. Ness studies each move I make, watching my hands as I take a drink.
“How’s poetry class?” she asks.
“Fine. How’s the battery farm?”
“Painful.”
Funny we should have a greeting, a shared joke. “I didn’t think you came to the Union? Hated being amongst the student masses?”
“I don’t but Abby insisted. She’s not been out since your friend dumped her so I couldn’t say no. She’d probably have locked herself in her bedroom with ice-cream for another two weeks.”
I grin at her Ness view of the world. “Having fun yet?”
“Immense. Nothing brightens an evening like watching your best friend make a drunken embarrassment of herself.”
This girl amuses me, I’ve missed talking to her and wish I’d not avoided her. Hopefully I haven’t blown my chances completely. She was eager enough when we kissed. Ness’s vanilla perfume hangs in the air evoking a memory of holding her, tasting her and the softness of her lips. I’m staring at her mouth again and Ness looks confused.
“You look good tonight,” I say.
Her eyes narrow slightly. “Thank you.”
“You do.” I thought girls liked compliments?
“So, which girl are you screwing?”
Ness and her out of the blue questions. I’m caught off guard. “None. No-one. Recently. And let’s not start playing that broken record again.”
A smile edges onto her face. “I told you before, go the poetry option, if you’re not having any success. Girls love that crap.”
“You’re funny, Ness.”
Ness takes a drink and looks at the table, I can’t figure out what I’ve said wrong. I tip my head trying to catch her eye.
“And you’re strange,” she says, looking directly into my eyes, in the unsettling way she does.
“Strange?”
Ness rubs her lips together, and sips from her glass. Her cheeks are flushed; she’s drunk. “That night. When you ran away. And now you’re sat here talking to me again.”
Oh shi t . The kiss.
“I didn’t run away. I had to go.”
“Who called?”
I shake my head, “No-one. It wasn’t important.”
“Not important… But you had to go. Okay. None of my business, I guess.” Ness cranes her neck, searching the crowd for someone or something.
Now I know I’ve said something wrong, and I am aware what this time. I told her she was unimportant. Way to go, Evan.
“Serendipity.” I say to her.
She snorts as she turns back to me. “What’s that? Word of the day?”
“That I saw you tonight. When I’ve been thinking about you.”
Ness sinks back in her seat. “Wow, you use the dictionar y an d poetry in your seduction techniques.”
“If you stopped behaving as if I was going to try and tear your clothes off at the first opportunity, we might have an actual conversation. Get to know each other.’
“You want to get to know me?”
Ness sits up and tips her head to one side. Her face is flushed but I think that’s the alcohol and not me. I’m not drunk but the few beers in my system are making me admit things I’ve not considered. “I do. Yes.”
The weird something from before hovers in the air again, our barriers wavering.
“Why?” she asks.
“Because you’re different to other girls.”
Ness chokes on her drink. “Are you resorting to clichés now?”
“No.”
Leaning forward she says, “Because I’m a challenge?”
I lean forward in response. “No, because you’re Ness. And I like you and I’m sorry I never got in touch before.”
Our heads almost touch as her eyes search mine, gauging my bullshit meter. “Really?”
“Really.”
Ness sits back, takes a drink and keeps her eyes on me. “I need to look after my pissed friend,” she says.
“Okay, can we meet up? Maybe tomorrow?”
I’m waiting for her reply when Abby returns. “I’ve changed my mind! Let’s go! I don’t want to be in the same city as
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