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Authors: Doug Johnstone
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know who, and where, he was? ‘Listen,’ he still sounded nervous and David imagined him twisting the phone cord around a fidgeting finger. ‘Do you fancy maybe going out for a pint tonight? Catch up on old times and all that? Just thought it would be an idea before the reunion proper tomorrow.’
He had to think quick. He was waiting for Nicola to phone, and the prospect of hooking up with her tonight, just the two of them, blew everything else out the water.
‘I was thinking I might just take it easy tonight, Gary, to be honest. You know, chill out. Keep the powder dry for tomorrow night and all that. You understand.’
‘Sure. It was just an idea. Well, listen, if you’re not busy tomorrow during the day, how about we go to the football? We’re playing Montrose at home. If you fancy it?’
Gary sounded so pathetic on the phone David felt sorry for him, then guilty for feeling sorry. He thought, well I don’t even know this guy from fucking Adam anymore, I haven’t spoken to him in fifteen years. But then he was bouncing him tonight in favour of a woman who, a week ago, he hadn’t spoken to in just as long. Why the hell not go to the footy the next day? If nothing else, he could do with a few afternoon pints, might as well get a head start if this reunion was going to be at all bearable.
‘Sure, Gary, why not?’ He could hear the boyish relief down the phone, and something else, a more desperate sensation he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
‘Great,’ said Gary. ‘Want to meet in Tutties? Say about one o’clock?’
‘Cool. I’ll see you there.’
‘See you there.’
David put the phone down. Another voice from the past, he thought, but then why be surprised by that? He was, after all, in the town he grew up in for a stupid school reunion.
The phone rang as he was still standing there, and he picked it up instinctively.
‘Hello?’
‘Is that you, David?’
Nicola.
‘Hi there, gorgeous. What’s wrong with trying my mobile?’
‘Tried it. Straight on to answer machine.’
‘Maybe I’m not getting a reception here.’
‘Maybe. It’s a terrible backwater, after all.’
‘Sure is.’
‘You made it then, didn’t bottle out?’
‘You thought I’d bottle out?’
‘Didn’t you?’
‘It did cross my mind.’
‘So now you’re here, how is it?’
‘Strange. Just had Gary Spink on the phone.’
‘Really? Saying what?’
‘I’m meeting him for the footy tomorrow.’
‘So you’re still free tonight? How about we go out and get drunk, as previously discussed.’
‘Funny, I was thinking exactly the same thing. When and where did you have in mind?’
‘Well, I thought we could pay the Lochlands an overdue visit, but before that, how about you take me for a drive?’
‘A drive?’ David could sense something funny. ‘What sort of drive?’
‘You know, a drive. In your car,’ said Nicola. ‘Brrrm, brrrm. I’m doing that steering wheel thing with my hands. Internationally accepted gesture for driving.’
‘Where to?’
‘You’re a right suspicious sod, aren’t you? Just around. Around and about. Maybe we’ll do handbrake turns in the Viewfield Hotel car park, maybe we’ll drive down to the harbour and I’ll push you in.’
‘Or maybe we’ll drive out to the cliffs where Colin fell?’
There was a slight beat of a pause.
‘Maybe that’ll happen,’ said Nicola, and David heard a slyness in her voice that was irresistible. ‘Anything’s possible.’
He didn’t hesitate.
‘Will I come pick you up?’
‘I thought you’d never ask,’ said Nicola, the slyness replaced by a bubbly chirrup, no less irresistible. ‘You remember the house? 10 St Vigeans Road. I’ll see you in, what, ten minutes?’
‘Make it five,’ said David.
His head spun slightly as he put down the phone, but he took the stairs two at a time back up to his room to get the car keys, and was out the front door in twenty seconds flat.
Such a beautiful setting on such a
He had to think quick. He was waiting for Nicola to phone, and the prospect of hooking up with her tonight, just the two of them, blew everything else out the water.
‘I was thinking I might just take it easy tonight, Gary, to be honest. You know, chill out. Keep the powder dry for tomorrow night and all that. You understand.’
‘Sure. It was just an idea. Well, listen, if you’re not busy tomorrow during the day, how about we go to the football? We’re playing Montrose at home. If you fancy it?’
Gary sounded so pathetic on the phone David felt sorry for him, then guilty for feeling sorry. He thought, well I don’t even know this guy from fucking Adam anymore, I haven’t spoken to him in fifteen years. But then he was bouncing him tonight in favour of a woman who, a week ago, he hadn’t spoken to in just as long. Why the hell not go to the footy the next day? If nothing else, he could do with a few afternoon pints, might as well get a head start if this reunion was going to be at all bearable.
‘Sure, Gary, why not?’ He could hear the boyish relief down the phone, and something else, a more desperate sensation he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
‘Great,’ said Gary. ‘Want to meet in Tutties? Say about one o’clock?’
‘Cool. I’ll see you there.’
‘See you there.’
David put the phone down. Another voice from the past, he thought, but then why be surprised by that? He was, after all, in the town he grew up in for a stupid school reunion.
The phone rang as he was still standing there, and he picked it up instinctively.
‘Hello?’
‘Is that you, David?’
Nicola.
‘Hi there, gorgeous. What’s wrong with trying my mobile?’
‘Tried it. Straight on to answer machine.’
‘Maybe I’m not getting a reception here.’
‘Maybe. It’s a terrible backwater, after all.’
‘Sure is.’
‘You made it then, didn’t bottle out?’
‘You thought I’d bottle out?’
‘Didn’t you?’
‘It did cross my mind.’
‘So now you’re here, how is it?’
‘Strange. Just had Gary Spink on the phone.’
‘Really? Saying what?’
‘I’m meeting him for the footy tomorrow.’
‘So you’re still free tonight? How about we go out and get drunk, as previously discussed.’
‘Funny, I was thinking exactly the same thing. When and where did you have in mind?’
‘Well, I thought we could pay the Lochlands an overdue visit, but before that, how about you take me for a drive?’
‘A drive?’ David could sense something funny. ‘What sort of drive?’
‘You know, a drive. In your car,’ said Nicola. ‘Brrrm, brrrm. I’m doing that steering wheel thing with my hands. Internationally accepted gesture for driving.’
‘Where to?’
‘You’re a right suspicious sod, aren’t you? Just around. Around and about. Maybe we’ll do handbrake turns in the Viewfield Hotel car park, maybe we’ll drive down to the harbour and I’ll push you in.’
‘Or maybe we’ll drive out to the cliffs where Colin fell?’
There was a slight beat of a pause.
‘Maybe that’ll happen,’ said Nicola, and David heard a slyness in her voice that was irresistible. ‘Anything’s possible.’
He didn’t hesitate.
‘Will I come pick you up?’
‘I thought you’d never ask,’ said Nicola, the slyness replaced by a bubbly chirrup, no less irresistible. ‘You remember the house? 10 St Vigeans Road. I’ll see you in, what, ten minutes?’
‘Make it five,’ said David.
His head spun slightly as he put down the phone, but he took the stairs two at a time back up to his room to get the car keys, and was out the front door in twenty seconds flat.
Such a beautiful setting on such a
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