where it was. Well, he thought, the damage was done now, what he had to do was find a way of minimising the damage. He tried to think, was there anyone around? Yes, there were some people waiting at a taxi rank on the far side of the street, a little way ahead. They were certainly within shouting distance. That gave him a little more security so he risked turning round and looking back over his shoulder.
There was somebody there.
It was Tess.
‘Are you stalking me?’ he said, surprising himself with his directness but knowing that the beer he had had was doing most of the talking.
‘Maybe,’ she said, stopping short a few steps away from him. ‘OK, yes I guess I am following you. Actually I saw you in town and, well, I thought I at least owed you an explanation.’
‘OK,’ said Dan somewhat warily. 'I think you do as well. Why do you keep running off?'
‘I felt really bad leaving you like that again.’
‘Again, yes, and you're not the only one who feels bad.’
Tess looked crestfallen.
‘Oh you sound angry, I knew you would be. Please, give me a chance. It’s just, well, I get so upset because...because... it's when I can’t remember things.’ She looked appealingly at him, then walked right up to him. ’Please, it's hard to explain, you'll think I'm crazy if I do. But...can we start over?’
Could they? He tried to think. Well, what did he have to lose?
‘It is nice to see you,’ he admitted, trying to keep her in focus. She seemed to be moving. He realised that he was swaying, that the beer was now winning the fight against the cool night air. ‘Of course we can start again. Just please don’t keep disappearing on me!’
‘Thanks,’ she smiled, and her smile seemed to play music in his ears, ‘I’m not sure I deserve it but thanks anyway. Are you heading home?’
‘Yes. Yes that’s what I’m doing, heading home.’ He turned and started walking again, ‘I’m a bit pissed I’m afraid.’
‘You don’t say!’ she said, walking alongside him and laughing. Dan joined in.
‘You going to come home with me?’
She stopped walking. Dan stopped too and tried to focus on her face. She looked shocked.
‘Why Mr Jackson, that’s a bit forward! What type of girl do you think I am?’
‘Oh…no…sorry…I didn’t mean…’ he began, then realised she was laughing.
‘Come on you, let’s go,’ she said, ‘You really are sweet you know.’
‘You’re the second girl to say something like that to me tonight,’ he said stumbling on.
‘Well we’re both good judges of character then.’
‘She was pissed too though.’
‘I’m not pissed.’
They walked together side by side. Dan wanted to put his arm around Tess but wasn’t sure that he should. He was also meandering slightly, much to Tess’s amusement and was a bit worried that he would bring her down with him.
‘Are you going to vanish on me again?’ he asked again.
‘Dunno. Maybe,’ she replied, ‘Isn’t that part of my mystery?’
‘Yes. Prefer you to stay though?’
‘Why?’
‘I’d like to get to know you.’
‘Why?’
‘Just because.’
‘You are good at arguing aren’t you?’
‘You may have noticed that I’m not at my best at the moment.’
‘I have,’ she said, ‘and at my flat your excuse was…?’
Dan found this stupidly funny and, once he had started giggling he couldn’t stop himself.
‘Why do you bother with me then?’ he managed to gasp at last. 'If I'm so bad?'
‘Oh just because,’ she said airily.
‘Hey that’s not fair! That’s my argument! And if it wasn’t good for me…’
‘…it’s perfect for me,’ she finished for him, grinning, ‘under my rules anyhow.’
Dan was quiet for a few moments.
‘Do I get to see these rules?’ he said at last.
‘Don’t be silly.’
Dan shook his head slowly. They walked on in silence, occasionally exchanging the odd amused glance.
‘This is me,’ he said at last nodding in the direction of his flat.
Dan lived in
There was somebody there.
It was Tess.
‘Are you stalking me?’ he said, surprising himself with his directness but knowing that the beer he had had was doing most of the talking.
‘Maybe,’ she said, stopping short a few steps away from him. ‘OK, yes I guess I am following you. Actually I saw you in town and, well, I thought I at least owed you an explanation.’
‘OK,’ said Dan somewhat warily. 'I think you do as well. Why do you keep running off?'
‘I felt really bad leaving you like that again.’
‘Again, yes, and you're not the only one who feels bad.’
Tess looked crestfallen.
‘Oh you sound angry, I knew you would be. Please, give me a chance. It’s just, well, I get so upset because...because... it's when I can’t remember things.’ She looked appealingly at him, then walked right up to him. ’Please, it's hard to explain, you'll think I'm crazy if I do. But...can we start over?’
Could they? He tried to think. Well, what did he have to lose?
‘It is nice to see you,’ he admitted, trying to keep her in focus. She seemed to be moving. He realised that he was swaying, that the beer was now winning the fight against the cool night air. ‘Of course we can start again. Just please don’t keep disappearing on me!’
‘Thanks,’ she smiled, and her smile seemed to play music in his ears, ‘I’m not sure I deserve it but thanks anyway. Are you heading home?’
‘Yes. Yes that’s what I’m doing, heading home.’ He turned and started walking again, ‘I’m a bit pissed I’m afraid.’
‘You don’t say!’ she said, walking alongside him and laughing. Dan joined in.
‘You going to come home with me?’
She stopped walking. Dan stopped too and tried to focus on her face. She looked shocked.
‘Why Mr Jackson, that’s a bit forward! What type of girl do you think I am?’
‘Oh…no…sorry…I didn’t mean…’ he began, then realised she was laughing.
‘Come on you, let’s go,’ she said, ‘You really are sweet you know.’
‘You’re the second girl to say something like that to me tonight,’ he said stumbling on.
‘Well we’re both good judges of character then.’
‘She was pissed too though.’
‘I’m not pissed.’
They walked together side by side. Dan wanted to put his arm around Tess but wasn’t sure that he should. He was also meandering slightly, much to Tess’s amusement and was a bit worried that he would bring her down with him.
‘Are you going to vanish on me again?’ he asked again.
‘Dunno. Maybe,’ she replied, ‘Isn’t that part of my mystery?’
‘Yes. Prefer you to stay though?’
‘Why?’
‘I’d like to get to know you.’
‘Why?’
‘Just because.’
‘You are good at arguing aren’t you?’
‘You may have noticed that I’m not at my best at the moment.’
‘I have,’ she said, ‘and at my flat your excuse was…?’
Dan found this stupidly funny and, once he had started giggling he couldn’t stop himself.
‘Why do you bother with me then?’ he managed to gasp at last. 'If I'm so bad?'
‘Oh just because,’ she said airily.
‘Hey that’s not fair! That’s my argument! And if it wasn’t good for me…’
‘…it’s perfect for me,’ she finished for him, grinning, ‘under my rules anyhow.’
Dan was quiet for a few moments.
‘Do I get to see these rules?’ he said at last.
‘Don’t be silly.’
Dan shook his head slowly. They walked on in silence, occasionally exchanging the odd amused glance.
‘This is me,’ he said at last nodding in the direction of his flat.
Dan lived in
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