Page 18 of Off the Pitch

DavidNice shot – knew you could do it!

DavidProud of you

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when David invited me for a movie at his house a week later.

Were we just hanging out together? Did he want me to meet Kit? I highly doubted that it would be Lily’s suggestion of ‘Netflix and Chill’, although given that I’d neglected to tell her that David had a boyfriend for reasons that I couldn’t quite figure out, I could see why she might think that.

Still, even the idea of a casual hookup terrified me. Despite the fact we told each other everything, I’d never confessed my deepest secret to Lily—I was still technically a virgin.

Sure, David and I had fooled around as teenagers, but we’d never gotten further than quick blow jobs and frottage in his childhood bedroom. I’d been far too nervous to try anal sex back then, and I’d never found anyone I was comfortable enough with to try it after we broke up. Not that I had bothered looking.

But Lily’s jokes had confused me. Was there something I wasn’t seeing that she was? She’d always said I was dense, and she was probably right, but still…

My head swam as I pottered down the street from the tube towards the address that David had sent me, clutching the Tesco bag full of snacks that I’d picked up on the way. David had said he’d feed me dinner, but it felt rude to turn up without something. Besides, if I was going to be blowing my carefully planned diet, I was going to do it by enjoying all my favourites!

I was so engrossed in my dreams of Doritos, popcorn, and endless amounts of chocolate and ice cream, I walked straight past the house and had to jog back down the street. David had said the house had belonged to Kit’s grandparents, and I could see why he’d said he was lucky to live there. It was one of those towering, old redbrick townhouses, on a quiet street in Pimlico. I could only imagine how much it was worth now, but at the same time I was pleased David had somewhere nice to live. Especially considering the places we’d called home growing up.

As I rang the doorbell, a sudden feeling of panic made my stomach clench. I couldn’t even pinpoint why I was nervous, but I couldn’t help adjusting my hair and pulling at my jacket.

“Hey, you made it!” David pulled open the door, a giant grin on his face. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. David’s smile alone was worth trekking across London. “Come on in and make yourself at home,” he added, gesturing to a battered leather sofa draped in knitted blankets and faded cushions.

The house was smaller inside than I’d imagined. An odd hodge-podge of furniture and decorations were scattered about, but it was homey and comfortable. I knew without asking that David’s mum had made the blankets, and her familiar face smiled up at me out of an assortment of family photos dotted across the side tables. There was a small dining room attached to the living room, and I caught sight of table piled high with books, papers, and endless notebooks. I figured they were for David’s PhD, and a flush of pride spread through my chest.

Despite his continuous grumbling about how much he hated his thesis, something David said was true of all PhD students at this stage, it was obvious how much he’d poured his heart and soul into it. It was evident in the way his eyes lit up when you got him talking about his work and history in general. I would be happy to listen to him for hours.

“Do you want a drink?” David called from behind me, sticking his head out of the kitchen. “I’ve got tea, squash, or Pepsi.”

“Tea, please.” I followed him into the narrow room, placing my bag of snacks on the side before leaning against the doorframe to avoid getting in his way. “Milk, one sugar.”

“I remember,” David teased. “Now I know I’m not Gordon Ramsey, but I can rustle up spag bol. Is that okay? It’s Mum’s recipe, and I’ve got garlic bread too.”

I groaned, putting my hand to my heart in overexaggerated delight. David’s mother, Julia, made the best spaghetti Bolognese in the world. It had been such a staple of dinners at David’s house that I’d actually missed it when I’d moved. This was a sudden and unexpected bonus of becoming friends again.

“I take it that’s a yes?”

“Yes!”

“Good.” There was something that looked like relief on David’s face, as if he’d been worried that I wouldn’t be okay with it. Was he trying to impress me? Why would he do that when he had Kit? Speaking of Kit…

“Is Kit going to join us?” I asked, in my best casual voice.

David shrugged. “Maybe. I know he’s working on some new project. I’ve hardly seen him all week.” I nodded, deciding not to push the matter. After all, I’d come here to see David, not David and his boyfriend—petty as that sounded.

“Do you wanna choose a film? I’ll bring the drinks, through.” David chucked me a couple of bags of toffee popcorn, with a wry grin. My love of sweets was well documented, and I wasn’t passing up this rare opportunity to binge. Even if I would pay for it tomorrow.

I slumped on the sofa, flicking through his Netflix account to see what was on offer.

We finally settled onDeadpool, and with a bag of pre-dinner popcorn and another of Doritos between us, I hit play. It had been ages since I’d first watched it, and I was soon giggling away, totally absorbed in the action.

“What are you watching?” The soft voice from beside me had me jumping out of my skin with a shriek I’d never admit to making. I turned to see a large pair of green eyes and a head of messy red hair staring at me from behind the sofa.

“Kit!” David snapped. “What the fuck did I tell you about sneaking up on me?”

“I can’t remember,” Kit said with a shrug. “Oooh, Doritos!” With a smile he grabbed the bag next to David’s leg and disappeared as suddenly as he’d arrived. Except this time I watched him retreat quickly up the stairs, snacks in hand, while David leapt over the back of the sofa.

“Oi!” David yelled from the bottom of the stairs, arms folded like a disapproving parent. “Bring my Doritos back, you thieving ginger bastard. Are you listening to me? If you wanted some, I’d have put them in a bowl for you.” There was a pause that was met with silence. “You’re a little shit, y’know that?”

I stifled a laugh watching him. I’d forgotten how grumpy David could be, especially when it came to food. “It’s okay,” I said. “I brought another bag.”

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