Page 38 of Five Things I Love About You

Matt stands when I get there and for a moment I think he’s going to hug me and I start to move towards him. But then he holds out his hand and gives mine a sort of awkward shake and turns to his friends.

‘Hey, everyone, this is my new friend Miranda. Miranda, this is Paul, Tanya, Scott and Debs.’

They all wave at me and say, ‘Hi Miranda!’, and I smile at them. I’m desperate for a drink to help me relax.

‘I’m just going to the bar. Can I get anyone anything?’

‘Oh, let me,’ Matt says, taking my arm and guiding me away from the table.

‘Sorry if that was a bit intimidating,’ he says, as we lean our elbows side by side against the bar. ‘I’ve told them all about you and they’ve been looking forward to meeting you.’

‘Oh?’ I don’t know what to say. Do they think there’s something more between us than friendship? I’m not sure how to ask.

‘Don’t worry, they know we’re just friends, and they know I’m trying to help you find Jay,’ he says, as if he can read my mind.

‘Ah right. Good.’

‘Tanya’s annoyed about it, but everyone else is cool.’

I turn to look at him. ‘Why’s Tanya annoyed?’

He glances over his shoulder to where his friends are laughing about something, then back at me. ‘We always used to hang out together, the four of them, and me and my ex, Celeste. But since Celeste and I have been divorced they’ve been desperate for me to find someone else. Especially Tanya. She hated Celeste.’

He doesn’t elaborate and I don’t pry.

‘Well, I’m sorry to disappoint them,’ I say with a smile.

‘Nah, they’re fine. Just… well, sorry if Tanya interrogates you a bit. She does that sometimes.’

‘Don’t worry, I’m used to it. My best friend Kirstie loves a good interrogation too, I’m sure I can handle Tanya.’

We’re distracted by the barman, and after ordering beers I assume we’re going to head back to the table. But Matt pushes himself onto a stool and waits for his pint, so I do the same. I can see Tanya watching us out of the corner of her eye and try not to look over.

Tonight is the first time I’ve seen Matt outside daylight hours, and he seems different, although it’s hard to put my finger on why. Perhaps it’s like when you see someone you work with ready for a night out, it can take a moment to adjust, to realise they have another persona. I guess it’s the way the kids at school see me too. I swear some of them think I live at school.

Some people might call Matt handsome. Okay, then, he is handsome. But not in a cheesy, catalogue model way. More in an understated way – all the pieces of his face fit together. He’s nice to look at.

Ha, nice. Who I am kidding? He’sverynice to look at.

It’s about more than just his face though. Normally when we meet he’s in jeans and a hoodie – plain, non-offensive clothes for a youthful middle-aged man. But tonight his outfit is showing some real personality – a Queens of the Stone Age T-shirt, tight ripped jeans and DMs – and it’s making my heart race a little faster.

‘I like your T-shirt,’ I say.

He looks down. ‘Oh thanks. You look lovely, by the way.’

I hate myself, but I blush, my face burning. ‘Thank you.’ Thank God it’s dark in here. ‘Have you seen them?’

‘Who?’

‘Queens of the Stone Age?’

He looks down at himself again as if surprised to see what he’s wearing. ‘Oh, right! Yes, a couple of times when they’ve come up here. Do you like them?’

‘I love them. Kirstie and I go to gigs all the time and we saw them last year.’

‘Amazing, aren’t they?’

I nod in agreement.

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