Page 61 of One Night With You

‘Hardly,’ I say, keeping my voice flat. If I react too much, he’ll only use it as fuel for the fire. ‘That’s taking it a bit far.’

‘Don’t be shy about it,’ he insists. ‘I think it’s nice. Inspiring, even. Seeing another person embracing their warm and fuzzies makes it easier for me to embrace my warm and fuzzies.’

‘Inspiring? Are you in love too?’

Harry’s expression brightens. ‘In lovetoo? I knew it!’

I narrow my eyes. ‘You know what I meant,’ I say, drolly. ‘Imeant…’ and I have to steady my voice, because I didn’t mean for that to slip out and it’s taken me aback and I hate that Harry picked up on it. I’m notin love.Jesus. ‘Are you seeing somebody?’

Harry pulls a face now, making his lips all thin and flat and looking shiftily from side to side.

‘Possibly,’ he says.

‘How can you bepossiblyseeing someone? Actually, don’t answer that.’ Without warning, Abe flashes into my mind. I’ve told him to fuck off, but it’s like detoxing from heroin, or sugar. I’ve got the Abe-sweats as he finally leaves my system and leaves me alone. I can’t believe I finally got to tell him what I think of him. ‘And why is this only the first I’m hearing about it?’

‘You know what it’s like when something is new. It’s delicate.’

‘Do I at least get the vital statistics?’ I probe. ‘It’s only fair … How long has this even been going on?’

‘A month or so,’ he says, shyly, because a month is a really long time to keep a secret and he knows it. ‘Beau. Twenty-eight. He’s an English PhD writing his thesis on whether poetry expresses emotions or elicits them. End of top-line information.’

‘He goes here?’ I press.

‘Like I say, end of information.’

I hold up my hands in surrender. ‘Boundary established and respected,’ I say. ‘But, just before we close this secret liaison off can I just say: I’m very happy for you. And I look forward to either more information whenever you’re comfortableormaybe meeting him … one day. Soon. Around campus. Since he goes here.’

‘Your man has replied,’ Harry says, changing the subject with a smirk and nodding at my phone. He’s right. It’s lit up.

Okay I get your point,

What to wear is always an issue.

My advice would be to stay comfy,

Flat shoes, activewear, some tissues.

I don’t want you to feel scared,

Or intimidated by the plan,

All will be revealed,

I’ve told you as much as I can.

‘Clear as mud,’ I mutter, tucking away my phone as the lecturer enters.

When he arrives at the flat to pick me up, he’s holding a sword.

‘We’re going LARPing, aren’t we?’ I say, the penny dropping. I flashback to the photos of him and his sword back when Jackson, Candice and I looked at his profile. He’s taking me to play dress-up. I don’t know if I’m touched he’d sharethat with me or bloody terrified. Good for him if he likes spending his time that way, but am I really going to be expected to take part? Maybe I can just watch. LARPing seems very intense.

‘Ding, ding, ding! Give the woman a prize!’ He grins. ‘Yup. We are. And don’t look like that – honestly. This is going to be a gateway drug for you: swear down, you’ll love it. And I’ll look after you.’

We embrace with a hug and he kisses my cheek briefly, pulling away to look at me again.

‘Really, Ruby, you’re going to enjoy this.’

In the forty-five-minute drive to our secret location – ‘Actually just some woods about halfway between here and Liverpool,’ Nic informs me, ‘Just off the M62.’ – we idly chit-chat about the news headlines and the scenery. He asks about Candice, and I tell him I still haven’t heard from her, despite several pleading messages on my part. It doesn’t feel forced or formal. Just nice. Like we’re a couple of people hanging out, enjoying each other.

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