Alex pulls me out of my chair and turns me round to face my mother.
‘I think she was joking, Mother. Indulging my fantasy of a raucous night out, when in all likelihood we’ll do two drinks and then head back, disappointed by our lack of stamina.’
I smile at Mum with my lips pressed together, so that it lands sarcastically. She sighs.
‘I worry about you two together – you’re a bad influence on each other.’ She looks at Jamie. ‘Look after them for me, won’t you?’ she asks.
And Jamie puts a hand to his heart and says, ‘Scout’s honour, I will.’
Spoiler alert: Jamie doesnotlook after us. Three shots in, and Alex is onfire. I’ve had one shot, just to besociable, and am sipping my Jack and Cokeveryslowly. Alex is totally on one, and it’s a relief when he pops off to the bathroom. He’s been talking a mile a minute and eyeing up every guy in the place.
‘A minute to breathe!’ I laugh, as Alex pootles off.
Jamie laughs too. ‘I can’t blame him,’ he says. ‘Poor guy works so much, hardly ever gets to date, and in his time off his family wants to go to bed before midnight, when there’s a whole world out here.’
I pretend to be offended. ‘Are you calling us boring?’ I ask.
‘Only in the best possible way,’ Jamie replies. ‘It’s a family holiday, and that’s fair enough. But I get why he’s been sneaking out every night to come here.’
‘WHAT?’ I shriek. ‘He’s been coming here every night?’
Jamie pulls a serious face. ‘I thought you knew,’ he says. ‘I thought you and Alex told each other everything?’
I shake my head. ‘Not really,’ I reply, hoisting myself up onto a bar stool that’s just become free. Jamie turns and looks for another spare, finds one and drags it beside me.
‘You and Alex aren’t BFFs?’ Jamie asks.
‘I mean, we get on,’ I say. ‘And I love his company. But we don’t, like, trade secrets.’
‘Huh,’ Jamie says, confused. ‘To hear Laurie talk, you’d think you and Alex were joined at the hip.’
‘Really?’ I ask. ‘He said that?’
‘Maybe I misunderstood,’ Jamie offers. ‘But yeah, I always got the impression you and Alex hung out, and Laurie is the outsider a bit.’
I arch an eyebrow. ‘He’s so lame,’ I say. ‘Not to bad-mouth your pal there, but Laurence Greenberg isverygood at inventing a narrative to suit him. He and Alex gang up on me all the time!’
Jamie mimes zipping his lips shut and throwing away the key.
‘So you’ve noticed it!’ I shriek. He shrugs, like he couldn’t possibly say any more. I scowl at him.
‘You hold your own,’ Jamie says. ‘And aren’t bad at giving what you get …’
‘How diplomatic of you.’
‘I’m an only child. I know enough about siblings to know you gotta stay out of their shit. You guys can hate on each other all you want, but I know for a fact you’d gang up on an enemy outsider, like the Avengers finally coming together after Agent Coulson gets it.’
‘Ahhh,’ I say. ‘AnAvengersfan!’
‘Do you fuck with the MCU?’ he asks, looking like he’s expecting a no.
‘Captain Marvel is my homegirl,’ I say. ‘Me and Hope watched every film in timeline order before the lastGuardians of the Galaxycame out.’
‘No way!’ Jamie says. ‘Me too. Except I did it with Laurie and Kate.’
‘I think he got the idea from me,’ I say. ‘I’m kind of a thought leader, that way.’
‘I’ve heard that about you, yes,’ Jamie smirks.