‘Hello Adam,’ he said, coolly.
‘Greg’s coming for a drink with us,’ Erin said.
‘Oh, I was hoping we could go straight back to your room,’ Adam said, nuzzling into her neck. Erin pushed him away, giggling.
‘No, not yet,’ she said. ‘I – I’m not really in the mood right now.’
‘It’s all right, I can wait,’ Adam said. Then he turned and headed towards the bar. ‘Drink?’
‘Please,’ Erin said, and Greg followed her to a free table to wait for Adam to get back with their drinks. No Doubt, ‘Don’t Speak’ played in the background and Erin smiled. ‘I love this song,’ she said. ‘It always reminds me of Rose and Sam.’
‘I love it too.’
‘Now I’ll always think of you when I hear it too, and how kind you were to me today.’
‘It’s what friends are for,’ he said, meaning it. He really would be happy with always being her friend, if it was all that was on offer. ‘Anyway’ – he glanced at the bar – ‘are you sure you want me here? I should probably leave you to spend some time together.’
‘No, please stay,’ Erin said again, watching Adam chatting easily to the barmaid. He’d been served immediately, of course, and Greg wondered how on earth he always got people to do his bidding for him wherever he went. ‘I just feel like I need to get drunk – drunker – and blot everything out tonight, and I’d like you to do it with me.’
‘I don’t think Adam agrees with you.’
‘Maybe not, but it’s not up to him.’ Her shoulders slumped. ‘I love him but he – well, he used to be really thoughtful, but now – I don’t know. He’s changed since he started touring and I sometimes feel like he doesn’t give a shit about anything outside of his little bubble. I don’t think he means it but I just don’t know how he’ll react when I tell him about Mum. Whether he’ll even really care.’
Greg wasn’t sure what to say. It was the first time he’d ever heard Erin express any doubts about her usually blameless boyfriend. And even though he couldn’t imagine anyone not caring about the news, maybe it would be a good idea for him to stick around after all, and be here to pick up the pieces just in case Adam did fuck it up.
Greg jumped when a pint was placed sloppily in front of him, beer swilling over the sides. He wiped the table with his sleeve as Adam slid into the booth beside Erin and kissed her greedily.
‘So, what have you two been up to?’ Adam said, pulling away and taking a sip from his pint. ‘You’re always together whenever I get here; are you stuck together?’
‘Greg’s my friend,’ Erin said, her voice sharper than usual. ‘He’s good to me.’
‘I’m good to you,’ Adam said and it took everything Greg had not to laugh. Erin might have complete faith Adam, but Greg didn’t trust him as far as he could throw him. He didn’t believe for one second that when Adam was out on tour with his band, with girls throwing themselves at him after every gig, he wasn’t making the most of every second. Adam craved the attention, he lapped it up. It was just the sort of man he was, despite what Erin chose to believe.
‘Greg was just helping me drown my sorrows,’ Erin said.
‘Sorrows? What sorrows?’
Erin didn’t answer for a minute so Greg said, ‘Erin had some bad news today.’
Adam frowned and looked at Erin. ‘What’s the bad news? Are you ill?’
‘No Adam, I’m not ill.’ She glanced at Greg. ‘Dad rang. My mum – she’s not been herself. She keeps forgetting things and she got lost the other day.’
Adam didn’t say anything, so she carried on. ‘Doctors think she’s got dementia.’
Adam frowned. ‘Isn’t that what old people get?’
Erin flinched but Adam didn’t seem to notice. ‘Yes, usually. But this is early onset.’
Adam took a sip of his beer and swallowed. ‘So what does that mean?’
‘I’m not sure. She’ll get worse. They don’t really know.’
‘Oh right. Well that doesn’t sound too bad then. You know, if she’s just forgetting a few things.’ He laughed. ‘I mean, I forget things all the time.’
‘That’s because you’re usually off your face,’ Greg snapped, and Adam whipped his head round angrily.
‘What the fuck?’
