“Happy Christmas,” Heathsaid.
They ordered drinks, though Eamonn also asked for a glass of water. He didn’t feel like getting drunk. He wanted to be somewhatpresent.
Eamonn told him about the Christmasparty.
“Soundsfun!”
Eamonn shrugged. “Wasn’t myscene.”
“Well, it willbe.”
“It’s a good place to work, but…it’s all right.” Eamonn didn’t even feel like talking about it. “It’s ajob.”
Heath held up his glass, and they clinked to something. Eamonn couldn’t remember. “I got offered a job at the Tate working in their business affairs department. I’ll be surrounded by great works at theoffice.”
“Cheers, mate!” Eamonn saluted him with hisdrink.
“Can’t believe we’re all moving on. Even Louisa is scheduling job interviews forJanuary.”
Eamonn cocked an eyebrow. “Back on,then?”
Heath blushed. It was amazing how goofy his face could look when he was smitten. “I think this time it’s going to stick. That night when I fell, we went back to her room and just talked the whole night, about everything. We’ve been doing loads of talking about what went wrong in the past. It feels differentnow.”
“Different isgood.”
“And if it all blows up in my face, you can happily tell me you wereright.”
He clapped his tall friend on the shoulder, while a pang of jealousy hit his stomach. Heath’s good news was just a dash of salt on an openwound.
“That’s really great, mate,” Eamonn said. He took a long sip of his drink and happily let the alcohol burn his chest. “Reallygreat.”
Heath stared at him for a long second, then shook hishead.
“What?”
“You look like complete shit,” Heathsaid.
“Bugger off. I just came from a party filled with free top shelf liquor andfood.”
“That’s not what Imean.”
“What? Is there a stain on my shirt orsomething?”
Heath rolled his eyes. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you are a complete sodding cunt of anidiot.”
“What is the right way to takethat?”
“I can’t stand looking atyou.”
“Fuck you.” Eamonn stood up and pushed Heath. Heath stumbled off his bar stool. He came back at Eamonn and shoved him hard with his tree limb arms. Eamonn hit a chair on his way to thefloor.
Heath stood over him. “You hate your new job. You don’t want to work there. Yet you’re just going to give up and take the safe route instead actually trying for somethinggreat.”
Eamonn jumped up. He was never one to give up in a fight, not when his opponent was spewing lies about him. He charged at Heath, and they both fell backwards into another table and chairs. Salt and pepper shakers shattered on thefloor.
“You don’t know a bloody thing about me!” Eamonnsaid.
“Right. Cause I’ve only known you for the past three years and roomed with you. You’re a completestranger!”
