“I’m Charlie. This is Mark and Andrew. That’s Hayley. And this is Phil.” Charlie indicated yellow shirt guy last.
Phil stretched an arm along the back of the booth, brushing against Morgan’s shoulders. It was a purposefully territorial move. He smiled at me. I smiled back. And not nicely.
Stupid fucker was trying to play big dig with me of all people.
“So you and Morgan are friends?” the woman named Hayley asked, glancing from Morgan to me and back again.
“Sure we are. The best of,” I teased, hoping for a reaction from Morgan.
I got one.
She rolled her eyes and snorted inelegantly. “Yep, we’re total besties. We’ll be making each other friendship bracelets soon.”
“Blue is my favorite color, just so you know,” I added. Morgan finally looked at me and we both chuckled.
It had the makings of a nice moment.
“Did you want to order anything to eat, Morgan? I can get you something,” Phil interjected, his fingers brushing against her sleeve. She looked away. Her attention on the knob in yellow.
I clenched my fists.
“No, I’m fine, thanks.”
I stood there like a complete muppet for a few more seconds. Morgan wasn’t looking at me anymore and Phil the wanker was trying like hell to lay a claim. I thought about pulling him out of the booth but figured I’d had enough bad press for the time being. The rest of the table was trying to make conversation with me but I wasn’t interested in talking to them.
The person I was interested in was ignoring me.
“I’d better get going,” I said, cutting off one of the guys who were talking about football stats.
Morgan was sipping on her drink, lifted a hand in a halfhearted wave. “See ya.”
My pride had taken enough of a hit for one day so I walked off, not bothering to say goodbye.
I was in a foul mood when I returned to the table. Anna of course picked up on it immediately.
“What’s got your knickers in a twist?”
“Nothing,” I muttered, finishing the rest of my beer and slamming the empty pint glass onto the table.
Anna looked towards Morgan’s table. “Who is that?”
“No one,” I answered.
“Didn’t look like no one with the way you were following her all over the pub,” Anna commented.
“Shut up, Anna. Seriously, just drop it,” I warned her.
Anna shrugged. “Fine. Consider it dropped.” She ate the last of her chips while watching me closely. “She’s very pretty though. Not in your usual fake tits kind of way either.”
I grunted, not bothering to respond.
IPULLED MYkeys out my pocket and jingled them in my hand as I waited for my sister who had predictably needed to use the loo before we left. Her bladder was like clockwork. And usually inconvenient.
I noticed Morgan standing just past the front door, staring down at her phone.
I thought about ignoring her. Forgetting all about her. I should get in my car and head home, putting the rude American in my rearview. My pride was still smarting from her dismissal earlier.
But I was never one to listen to good sense.
