“And slamming your hand on the coffee table like a lunatic,” I deadpan.
He grimaces. “Yeah. Sorry about that.”
Raised voices echo from the hallway, and Finn stands up. “I should go apologise.”
But before he gets the chance, Archie reappears, looking like he’s aged ten years. “This woman,” he groans, flopping onto the couch. “What anightmare.”
Finn scratches his head. “Sorry, mate. That was me. I banged the table. I’m an idiot. Like Millie said, itisa bit late.”
Archie waves him off. “She probably loved having an excuse to storm over and rant. Her favourite hobby—right after lecturing meabout hygiene standards in the shared gym.”
Millie opens her mouth, but Archie holds up a hand. “Please. Don’t ask. She’s a pain in my backside. Let’s leave it at that.”
He glances toward the door. “But weshouldkeep it down. She’s in a particularly sour mood. Who knows what she’ll do next?”
“Maybe we should call it a night,” Roxy suggests, glancing at Wade, who nods in agreement.
“Yeah, last thing we need is for her to call the cops or something,” Archie mumbles.
I snort. “I can already imagine the headlines.‘Party Animal Footballers Disrupt Peace in Luxury Central London Residence.’”
The room erupts into a fit of suppressed laughter.
“Probably pretty accurate,” Finn says, standing up. “All right, then. I’ll see you lot on Tuesday.”
Standing up, we trade goodbyes, and Finn and Archie do that ridiculous secret handshake. We all make our way out of the apartment, down the lift, and into the underground garage.
Everyone heads straight to their cars, but I linger next to Millie.
“Um, do you want a lift home?”
She spins to face me, a faint blush coating her cheeks. “Oh, that’s very nice of you, but I just bought my car this morning.”
“Right enough, I forgot. How do you like it?”
She fidgets with her purse strap. “It’s fine.”
I frown. “You don’t seem very convinced.”
“Well, here it is,” she says, pointing to a black car parked at the far end of the garage. I barely see it because it’s so small. And dark.
“Wow,” I say as we approach. “It’s tiny. I don’t even think I’d fit in there.”
She winces. “Probably not. Works for me, though.”
“And here I thought you’d show up with a pink Barbie car or something. I’m surprised you went for a classic black.”
She shrugs. “I had my eyes set on a bright yellow car with daisy decals, but my dad insisted this was a more reliable option. And, well, I know nothing about cars, so…”
While a bright yellow car would have been the perfect fit for her, I do agree that safety comes first.
“Anyway,” she says, resting a hand on the roof. “Have a good night, Callum. See you on Tuesday.”
I nod. “Yeah, you too.”
“Oh, and say hi to my boy Fergie, will you?”
Turning around,I roll my eyes. “You love him as much as he loves you, eh?”
