‘As long as you’ve not gone off script.’
‘It’s all good. Don’t worry.’ She handed him his tea. ‘Although at some point we’re going to need to tell him that I’ve moved in.’
The situation was playing on Ros’s mind as she got ready for bed and she decided to have a chat to Cameron about it. He was one of only two people she could discuss her concerns with although he was increasingly becoming her go-to for other things too. She found Cameron in the kitchen.
‘Are you hungry?’ she asked, watching him load bowls with popcorn, mixed nuts and crisps before putting them onto a tray.
‘No, this is vital preparation. There’s a rundown of the bestDoctor Whoepisodes as chosen by the public and I’m here for it.’ He raised the tray. ‘Hang on, no dips.’ He put the tray down and went to the fridge.
‘Right. I can see you’re busy. I’ll speak to you in the morning. Goodnight,’ said Ros, feeling that she’d now be mulling over her worries into the small hours but that couldn’t be helped.
‘Hang on. Is everything okay?’
‘Er it was just... actually it’s nothing. Don’t miss your programme,’ said Ros and she went to leave.
‘Come on, Rosanna. I know you well enough now. There’s something bugging you. Here,’ he said, handing her a bottle of milkshake and picking up the laden tray. Ros ferried the milkshake to the sofa and waited for Cameron to get settled before handing it to him. ‘Sit down.’ He indicated the space next to him.
‘I was going to bed.’
‘But you wanted to talk. You know you won’t sleep so you might as well join me. We’ll watch a bit ofDoctor Whoand we’ll solve whatever it is that’s bothering you too. I mean it can’t be as bad as being caught in the middle of a Dalek and Cyborg altercation now, can it?’
‘I do feel like I’m torn between competing forces,’ said Ros as Cameron waved her into the space next to him. She sat down and he pulled the throw off the back of the sofa and laid it over both of them, making her feel quite cosy.
‘You’re worrying about our situation, am I right?’ he asked, wriggling about so that his body was against hers, not an altogether unpleasant sensation, Ros noted.
‘It’s more the development that we now appear to have taken quite an important step forward in our relationship by moving in together.’
He tucked the throw around them and balanced the tray on top of their blanket-covered laps. ‘I get it. It’s a big commitment and not one you would make lightly.’
‘Exactly.’
‘But then,’ he said, offering her a tortilla chip. She hesitated. She’d need to redo her teeth. He waved the bowl a second time and she took one. ‘Circumstance has presented us with the opportunity to live together. Me moving in now could be a chance to see how we manage because dating and living with someone are two very different set-ups.’
‘That is true.’
He thoughtfully munched on a tortilla chip. ‘I think we’re the sort of couple who would seize the opportunity and view it as a test bed. I’d still be moving into new student digs come July because I’ve made a commitment, but we would have a fun few weeks living here and we’d know each other better at the end of it. Both the pluses and minuses. What do you think?’
It did make a lot of sense. ‘I think it’s actually far more sensible than moving in with no end date,’ she said. ‘That’s always very awkward. There’s implications that it is indefinite and relationships rarely are. Also as you say seeing each other casually is very different to sharing a home.’ She dipped her tortilla in the proffered dip.
‘Shall we tell Barry that?’ he asked, snuggling under the blanket. ‘Then we’ll be sound.’
‘Yes, I think we will be.’
They watched the lengthyDoctor Whoprogramme and chatted. Cameron had a wealth ofDoctor Whoknowledge and was able to answer all of Ros’s questions. After too many snacks she found she was dozing off and missing bits of the programme but as the plot of each episode was basically the same – land in a strange time or place, fight a baddie or right a wrong and go on to the next location – she was able to keep abreast of proceedings.
‘Damn near broke my heart when Rose went,’ said Cameron, shaking his head at the screen.
It had become apparent that the tenth Doctor’s sidekick was his favourite. ‘They do have a very strong connection,’ she said, watching Billie Piper cry on a beach. As the actress told the Doctor she loved him, Cameron reached for Ros’s hand and squeezed it. It was nice to feel that for a change she was there for him, even if it was only a fleeting moment brought on by a fictional TV programme.
They debated the merits of the number-one voted episode ‘Blink’, whilst a gripping and slightly troubling episode it did appear, to Ros, to be rather lacking on the key component of the popular series as there were few scenes with Doctor Who in them. The programme ended and the credits rolled.
‘Goodness,’ said Ros, astonished to see it was gone 4a.m. ‘I’d better get to bed.’ She tried to free herself from the blanket that bound her to Cameron’s side.
‘That was a great night though, wasn’t it?’
Ros smiled. ‘I had a very pleasant time. Thank you.’
‘And now you can say you’ve had an all-nighter.’
