‘I went cage diving with them once,’ Ash says. ‘But the aim was to see the big ones, not the small ones, I’m afraid.’ He catches sight of Lissa’s expression. She’s not actually surewhather expression is, but he adds quickly, ‘It was ethical. We went somewhere they don’t bait them or anything, and it was about promoting the conservation of sharks.’
‘Well,’ Lissa says, ‘I mean, that’s good to know, but I have to admit it wasn’t my first thought.’ She wonders what he’d say if she admitted she’s too scared to get into a swimming pool, let alone a cage to deliberately see sharks. Then she wonders why she cares what he thinks.
There are a few more questions that Lissa has absolutely no idea about, before beanie-man announces they’ll move on to the medical round. ‘Where in the body would you find the alveoli?’
There’s quiet round their table for a moment. ‘Sounds like aioli,’ Darcy pipes up. ‘Something to do with garlic?’
‘It’s the lungs,’ Lissa says. They all turn to look at her. She shrugs, but doesn’t offer up more of an explanation as Darcy writes it down.
Mark squeezes her leg. ‘Impressive.’
‘Question number twenty-one. What is the common name for the condition “epistaxis”?’
‘Nosebleed,’ Lissa says promptly. Darcy laughs as she writes it down, well aware why Lissa knows the answer, but Mark gives her a quizzical look. ‘I, ah, read it somewhere,’ she says vaguely. She doesn’t admit to the Google hole she went through a few years ago when she thought her nosebleed was a sign of something more sinister, or the emergency doctor’s appointment she tried to book, quoting ‘epistaxis’ rather than ‘nosebleed’ as the reason in the hope that it would get her seen sooner.
‘Question number twenty-two. Which part of the human body has the fastest healing time?’
‘Oh I know this,’ says Ash. ‘It’s the mouth.’
Darcy has started to write it down when Lissa pipes up. Usually she wouldn’t care – must be the second glass of wine. ‘No it’s not.’
Ash looks at her, eyebrows raised.
‘It’s not the mouth,’ she insists. ‘It’s the tongue.’
‘Well the tongue isinthe mouth,’ Ash points out.
‘Yes. But it’s an entirely different body part.’
He considers her, tapping a fork against his palm. ‘Okay. How about we do an experiment. You stab yourself in the mouth and I’ll do my tongue, and we’ll see who heals faster.’
Lissa snorts. ‘Well, I mean, if you want to do that, go for it. But I’m sure I’m right.’
‘I’m going with Lissa on this,’ Darcy says, writing it down. ‘Sorry, Ash.’
Ash, however, is still looking at Lissa, head tilted slightly as if she’s an anomaly of some kind. Which, all right, maybe she is, buthedoesn’t know that, does he? ‘Why am I starting to think you might be a good person to have around in a medical emergency?’
‘Trust me, I’m not.’ She meant to keep it light, but can’t stop the tinge of sadness creeping in – and from the way his eyes find hers, he heard it.
Lissa averts her gaze just as Mia stands up abruptly. ‘I’m going to get a round in before the next, well, round.’ She jerks her head at Lissa. ‘Lissa, give me a hand carrying them, will you?’
Lissa raises her eyebrows at the definite command in Mia’s voice. ‘Sure.’
She gets to her feet and follows Mia to the bar, where glass bottles glint in the soft glow of the pub. ‘What are you doing?’ Mia demands the moment they get there.
‘Ah, coming with you to get drinks …?’
‘No.’ She sweeps her red hair behind her shoulders. ‘You’re flirting with Mark’s friend,that’swhat you’re doing.’
Lissa huffs out a laugh. ‘No I’m not. I’mtalkingto him.’
‘No. You’re doing that thing you always do.’
‘What, being polite to acquaintances?’
‘You’re self-sabotaging.’
‘Mia. Don’t be ridiculous.’
