Judging by the glow radiating from her, I suspect that her crush on Dan is not a thing of the past.
We don’t get a chance to chat because the venue is already filling up, and within an hour it’s carnage behind the bar, with punters two-deep and crying out to get served. Chas, Amy and I each have a two-metre section to man and there’s also a runner who’s cleaning glasses, collecting empties, refilling ice and turning over beer in the cellar. The four of us are moving like water, flowing around each other.
When I spot Finn arriving, I forget my current customer’s entire order and have to ask them to repeat themselves. My eyes and thoughts are pulled to him on stage throughout the night, but somehow, I manage to focus on work. By closing time, my feet are killing me and my back aches, but I am absolutely buzzing.
I look around for Finn. Dan, Tarek and Chris are still here, along with a few others who managed to avoid leaving when Chas was locking up, but there’s no sign of Finn. Has he gone home already?
My adrenaline flatlines and exhaustion hits just as Amy swoops over to me.
‘Dan’s having people back to his,’ she says to me urgently, grabbing our things from under the counter. ‘Let’s go.’
‘I thought we were going to have a drink here?’
‘Change of plan. Come on, I want to walk up with them!’
‘Oh, do I really have to be your third wheel?’ I’m knackered and if Finn’s not going to be there …
She pauses and stares at me. ‘Please, Liv?’ she begs.
I can never say no to that face.
We set off up the steep road towards the village, passingthe Surf Life-Saving Club, the Driftwood Spars Inn and several houses, including my own, before we leave the last street light behind and are plunged into darkness.
I pull out my phone and tap a quick text to Mum to let her know what I’m up to – there’s every chance she’s waiting up – and then I use the torch on my phone to light the way.
Dan and the band’s bass guitarist, Tarek, live together in a two-up two-down, and the dimly lit living room, dining room and open-plan kitchen feel crowded even with only fifteen to twenty people inside.
I’m dead on my feet and tug Amy towards the sofa in the bay window. Before long, two cold cans of lager find their way into our hands.
Chris plugs his phone into the stereo and turns the sound right up as a rock song pounds out.
More people arrive and cram into the space, pressing up against our legs.
I hug my knees to my chest and chug back a few mouthfuls of lager. Suddenly Amy stands and kicks off her shoes, climbing up onto the sofa to perch on the window sill. Her bare feet dangle over the sofa cushions and she grins at me, totally at ease and completely up for whatever the night brings.
I smile a small smile and copy her, sitting at her side and scratching the mosquito bites I got on my last night in Italy.
Someone fires up a joint and Tarek leans between us with a ‘Sorry’ as he opens the window, his narrow shoulders brushing against our upper arms.
He’s quite a pretty boy, Tarek, with groomed dark eyebrows and warm puppy-dog eyes. He’s very different toChris, whose short dirty-blond hair makes him look as though he hasn’t showered in weeks.
I’m yawning when Finn walks in. And just like that, I wake right up.
Over the tops of heads, I watch as he mixes up cocktail jugs with Dan in the kitchen. They’re both just over six foot, but Finn is slimmer and has more of an indie-boy vibe compared to Dan, who I suspect lifts weights.
Finn steps up onto a chair and shouts, ‘Punch!’
Amy looks at me to gauge my interest.
I feel too nervous to waltz right on over there, so I raise my can and say, ‘After this,’ before glancing back to the kitchen and catching Finn’s eye.
A jolt goes through me as he cocks his head, as though the sight of me here is interesting. We look at each other for a few seconds and then he grins, those dimples appearing as he jumps down from the chair.
He fills a couple of cups and winds his way through the crowd.
‘What’s in it?’ I ask edgily as he offers them up to me and Amy.
‘Vodka, rum, Coke. Be careful, it’s strong.’
