Ollie’s quiet, watching me. I see the rise and fall of his chest as he breathes. His T-shirt is fairly tight against his skin, for a change, and I suspect he’s quite well built under there. I might ask Liv.
‘And you chose this as a degree?’ he asks gently, but the question is rhetorical.
‘What else was I going to choose?’
He shrugs.
‘We can’t all be medical superstars, Doctor Ollie.’
‘Fine, Librarian Aury – Aurora,’ he corrects himself.
‘Still got it in your head my name is Aury?’
‘Aurora’s too hard to say after two pints of lager and an almost-empty stomach,’ he jokes.
‘Want more crisps?’
‘No, thanks.’
‘You can call me Aury, if you like. I’ll let you nickname me. A special privilege reserved only for you.’
‘In exchange for what?’ he asks, his dark eyes flashing with shared conspiracy.
‘Order another pint, so I can practise, and I’ll tell you.’
‘I’m being conned,’ he says, conceding defeat. I hand him his pint after concentrating so hard. The foam on the top is definitely smaller than the last one I poured him. I wait for Ollie to comment. He rotates it slowly, examining it with humour in his eyes.
‘Well?’ I ask.
‘Congratulations. It looks like a normal pint,’ he says.
‘Yes!’ I exclaim. ‘For that, I’ll even buy it for you.’
‘You don’t have to do that,’ he says and hands me the money.
‘Thank God, as I don’t get paid for another month.’
‘Ouch!’ he says and drinks a mouthful, getting foam on his upper lip.
I reach out instinctively, brush it from my friend’s face. Ollie looks at me as I touch him, his gaze holding mine, and there’s a companionable silence between us. I smile, reluctant to move away, and there’s no one else to serve yet. Soon the last of the day’s lectures and tutorials will finish and the bar will be heaving. At least now I know how to pull pints successfully. It’s taken me all day.
‘What’s going on with you and Ben?’ Ollie asks quietly, watching me.
‘What’s going on with you and Liv?’ I counter.
‘Probably the same thing that’s going on with you and Ben,’ Ollie replies with a grin.
‘Probably not,’ I reply.
‘No?’
‘Ben and I – once only. And now we’re getting to know each other properly before we go down that road again. His suggestion, not mine.’
Ollie frowns. ‘Really? That’s …’ He shakes his head as if he doesn’t know what that is. I don’t know what it is, either.
‘Intense?’ I volunteer.
He nods, slowly, but I don’t want to dissect my situation with Ben. I do want to dissect his situation with lovely Liv, though.
