‘Want to make something of it?’ he asks with a grunt.
‘Not really.’ Ethan shrugs. ‘But I would love for you to apologize to Mia.’
‘You want me to say sorry for expecting the bird behind a bar to get me a drink? I know you’re not from here, mate, but—’
‘You’re right, I’m not from here,’ Ethan cuts in, squaring up to him without a flicker of concern on his face. ‘But I know a bunch of people who are and none of them treat bartenders like shit or speak that way to women. At least not in front of me, because if they did, they know I’d knock their teeth down the back of their throat.’
Whether Ethan’s threat is serious or not, it makes both me and the guy catch our breath. Most likely for different reasons. I’m still staring at my flatmate when the bald guy starts laughing.
‘Fair dos.’ He pats Ethan on the back and turns to me with a bright, sunny grin. ‘Apologies, I was far too close to sobering up for a minute. A Stella for me, two double firsts and whatever this gent is having.’
‘Thanks, but I’m good.’
Ethan looks almost as confused as I am. He threatened to kick the guy’s ass and now he’s offering to buy him a drink?
‘You okay?’ he asks me when our new friend turns to talk to a girl behind him, and I manage a nod, keeping myself busy mixing the two cocktails.
‘Fine. Thanks.’
Mirroring my nod, he backs away, returning to the group of soccer players crowded around the farthest booth. But I can still feel his eyes on me as I start working my way around my section of the bar, and while I hate that kind of macho posturing, I’m considerably less concerned about anyone giving me shit for the rest of the night.
21
Ethan
‘Can I take that?’
I glance up at Alice when she appears at my side, carrying a crate of empty bottles that ought to be way too heavy for her. The girl is stronger than she looks, that’s for sure. She takes the empty bottle I’ve been rolling along the table for the last hour, pulls her eyebrows together, then turns to follow my eyeline.
Directly across the room, Mia stands behind the bar, looking at her watch, the clock on the wall, and back at her watch. It’s the tenth time she’s checked it in the last fifteen minutes.
‘Oh.’
Alice smiles as she adds my bottle to her collection.
‘I’m not waiting for her,’ I start to say but she’s grinning like she knows better. ‘I figured we could walk home together is all.’
‘That’s why you’ve been sat here on your own for the last hour?’
‘Yes. I mean, no.’ I frown at my now empty hands. ‘Has it really been an hour?’
She nods. ‘Since the rest of the team left, yes. Probably only five minutes since someone tried to keep you company and you politely told them to piss off. Rumour has it you’re not very sociable.’
‘Since when did rumours ever turn out to be true?’
‘Since half the girls, gays and theys tried it on with the captain of the football team tonight and he turned down every single one of them.’
It’s notnottrue.
Almost getting into a fight with that piece of shit at the bar ruined any chance I had of enjoying the evening. Not because I was planning to hook up, but because after I heard the way he spoke to Mia, I couldn’t stop worrying about her. I told the team I was frustrated we didn’t win with a clean sheet, which pissed most of them off just enough to leave me alone and if I’m real lucky, will encourage the defence to pick up the slack and not let anymore lucky goals in next week.
‘You know, I’m in Carpenter House as well,’ Alice says. ‘Anders is next door in Walsh. She won’t be walking home by herself.’
I’m the first to admit I’m not the smartest guy on the planet but even I can take a hint. Standing up, I pat myself down. Keys, wallet, no phone because why carry around a useless hunk of plastic when it only works in your room anyway.
‘Did you know it’s her birthday tomorrow. In fact, it’s past twelve, isn’t it? So, it’s her birthday today.’ Alice turns to make sure Mia can’t hear her but she’s so busy staring daggers at the last occupied booth, we could be screaming her name and I don’t think she’d hear. ‘We’re having a surprise party for her behind the boathouse, a picnic. One o’clock, you should come.’
‘Really?’ I don’t mean to sound so taken aback but it’s not an offer I was expecting.
