Libby turned to see where Laura was pointing. Dylan was standing with a group of people across the room, and glanced away when he saw Libby look at him.
“No,” she said quickly. “He’s not here today.”
“Well, that man’s been staring at you.”
“He has?”
“He’s very handsome. Are you married?”
“So, how do you know Esme?” Libby said, keen to change the subject.
“Me and my boyfriend are in a theater group with her.Ohh, he’s coming over here now.”
“Your boyfriend?”
“No, the handsome man!”
“Shit,” Libby said. A moment later, she felt Dylan move in beside her.
“Hello!” Laura thrust her hand at him. “I’m Laura.”
“Hi, Laura, lovely to meet you,” Dylan said, shaking her hand.
“We were just talking about you.”
Libby widened her eyes at Laura, who grinned back at her.
“Oh, right,” Dylan said, looking awkward. “And how do you know Esme?”
“Laura!” A young man came bounding over and threw his arms round her shoulders. Laura turned to him, leaving Libby and Dylan on their own.
“I thought I should come and say hello,” Dylan said, staring at his shoes.
“How are you?”
“All right, thanks. You?”
“Yeah, fine.”
Up close, Libby could see a scar running along the edge of Dylan’s skull, above his right ear. He must have sensed her staring at it, because he put his hand up to his head and touched it.
“I almost didn’t recognize you in the church,” she said. “You look so different.”
“Yeah, this outfit was Esme’s idea. To be honest, I feel like a right knobhead in it.”
They must have both remembered Libby’s drawing at the same moment, because they looked at each other and smiled. Then Dylan looked away.
“I’m so sorry you ended up in hospital,” Libby said. “It must have been awful.”
“I don’t remember much about it, to be honest. One minute I was walking to the bus stop, and then the next thing I knew, I woke up in hospital three days later.”
“Bloody hell,” Libby said. “Was it a fight?”
“A fight? No, I was beaten up. Apparently one guy hit the back of my head and knocked me to the ground, and then him and his mate started kicking me. They ran off when they realized I was unconscious.”
“Bloody hell. Did the police catch them?”
“Nah. There were witnesses who gave descriptions to the police, but they never found them. Probably some pissed-up kids.”
