‘Hello,’ I say with forced joviality. ‘How are you, Nick Wilde? Still yelling at girls across playgrounds when they’re trying to drink their Apple Tango in peace?’
He laughs nicely. ‘Yes indeed. I do that constantly. It’s why they’ve put me on that register. Playgrounds are a no-go for me now, it’s a terrible shame.’
We nod seriously at one another, acknowledging how quickly we’ve descended into darkness.
From the bar Alistair yells over at us. ‘Nick, you’re here! Nice to see you!’
‘I’ve actually been here ages,’ he yells back. ‘Where have you lot been?’
Alistair gives him a helpless sorry shrug. ‘Drink, mate?’
Nick gives him a thumbs up. ‘Apple Tango please,’ he shouts as I cover my mouth, amused.
Alistair looks confused. ‘What?! I can’t hear you very well.’
‘Lager, please.’
Alistair nods and turns back to the barman.
‘So’ – Nick’s gaze returns to me – ‘you and Alistair again, eh?’
I feel prickly. ‘What do you mean me and Alistair? There’s nothing going on, we’re just friends. Friends who haven’t seen each other for ages – years! That’s it.’
He puts his hands up in surrender. ‘OK! I just meant you’ve met up again after a long time apart.’
‘Right.’ I smile brightly, trying to dial back my defensiveness. After all, it’s true, isn’t it? This is clearly a friends thing I’ve come along to. There’s nothing more in it than that. And what if there had been? Was I really going to try something, knowing Alistair has a girlfriend at home? It makes me feel guilty even considering it. I don’t think being a man-stealing predator would really suit me.
‘And you guys are still close after all these years then?’ I make polite small talk, counting down the minutes until I can pretend I need the loo and excuse myself to hide.
Nick shrugs. ‘Not massively. I haven’t seen him in years myself. We were close for a while after school but you drift apart a bit, don’t you?’
‘Sometimes,’ I acknowledge, thinking of Shelley.
‘But an occasional nostalgia trip isn’t so bad, is it?’ He grins and I look away, thinking that nostalgia isn’t always that fun.
A memory of a recent Instagram post hits me and I grab for the conversation starter. ‘You got a dog, right?’
He looks mildly surprised, but pleased. ‘I did!’ He pusheshis glasses further up his nose and it suddenly makes him seem schoolboyish again. ‘She’s called Jackie and she’s the absolute best.’
‘Jackie the dog?’ I confirm hesitantly and he throws back his head laughing.
‘I know it’s stupid,’ he answers after a moment. ‘But I’ve always had a bit of a thing for dogs with human names. Plus, she has Jackie Weaver vibes about her – grey hair and ears shaped like a bob around her face.’ I can’t help myself and lean in, enthralled as he continues in a delighted voice. ‘I shout across the park, “YOU HAVE NO AUTHORITY HERE, JACKIE WEAVER.” She always comes running back when she hears that – and you should see the looks we get.’ He stops to laugh again and I join in, laughing mostly at how much he’s laughing.
‘What kind of dog is she?’ I ask at last, fighting through the mirth.
He shrugs. ‘God knows. She was a rescue. One of those lockdown impulse purchases that didn’t work out once the world resumed normality.’
‘What passes for normality these days, you mean,’ I point out wryly.
‘Quite,’ he nods, looking at me curiously. ‘Esther,’ he begins slowly, glancing over at Alistair at the bar. I move closer, holding my breath – just as we’re interrupted.
‘OOOOH, is this the famous Alistair then?’ I jump at the sound of Bibi’s voice suddenly in my ear. She slings a heavy arm over my shoulder as Lou appears at my otherside, leaning in to kiss my cheek like we are long-lost family. Their breath smells like wine – they’ve clearly been drinking without me and I feel a familiar pang of jealousy.
‘Of course it’s not Alistair!’ Lou sings. ‘This is Nick Wilde! Nick from Mr Snelling’s science class.Nickyfrom the football team! Mrs Wilde the drama teacher’s son. We all went to school together, didn’t we?’ She hugs him and mutters to me too loudly, ‘God, he smells really good.’
‘She’s drunk,’ I tell him by way of explanation and he grins.
‘I’ll take any compliment I can get.’
