‘That’s hilarious,’ Carla guffaws. ‘Well, it’s all worked out for the best. We wouldn’t have got to meet you if you’d carried on today.’
‘So true,’ Callum says, deadpan. ‘Very lucky.’
The bar’s closed when we get there, but John is not deterred.
‘I actually have a few bottles of vodka stashed in the car,’ he tells us all. ‘Let me go and get them and then we can just find somewhere nice to sit and drink.’
‘Mixers?’ Callum asks, one eyebrow raised.
‘I might have a couple of bottles of Coke as well,’ John says.
‘You know, I wonder whether we should go to bed,’ Callum says to me. ‘We have a long way to drive tomorrow.’
I look first at him and then at everyone else. And, yes, I would prefer to stay. But also, even though he’s been chatting away to everyone, Callumclearlyreally doesn’t want to, and maybe it’s linked to the fact that – from the sounds of it – he no longer drinks a lot.
So I say, ‘You’re right,’ and turn to the group and say, ‘It’s been so lovely to meet you all.’
A good ten swapped phone numbers and a lot of hugs later, we’re on our way back to the monastery. And the bedroom.
‘I cannot believe that there’s a garage right bloody there,’ Callum says as we walk along.
‘Maybe it’s karma,’ I say. ‘We weremeantto stay in the monastery for some reason.’
Eek, what if he thinks I mean we were meant to be together in the bedroom. Awkward.
‘I think you might be getting your world religions confused there,’ he says, and I laugh, because I’m glad that the moment of awkwardness has passed.
For the time being, at least.
Because, as we continue our path back to the monastery, it doesn’t feel too weird being in the same space as Callum, and our mutual silence feels quite companionable, from my side at least, but I know that that’s because we aren’t in a small, enclosed space where we both have to sleep.
Callum’s the one who’s holding the key to the front door. He turns it with ease and says, ‘Wow, that’s a seriously smooth lock. These monks know what they’re doing home-maintenance wise.’
‘Love a smooth lock,’ I say, because I’m beginning to feel a bit anxious about the whole bedroom-sharing thing, so I want to talk but my mind’s gone blank.
‘I mean, who doesn’t?’ Callum responds.
And then we traipse round the cloister, through the door into our part of the monastery, up the stairs, along the corridor and to our room.
‘Here we are,’ I say brightly when we arrive.
‘Yup.’
Once we’re inside, Callum asks whether I’d like to use the bathroom first or second.
‘I will go—’ my mind’s working furiously to try to determine what would be the least uncomfortable for both of us and then settle on ‘—first.’
Oh, no, but I really don’t want to open my bag and get all my stuff ready with him in the room.
‘Second, I mean,’ I amend.
Oh, but maybe I’m being selfish.
‘Or you go second if you like?’
‘Very happy to go first.’ Callum lifts his very swish Samsonite case onto his bed and unzips it while I look hard at my phone so that I don’t inadvertently see inside because I don’t want to be intrusive.
I continue to stare at my phone while he rummages briefly and then he stands up. ‘See you in a minute,’ he says, and off he goes.
