‘Sorry, I have to move away,’ said Connor and they walked over to a quieter corner. Lydia didn’t miss Sally’s approving look, and shook her head at her as if to say this wasn’t what she thought it was.
‘I’m assuming that’s your sister,’ said Lydia.
‘It is, and my parents have the twins on a sleepover tonight. This is the first time they’ve been out and she hasn’t got long before she pops the next baby out.’
‘So what are you this evening?’ she asked ‘A chaperone in case they misbehave?’
He grinned, his dark blond hair flopping carelessly from its haphazard parting. ‘I’d say they’re doing that already. No, they dragged me out. I lost my job last month and have been pretty miserable. “A face like a slapped arse” – I think that’s how my mother described it.’
Lydia giggled. She couldn’t imagine her own parents ever using such a phrase. ‘I’m sorry to hear that. I was made redundant a while back and I know it’s not easy.’ She sipped the remains of the glass of water through her straw.
Connor clutched his bottle of Becks. ‘But then you were lucky enough to end up working with my brother-in-law.’
‘He’s a brilliant boss. And now I get to be one of those annoying people who can genuinely say they love their job.’
‘Now I hate you.’
She smiled. This was something she could talk about, because it was nothing to do with doctors, nothing to do with outcomes and probabilities, hope and hopelessness. It was plain old life and it was comforting. ‘My last boss was okay but a bit uptight. I worked for a major newspaper in London and I could only describe the work environment as fierce and cut-throat.’
‘Scary stuff.’
‘Don’t joke, it was. I never missed a deadline but I saw people who did cower beneath her glare, her reprimands.’
‘I’d say a deadline was all part of the job.’
‘Oh it is, and those people should’ve met them without fail. But if she was more approachable, maybe they would’ve flagged that there were issues getting interviews, or sometimes photographers failed to show or they’d be sent on a wild goose chase all through the back streets of London for sources that didn’t exist, or if they did they’d fail to generate a story anyone would read.’
‘Did you study journalism?’
‘I studied sociology. How about you? What’s your job?’
‘I’m a vet. The practice where I worked in Devon closed down and I guess I just haven’t got off my arse to do anything about it yet. I’ve got totally unrelated temporary work for now, but nothing to write home about.’
It sounded familiar to Lydia and she told him a bit more about her time freelancing, although over the din of the music, it wasn’t always easy to be heard. ‘Maybe you need a break,’ she suggested.
‘Maybe you’re right.’
They chatted on about locations in the UK he’d love to work, his love of the countryside and fear of the big city.
‘It’s not that I don’t like the city,’ he explained, ‘it’s just that I love the countryside more. You can’t beat all that open space.’
It had never appealed much to Lydia. She’d wondered if it would as she grew older but she and Imogen had yawned audibly and visibly when their parents announced they were moving out to a tiny village with no facilities for miles. ‘There’s not even a bus that operates out there,’ her sister had grimaced. ‘There’s no corner shop, no takeaway, not even a place to buy a can of Coke when you’re desperate,’ she’d added. To Imogen it was pure sacrilege.
When Ian came over and explained Niamh was tired and desperate to get home and put her feet up, Lydia’s time with Connor came to an end. ‘It was nice to meet you tonight,’ he said. ‘And thank you. You rescued me from watching my own sister being felt up by your boss.’
‘My pleasure,’ Lydia giggled and when he turned at the doorway, looked over the top of everyone’s heads and smiled, she returned the smile right back.
Sally was by her side in seconds. ‘He was gorgeous.’
‘Come on, don’t get any ideas,’ said Lydia, looping her arm through her friend’s. ‘Let’s get a taxi, shall we?’
Sally protested a bit but on the whole she was satisfied they’d managed to get out tonight, and when Lydia dropped her outside her front door, shoving her out the taxi and guiding her to the porch with the sensor light that dazzled them, Lydia was satisfied too. It was the first night out without Theo where she’d felt remotely normal, and for the first time she could honestly say she’d enjoyed herself. It felt as though she was beginning to put herself back together as much as she possibly could at this stage, and she knew it would make Theo proud.
