“Could you get an autograph for my granddaughter?” asks Alya.
Argus leans forwards, eyes shrewd. “If he ever needs a manager, you tell him I’m available. I worked in logistics in ’78.”
Not sure when I became the hottest ticket in geriatrics, but you know what? I’ll take it.
Chapter 8
Sixteen years old
Kath
On the Friday before sixth form starts, we have one last party at Ben’s house. A sort of ‘goodbye to freedom’ and end-of-summer celebration night before A levels take over our lives. His older brother bought us two six packs of beer and a bottle of wine, and everyone’s slowly getting louder as the evening progresses. I’m perched on the sofa next to Claire, watching our classmates laughing and catching up. The cream walls of the living room are lined with framed family photos, most of them featuring a tiny, bowl-cut Ben in various catastrophic outfits. At the start of the night he’d pointed to them with a warning: “Don’t even look at those. If you look, you’re complicit.” Naturally, everyone has looked.
My phone buzzes in my pocket.
Sam:Be there in five minutes. I have another pack of beer.
“What’s that grin for?” Claire leans over my shoulder. Her blonde hair is perfectly styled in waves, and she’s wearing a form-fitting green dress.
“Sam texted, he’s just on his way.”
“Ooh, the golden boy. Did you see the pictures of him they put on the school website? They’re hilarious. Most are from when wewere about thirteen. He looks nothing like he did back then, though I guess they can’t use the topless ones they had during the Olympics on a school website.”
“Yeah,” I agree absentmindedly, typing out a reply to Sam. I’ve been texting him since I left France three weeks ago. He was a bit quiet at the beginning, for unknown reasons, but things are back to normal now. He’s been on holiday with his parents, and only got back to London yesterday.
“I heard topless pictures.” Ben sidles over. “Who’s doing topless pictures? One of you two?”
“Have you learnt nothing from school?” I ask. “How many lectures have we had to attend on the perils of the online world and photographing ourselves? Obviously, it isn’t either of us.”
“Shame,” he says. “I wouldn’t say no to one of either of you.”
“Ewww.” Claire swats him away. “You’re disgusting.”
“Nah, I’m just a teenage boy, love.”
“Topless pictures of Sam. That’s what we were talking about,” she tells him. “Kath loves them, don’t you, Kath?”
I blush and elbow her. “Ugh, no.” I frown back down at my phone, trying to avoid eye contact. We all know that Sam doesn’t date. I’ve successfully managed to repress the crush I had on him when I was younger. Most of the time at least. And I’m focussed on medical school anyway.
In fairness, it would be almost impossible not to find Sam attractive. Occasionally, I’ve thought that there might be a chance for something more, but nothing’s ever come of it.
“Oh right.” Ben leans over the arm of the sofa. “How bizarre is it that we know a guy with an Olympic record? My younger sister’s now completely obsessed with him. She was asking my mum if we could invite him round for dinner. She even wanted to get a poster, but I said that would be creepy.”
“What’s creepy?” I hear Sam’s voice behind me, and Claire lets out one of her trademark high decibel shrieks as she goes to hug him. His blue eyesscan my face, and I smile at him. He looks good. The weeks of holiday with his parents brought out the lighter blond in his hair and gave him a tan.
“Anyone excited to see me?” asks Josh as he walks in behind him.
“Have you got an Olympic medal?” Claire asks. “If not I’m probably not interested in talking to you.”
“You wound me. Sam might let me borrow one of his. Would that make me worth talking to?”
“Mate, well done.” Ben claps Sam on the back. “When did you get back? Tell me about Paris.”
Sam smiles. “Paris was cool, I guess.”
“Cool, I guess,” mocks Claire. “Come on, Sam, give us more than that.”
“Errr.” He scratches his neck, looking slightly awkward again, and I’m just about to swoop in to save him by asking about his mum when Ben interrupts.
