Page 59 of It Was Always You

‘Do I?’

She held her hands out and made a face at him. ‘Durrr… Adam, you’re a teacher. Some women find that sexy as hell.’

He snorted. ‘Again, thanks.’

‘You own your own home, you earn a decent wage, and you have a nice smile⁠—’

He grinned. ‘I do?’

Her cheeks coloured. ‘According to the women I know, you do.’

‘You don’t know that many women. You only know two that I’m aware of and they’re both old enough to be my gran.’

She rolled her eyes. ‘Do you know what? Bugger off and I won’t try to help you then.’

Adam sniggered. ‘No, please do carry on. I’m sorry.’

She eyed him suspiciously for a moment before continuing. ‘You have what they call the complete package, Adders.’

He felt the heat in his cheeks rise, and he placed his hands over his groin. ‘What do you know about my package?’

She blushed. ‘Not that package, you idiot! You are the complete package! I wasn’t talking about what’s in your trousers!’ She shook her head. ‘I mean you have the full gambit. You know… the full monty⁠—’

‘There you go again talking about me getting my package out!’

She threw her arms up. ‘Not the Full Monty as in the male strippers, you tit!’

He pondered things for a moment. ‘So you think I have a lot to offer a woman and that’s why I’m getting a good response?’

She burst out laughing. ‘Finally, the penny has dropped. God, you can be dense sometimes.’

The bar was already heaving when they arrived. Bodies gyrated on the small dance floor and the lights pulsed along with the beat.

Adam felt out of place. ‘Lil, why did we have to come here? I’m sure I’ve just seen two girls from my S5 class.’

She slapped his chest. ‘Oh, shut up moaning. Just don’t hit on them and you’ll be fine.’

She was already quite drunk when they left the last pub. Another bar was not really on Adam’s to-do list.

He gasped in disgust. ‘I have no intention of hitting on anyone, never mind kids from my school who are clearly drinking underage. What if they see me in here?’

‘Oooh, it’ll add to the rumours that you actually have a life. Won’t that be terrible?’ she responded sarcastically.

‘One drink and then I’m off. You can come with me, or you can make your own way home.’ He knew very well he was stuck here for as long as she wanted to stay. There was no way he would leave her to make her own way home.

‘You’re a boring old fart,’ she grumbled.

‘Oy! Less of the old.’

They made their way to the bar and after what felt like an age, he managed to get the bartender’s attention. ‘Two bottles of whatever beer you’ve got.’

The bartender placed two bottles in front of him. ‘Eleven eighty.’

His eyes widened. ‘I only asked for two! I’m not buying for the whole bloody club!’

The burly-looking man behind the bar stared him down. ‘Aye and like I said… eleven eighty.’ Reluctantly, Adam handed over his cash and passed a bottle to Lily. ‘Savour it ’cause it’s all you’re getting at that price.’

She curled her lip. ‘Boring and tight with your money. Forget what I said at home about you having the whole package.’