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No.
No.
This isnothappening.
‘You guys all know Lloyd, right?’ Dylan asks, as a familiar face appears beside him.
What the hell does he think he’s doing here? Did he take my mention of the pub earlier as an invitation?And if he did – how did he know where to find us? Did he go around every pub in Victoria searching?
‘Alright, mate?’ Burnley’s saying to him, not missing a beat. Friendly, because of course they are. If there’s one thing my first week at Arrowmile has taught me, it’s that everybody loves Lloyd. ‘What’re you drinking? Pint?’
Lloyd laughs. ‘Shouldn’t I get the round in if I’m gatecrashing?’
‘Now, now.’ Dylan slings an arm around his shoulder. ‘Can’t have the boss’s son thinking we’re only using him for his money.’
Lloyd laughs at that, too, but the sound is swallowed by static as the world pitches around me, sliding out of focus as I digest Dylan’s words.
Boss’s son.
Hi there,he’d said the other day,I’m Lloyd Fletcher.
Fletcher, like Topher Fletcher, Illustrious Leader/CEO and …
Shit.
How did I not realize sooner? No wonder I can’t work out which team he’s on when he’s always everywhere, or why the managers show him so much respect. Of course they all fawn over him when his dad owns the company.
This isnotgood.
It’s only when I hear my name that I realize they’re talking to me, about me – introducing me to Lloyd.
My eyes shift to his, my mouth dry. Surely he must remember me now, surrounded by everyone else? Can’t he remember Burnley making a spectacle of himself dancing on the table? Hasn’t he connected the dots by now?
‘Yeah,’ I say. ‘We’ve met.’
Lloyd’s smile doesn’t falter. ‘On Monday. I thought I’d try get around and meet a couple of the new interns – which was a good plan until I got waylaid talking toyouabout the new engine we’re working on.’ He cuffs Dylan around the shoulder, and they both laugh. ‘Thanks for the invite tonight, by the way.’
‘Yeah, of course, mate. It’s no big deal.’
Did I say I was happy I might get to work with Dylan this summer? I take it back. I’ve never had an enemy before, but he’s just made the list.
‘Gotta stay on the boss’s good side,’ Monty says with a brash laugh, but it’s clear that particular brand of joke doesn’t go down quite as well coming from him. Noticing, he clears his throat, and is saved by the bartender and the fact it’s his turn to order.
Somehow, I end up standing just behind the boys – and next to Lloyd.
He gives me a warm smile. ‘Well, hey. Fancy seeing you here. Wait – didn’t we already do this?’ He laughs at his own joke, not looking at all bothered when I’m not charmed by it. My mouth pinches into a thin, sour line and I can feel my hands shaking.
‘What are youdoinghere?’ I demand of him.
‘Hanging out. Having fun – or, that’s the plan, anyway.’ He grins. ‘After we spoke, Dylan mentioned you guys were all out tonight and invited me along for a drink. Felt rude to say no, you know?’
No ruder than giving a girl the best kiss of her life and then forgetting all about her, I think, and out loud I say, ‘Uh-huh.’
Sensing I’m not in a chatty mood, Lloyd falls quiet. As he turns to face forward, I notice the smile slip from his face and feel a pang in my chest.Cold and unlikeable. That must surely be what he thinks of me now – and I hate the idea that the guy I met last week might believe that.
I’m not, as a rule, very good at making friends. I never have been. I’ve always been too serious, too studious. I don’t say the right thing, I don’t make people laugh, I’m not good at being a shoulder to cry on. It wasn’t so bad at school, when I could hide it in a wide collection of extra-curriculars that gave me some common ground to bond with classmates. It washarder at university – suddenly living away from home and with five total strangers, three of whom were clique-y girls who immediately dismissed me as ‘not their kind of person’ and went out of their way to make sure I knew it.
It’s hard to admit that the kindred spirit I thought I’d found in Lloyd doesn’t exist after all, and might have been a facade to win me over for the night.
