Twenty-One Night Stand ✓

14 / lunch for two

There were times in Maddie's life when she questioned herself. Sometimes the questions were deep and philosophical but more often than not, she just wondered if she was a good enough friend. One of those moments was as she stood between the narrow shelves of her local Waterstones and her phone chimed. She'd had the volume up for an alarm earlier that day and the sudden noise startled her.

Then it chimed again. Not a text, but a call. She dug it out of the pocket of her shorts and glanced at the screen. Nick. Automatic guilt set in as she realised that since coming home three weeks ago, she had hardly kept in touch with him when ordinarily she would bombard him with her menial thoughts.

She'd been somewhat distracted recently.

"Hey," she said, clutching two books between her elbow and her waist as she tried to balance a display she had almost knocked over.

"Hey, Mads," Nick said, his voice an earthy comfort. Surrounded only by her father's soft musings and Peter's boyish quirks, she had almost forgotten the gravelly rasp with which Nick spoke. "How's it going?"

"Good, good," she said, picking up another book and idly scanning the back cover before deciding it wasn't quite her type. "What's up?"

"I was just wondering if you're around at all today," he said. "I have an interview at Raven-"

"Raven?" Maddie cut him off at the mention of a bar she recognised from her town. "As in Raven in Farnleigh?"

Nick chuckled. "That's the one," he said. "They have a position for a bartender and I figured I might as well go for it while I look around."

"Wow," Maddie said, plucking another book off the shelf when its cover attracted her attention. "Isn't that a bit far for you?"

Nick lived in a little village outside Loughborough, more than an hour's drive from Maddie, which was more than inconvenient as a commute.

"I know a guy who's looking for a roommate," he said. "He has a flat in Reback Court."

Maddie grinned. "That's, like, ten minutes from me."

"I know," Nick said with a laugh. "That was one of the first things I looked up, actually. It's about ten minutes into Farnleigh, I think."

"We'll practically be neighbours."

"If I get the job."

"I'm sure you will," Maddie said, smiling down the phone.

"Anyway," Nick continued, "I was thinking we could meet up for lunch once I'm done." There was a shuffle on the other end of the line, and Nick cleared his throat. "The interview's at eleven thirty, and I reckon it'll be about an hour?"

"That'd be great," Maddie said, a warm smile blooming on her lips. "We're long overdue a catch up."

"We really are." Nick let out a wry chuckle. "I feel like I haven't seen you in months. Graduation feels like forever ago."

"Three weeks." Maddie moved to a different aisle, still gripping two books and leaning to one side to prevent her bag from slipping off her shoulder. "Weird, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Nick mused. "Well, I've got to go but I'll see you in a couple of hours, ok?"

"Absolutely. Good luck, Nick."

"Cheers, Mads. Seeya later."

Ending the call, Maddie's bag dropped at last and took her books with it, landing with an unsatisfying thud on the carpet. The woman behind the till glanced over at the sound, watching as Maddie gathered up her things and brushed her hair off her face.