Getting Under Nathan

38: 'It doesn't have to be a fantasy.'

Chapter 38 - "It doesn't have to be a fantasy."

After a lazy Saturday spent nursing our hangovers, Nathan and I decided to occupy ourselves with some shopping during our final day together. We were planning on heading into London, and whilst Nathan searched high and low for his debit card, I took the time to stalk the life out of Facebook.

"Hayley and Gemma are going out pretty much every night," I told Nathan as he emptied out his coat pockets. "I don't know how they do it."

"Well, their grades will suffer," Nathan mumbled, an indication that he wasn't really paying much attention to me during the hunt for his card.

I continued to flick through the latest photos that had been uploaded; Hayley and Gemma seemed to be having a great time in all of them as they hugged, kissed and grinned into the camera. Some of the photos also featured the three guys who they'd started spending time around. Despite not having been aware of them before Christmas, both girls seemed very friendly with their new male companions.

"I mean, they've bothered uploading all these photos," I said, stopping on one particular photo where Hayley and Gemma were pouting with their arms around each other. "But the quality is awful. They've not even bothered removing the red eye."

"Well not everyone is as skilled with a camera as you are," Nathan replied tonelessly.

It was clearly meant to be a dig at my hypocrisy, but the joke lost its light-heartedness through Nathan's clear lack of attention. He was replying for the sake of replying, without even listening, because he was so busy looking for that damn card.

"Oh for Heaven's sake." I sighed, dragging myself out of the chair and setting the laptop down on the coffee table. Nathan was standing over by the dining table, scratching his head as he frowned, his eyes darting around various areas of the flat. "When did you last have it?"

"Friday night probably," he replied. "Louisa and I caught the tube to the bar so I must have used it then."

"And what were you wearing?"

"Just this jacket." He tossed it onto the sofa in frustration.

"Well maybe you dropped it on the way back," I shrugged, deciding that was the only explanation. "We were both pretty drunk so we probably wouldn't have noticed it."

"Ah, this is so annoying."

"Contact the bank to freeze it, then order a replacement."

"That whole evening was a disaster. I don't know why I bothered suggesting it in the first place."

"It wasn't that bad. Everything's cleared up now, isn't it? And if Louisa and Pedro did go home together, then surely that solves both problems?"

"Hmm." Nathan wasn't convinced.

Initially, I'd been apprehensive about the idea of Louisa and Pedro, believing that it was far too convenient for their attraction to be genuine. However, once I'd sobered up, I'd realised it was silly to think that. Of course it wasn't completely unreasonable for them to have chemistry.

"Come on." I squeezed his hand. "Retail therapy cures everything."

He gave me a small smile in return, trying to assure me that he'd cheer up and not put a dampener on our final day together. As we slipped on our shoes, he noticed the Facebook page that I'd left open.

"I don't see why girls feel the need to pull that stupid duck face on all their photos," he said, in reference to the pouting pose that Hayley and Gemma were demonstrating. "Don't they realise how utterly ridiculous they look?"