Chapter 3
Nat started, as the phone unexpectedly started to vibrate. He looked at the screen – unknown number – and his first thought was to ignore it – someone trying to sell him something, someone persistent who he couldn’t get off the phone. Maybe that. Maybe his mum, or even worse, his dad – always a tricky one. They had recently started blocking their numbers, to avoid nuisance callers, they said, though how did that make any sense. Probably because he always avoided their calls, to be honest. But then it was normally number blocked, wasn’t it? Maybe the police, Christ, the police, asking him to come in. Maybe I better not answer it, he thought. But it carried on ringing, and vibrating, and ringing, and… he glanced at the barman, who looked over inquisitively and raised his eyebrows, with that knowing look, that “Oh, I see, it’s someone you want to avoid, maybe a jilted girlfriend, or an ex-lover, or the police because maybe you killed someone although you’re not quite so sure so that’s why you’re looking so guilty….” and he felt himself go red, which made it even worse, and he smiled a weak smile at the barman (weak, of course, that’s perfect, that really describes me, exactly) – now the barman thinks I’m weak, Jesus, he probably thinks I’m gay and looking at him, not that that’s a problem, but I’m not, and oh Christ and why won’t that…
“Hello?” he found himself answering without even quite realizing it.
“Hey, Nathan?” the voice sounded uncertain.
“Err, yeah, hello?” Not the police at least, and not my parents
“Hey, Nathan! How’s it going?”
“Joshua?” he asked, uncertainly?
“Hey! Didn’t I tell you, call me Josh. Come one, we’re friends. Crazy night last night, right? You looked like you were having fun.”
“I did?”
“Ah, come on. Don’t be shy. I could tell as soon as I walked in last night. I mean, you only had eyes for her, right, anyone could see that, and let’s face it, who could blame you…”
“Err, well.” Shit, was what Nat was thinking. Shit. So he did leave, so I was alone with her, so what the hell happened.
“Hey, I’m just kidding you. Seriously, you don’t need to tell me.” He paused. “Hey, listen, Nathan, I was thinking, I’m still in town, so do you fancy hooking up tonight? A couple of beers? I could come to yours. No, look, why don’t we meet in town. You know, grab a beer, a bite to eat, you know. Nothing fancy, but you know… what do you think?”