A Story of Now

Robbie’s flat is tiny. And freakishly spotless. Everything in the room—books, papers, clothes—is arranged neatly. The walls are mostly bare, with only a few unframed photographs pinned in random, light catching spots on the fresh, white paint.

Claire frowns at the immaculate bed. “Did you stay here last night?”

“Yeah, why?”

She shakes her head. “No reason.” Wow. He even made it this morning, as hungover as he claims to be. Cam makes his bed about four times a year. Seasonally, he likes to say. She sniffs the air. It even smells good in here.

She watches as he lays a selection of movies out on the bed.

“Which one?”

Claire takes a cursory look at the covers as she unzips her jacket. She’s seen most of them. Not that it matters. “Don’t care.” She lays her jacket neatly over the back of the chair. “Nothing that will tax my brain, though.”

“I don’t plan on taxing anyone’s brain today, not after last night. Exercise in futility. Mee?”

“Whatever, I don’t mind.” She stares at a photo on the wall. “I like this.”

“Good, then I’ll pick.” He plucks one from the pile and puts the rest neatly back on the shelves.

Claire smirks. “Do you alphabetise your DVDs? I’m getting the feeling you might be the type.”

“Shut up, you.” He freezes, DVD in hand. “Oh shit.”

“What?” Mia kicks off her shoes.

“I just remembered I might have done some inappropriate making out with a guy from my photo theory class at the first party.”

Inappropriate making out. Claire snaps her head up. Mia’s exact words last night. She steals a glance at Mia. And Mia looks right back at her. They both burst out laughing.

She definitely remembers. And given that they are both laughing, it seems to be okay.

“What?” Robbie eyes them both.

Claire shakes her head. “Nothing.”

“Did you see it happen?”

“No.” She looks back over at Mia, who is still grinning as she perches on the edge of the bed.

“Seriously.” Robbie puts the DVD in the tray. “Don’t make me insecure. I am extremely fragile today.”

Claire lies against the pillows. “Really, it’s nothing. We both just remembered something. Nothing to do with you.”

“With who, then?”

Mia kicks her legs over onto the mattress. “Just a couple of people making drunken idiots of themselves last night.”

“Ooh, who?” He throws himself down on the bed between them. “Will it make me feel better about myself?”

“No, probably not.” Claire laughs. There’s no way she’s going to tell him. She glances at Mia. She gives Claire a small, sly smile and looks away. Clearly Mia isn’t going to either.

“Okay.” He reaches over Claire and picks up the remote control from his bed stand. “Then let’s watch this damn movie.”

* * *

Three movies later, Claire is forced to go home. Prompted by a reminder message from her mother that they have a family dinner tonight at her aunt’s, she reluctantly gets ready to depart Robbie’s cosy apartment.

Mia decides to leave too. “I’ve still got at least six hours of studying to do.” She sighs.

“Six hours?” Claire frowns as she yanks on her boots. “Six hours? You’re really going to do that much study now? Today?”

“Yep. Have to.”

“You poor thing.” Robbie checks his watch and climbs off the bed. “I better get ready too.”

“What for?” Claire asks.

“Got a thing on tonight.” He starts to grab clothes out of drawers.

“You’re going out again?”

“Yup.”

“Wow.” Claire shakes her head. These people have way more stamina than she does. If she had her way, she’d just get right back to bed when she gets home.

Mia and Claire leave Robbie to get ready and trudge slowly back to Union street in the gathering dark.

Mia zips up her jacket against the late afternoon chill. “I actually feel a bit better.”

“Me too. I’d still rather not go to this dinner, though. That will still hurt.”

“Is this the aunt that fights with your mother all the time?”

Claire smiles. She can’t believe Mia actually remembers that piece of information. “Or the one that my mother fights with. Depends which week it is. But yep, the very one. Aunt Lucy.”

“Good times.”

“Oh yeah.”

They reach the corner and look at each other for a moment in a protracted, slightly awkward silence. Claire wonders for a minute if Mia is going to say something about last night. But she doesn’t. Instead she smiles at Claire, her face still hangover pale, even in failing light.

Claire gives her a bashful grin, but she can feel the heat of a slight blush. She wants to be supercool and nonchalant about last night, one of those chilled girls who does stuff like that as though it’s nothing. But she’s way less adventurous than she’ll ever let on. And now, when it’s just the two of them, she does feel a little strange. “Good luck with your studying,” she tells her. “I hope the six hours isn’t too painful.”

Mia thrusts her hands into her jacket pockets. “Same with your family dinner. I’ll see you soon?”

“Sure. Soon,” Claire agrees. “Bye.”

Mia gives her a small wave and turns on her heels.

Claire heads for the bus stop, relieved that there’s no real fallout from last night and that nothing needs to be said about it either. Because she’d have no idea what to say.

She climbs onto a bus and moves to the back. As the bus pulls out into the traffic, Claire sees Mia striding down the street. Mia doesn’t see her, though, as she stares straight ahead into the night, turned back in on herself now she is alone.

Claire slouches in her seat and feels pretty damn pleased with herself. She’s not sure she’s ever had such an enjoyable hangover as today. Of course, they’re not supposed to be fun. They’re supposed to be the punishment for fun. But today was surprisingly, out-of-left-field good.

And, added bonus, she didn’t do anything too stupid last night. She didn’t accidentally sleep with the random dude with the guitar, as hot and oddly nice as he was. Hell, she might even answer his call if he does ring. Maybe. And she made out with a girl, something new for the history books, with the bonus prize of no one being too weird about it. It was also kind of ridiculously fun, those hours on the armchair with Mia, laughing like maniacs in their own private world.

And she has two awesome new friends who want to spend a hangover with her.

Not bad at all, she thinks. Now she just has to get through dinner, and she’s home free.