As Monday morning came around I just about managed to drag myself out of bed to go to work. The guys had decided it would be a good idea to go to the weekly quiz at the pub around the corner because they "hadn't been in so long!" so I tagged along with them. We all had a couple of drinks during the quiz and then stayed at the pub until it closed drinking more. Apparently none of the pubs around here cared much about IDing people. If I was back home I wouldn't have even been asked for my ID, just refused entry or service.
I trudged to work, wishing my headache away before I got there. I should have known I wasn't that lucky, by the time I got into the staffroom and sat next to Brian my head was worse than when I'd left the house. Brian didn't even ask if I was ok, he just laughed at me as I nursed my head. I didn't speak much for the whole morning, only when I was on my lunch break with Brian and we were grabbing coffee from around the corner of the store did I feel up to talking to him and even then it was mostly idle conversation.
"Come on stop-out. Breaks nearly over." Brian chuckled and he grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the coffee shop.
"So I'm thinking of maybe sticking around for a bit longer..." I finally announced.
"Seriously? That's cool. Wouldn't want to see you leave just yet. What would I do at work without you now?"
"What did you do before?"
"Pretty much the same as I do before you get into work... Play on my phone. Or pretend to be busy doing something else so I can avoid conversation with any of the other dicks that work there. I can only just handle talking to you now."
I laughed and shoved his arm as we turned back to the store.
"So you're liking it here then?" Brian continued our conversation. I nodded.
"Yeah. The guys I live with are awesome, it's been great seeing my friend again and then y'know, there's you and your friends. You're all pretty cool I guess."
"Pretty cool? Pretty cool?! We're fucking awesome! What you chatting about?" He put his hand on his chest as if deeply offended.
"So which drama school did you go to then Bri?"
"Oh please! You can't teach acting like this and you know it."
"Oh just hurry up. We're going to be late if you just stand there."
"Yo Frankie!" I heard Lee call as we walked back through to the staffroom to drop our stuff. "You busy later?" I shook my head. "How about we head out to dinner? Or a movie?"
"Sure. I don't mind what we do."
"Okay. Well if we can get the timing right we might be able to do both." He wiggled his eyebrows as if this was his treat for the week. I laughed and nodded and then excused myself so I could get back to work.
"Aw you two are just too cute!" Brian mocked as I got to the staffroom, before making gagging sounds.
"Hey! I don't mock you and Becca. Cut it out."
"Sorry." He rolled his eyes and walked back into the store.
***
I met Lee outside the store shortly after five and we headed towards the movie theatre nearby, apparently we were going to see the new Batman movie which was fine by me.
After the movie finished Lee directed me towards an Italian restaurant just across the road. We both ordered our food and starting catching up on everything that had happened since we had last seen each other, me recounting my drunken weekend to the best my memory would serve - apparently that was not a massive help - and Lee telling me about his visit to see his parents who lived further up country. It was weird listening to Lee talk about his family, especially his parents. From the sounds of it he gets on well with both his parents - not to mention he has both of his parents still - so to listen to him recite stories and tell me about how funny this thing his dad had told him was, was odd. It was nice to hear that not everyone had the same issues with parents as I did, which obviously I already knew but hearing about it was different.
