Something About Alice Murphy: BOOK 3

P A R T - E I G H T E E N

"Won't they get hurt like that?" Alice asked after she'd sat down in the seat directly opposite the window and flicked her hair over her shoulder.

"Oh yeah," Catherine replied enthusiastically, "Sometimes even their ears swell up and become all mangled because they get bitten during a tackle or a, um... I've forgotten the word for it but like a pile up."

Alice and Amara stared at her in silence, "Wow." Amara commented, hearing the distant sound of thuds and grunts and witnessed themselves what Catherine meant when she described a pile up. "I like it," she added and both girls laughed. "Oh look! Isn't that Freddie?"

"Oh my god, yeah!" Alice smiled, seeing the familiar mop of blonde hair detach from a pile of bodies. Catherine knocked on the window, catching the attention of a few others inside but the sound managed, surprisingly, to echo towards Freddie's ears. He looked over and recognised them quickly, and waved happily as the game continued around him.

"I didn't know he played sports," Amara cooed and fixed her hair as Alice smirked. "Yay! Go team!" She called quietly and waved again. Freddie smiled, and seem to visibly turn bashful only moments before he was caught in another tackle. "Oops,"

"He'll be okay," Catherine murmured and winced slightly before looking over as their coffee and lunch was delivered. The waitress smiled warmly at Catherine, and she seemed to blush and murmur a thank you quickly before looking away and clear her throat as the others watched her with small smirks. "What?" She asked softly, fixing her hair and looking down again.

"Nothing," Amara smiled widely, holding the eye contact with Catherine who began to smile a few seconds later.

"I hooked up with her a few times during first year, and I haven't been able to look her in the eye since she got a boyfriend like... a week after our last thing. It's so embarrassing." Catherine explained,

"Did you like her?" Alice asked as she bit into her sandwich.

"I don't know." Catherine shrugged as Amara sipped her coffee. "I think I did, but the in-denial girl isn't really my type."

"Maybe she's bi," Amara suggested but Catherine shook her head as she bit into her sandwich and covered part of her mouth.

"I can tell." She replied with her hand over her mouth and chewed for few seconds before tapping on her temple. Alice and Amara hummed in understanding, and the conversation continued for a while, naturally flowing from topic to topic until their lunches and coffee was finished.

"Does anyone want more coffee?" Alice asked, feeling satisfied but craving the flavour of the drink again. Catherine and Amara agreed, the conversation now having settled and Amara browsed social media on her phone and Catherine watched the practice game of rugby out the window. Alice got up after rummaging in her bag for her purse and headed towards the bar again to order some more drinks. "Yeah, just three cappuccinos again please. One with almond, one with coconut and one with soya, if that's okay."

"Sure," the barrister agreed, and pushed over the card machine for Alice to pay. "Same table?"

"Yes, thank you," she murmured as she swiped her card and put it back in her purse, hearing the receipt printing as she looked back towards her table and out the window. In the faint reflection of the glass she could see herself, and noticed some movement behind her and glanced over her shoulder out of habit and curiosity. As quickly as she looked she turned back around, feeling her heart jump but she calmed herself and took in a quiet breath. She heard his voice next as he came closer, and kept her eyes ahead as if she hoped it would make her invisible... should she walk away? Or would she draw attention to herself? She hesitated, hearing him coming closer as a few other voices laughed at something he said.