"I fucking hate Leonardo."
"Really? He doesn't bother me that much. Raphael pisses off me more, he's so rude."
"Yeah, but Raphael has the skills, that dude is tough."
"True but he has a bad attitude, which cancels out his fighting prowess."
"Politeness isn't important to ninja turtles Sam."
"Manners are important for everyone Kev, April needs to remind Raphael of that."
Kevin and I are in the middle of one of our deeply intellectual debates, while lying on the couch sharing a cheap bottle of wine and a several buckets of popcorn. It's been our Tuesday night ritual since we moved in, invented due to our mutual hatred of Tuesdays. The most boring day of the week.
"What did you get?" I ask as Kev reaches for the pile of Blockbuster cases in front of the TV.
"Selection, nothing but the best for you Sam," he grins, "I got Misery, The Doors and Arachnophobia."
"Not the Doors," I say immediately.
"I thought you liked Val Kilmer though?"
"I do, I absolutely love Val but I can't stand The Doors, most overrated, pretentious band ever," I snap.
"How about Misery? Seems apt for you right now," Kev laughs.
"Fine," I mutter. I haven't heard from Eddie since Saturday, well technically just after 3am on Sunday morning. It's not a ridiculously long time but I feel a bit more anxious that usual. What Kirst said about Scrunch has been playing on my mind. How come Eddie didn't want to take me out first? It's made me nervous again, questioning his intentions.
Kev puts the cassette in, flicks the lights off and we studiously watch the trailers. We never, ever skip the trailers. I snuggle down under my blanket and shovel handful after handful of popcorn into my mouth miserably. I gulp my wine too fast. We've just got to the part where Annie finds Paul Sheldon in a car crash when the phone rings.
"Fuck's sake!" yells Kev, throwing his blanket off and pausing the movie to answer it. I sulkily gulp more wine while Paul Sheldon's mangled car wobbles on the paused screen.
"It's for you," Kev says and throws the receiver at me, "and don't be long, I'm not going to wait longer than two minutes to unpause Sam." He sits back down and reassumes his film watching position.
I sigh and grab the phone. It had better not be my fucking mother, Kev will have finished all three films by the time she's done speaking.
"Hello?"
"Sam?"
That voice. My stomach 360s and I sit bolt upright. For some reason I start tidying my hair.
"Eddie? Hi," my cheeks are going red I know it.
"Hey," he's smiling, I can hear him smiling! "how are things?"
"Err..good, yeah they're good thanks" I'm grinning like an idiot and Kev is rolling his eyes, "and you?"
"I'm great thanks, yeah, just winding down. Lots of things going on right now and we're kinda busy. But things are good, yeah."
"That's great...I'm...I'm glad you called."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," my face hurts and I've wrapped the phone cord so tightly round my hand it's gone blue.
"Me too," Eddie says and sort of giggles. God he's so adorable I could just eat him!
"I'm glad you're glad," I laugh. And then he laughs and oh my god this is ridiculous. Kev lets out a groan.
"I thought about you," he says quietly, his voice sounds amazing on the phone.
"You did?" I blush deeply and turn my face away from Kev.
"Yeah, a lot. All the time actually...and the bathroom thing."
"Really?" I'm whispering into the phone that's cradled under my chin now. I pull a cushion up to my face and hide behind it.
"Really, you definitely...er...do things Sam," he murmurs, it sounds like his mouth is pressed against the mouthpiece, and his voice is so deep.
"So do you, to me I mean" I breathe. I'm breathless, either from talking to Eddie or from covering my face with a cushion.
"Are you going to be long behind that cushion Sam?" Kev shouts loudly. I give him a death glare.
"Sorry, just my roommate being an idiot," I explain into the phone and throw my cushion at Kev's head.
"Why are you behind a cushion?" Eddie laughs.
"I'm not, I'...er it's just quite difficult to get any privacy around here," I need to change the subject, "so my friend Becky, remember from the bar?"
"How could I forget."
"Well, she'd like to say thank you to all of you. She's really grateful for what you did," I pause waiting for a reaction. For some reason I feel nervous. When Eddie doesn't respond I carry on talking. "I thought maybe you'd all like to come to mine, this weekend on Saturday perhaps?" I'm trying to keep it as loose as possible.
"Your house?" Eddie repeats back to me.
"Here?" Kev mouths at me. I nod at him.
"Yeah, just like a small gathering, so that she can meet you and say thanks. She doesn't really want to go out to a club or bar yet."
"No, of course not. I can understand why," Eddie says slowly.
"Yes, so would you want to? Maybe this weekend?" I wait anxiously for him to answer.
"I'd love to," Eddie says finally and I hear him smiling again, "let me just check with the guys." I hear the phone muffled and Eddie's voice shouting in the distance, then I hear several enthusiastic sounding responses and I laugh.
"Should I take that as a yes?" I smile.
"Yeah, of course we'll be there, sounds cool," Eddie says.
"Ok, well I'll see you Saturday?" I say, moving to put the phone down.
"Oh, ok."
"What? Is that not ok?" I worry he's changed his mind.
"No that's good, I just...well I wondered if you were doing anything?"
"When?" I grin. He's asking me out I think.
"Now?"
"Right now?" I look at Kev who's gesticulating animatedly at his watch and at the screen and dramatically threatening to unpause the film.
"Er.... just watching a movie, drinking wine. Usual Tuesday stuff."
"Want some company?"
Do I? Do I want some company from Eddie? Yes. Yes I think I do.
"Do you want to come and keep me company?" I giggle. Kev looks pissed, so pissed that he unpauses the movie.
"I could be there in 20 mins," Eddie teases. My toes have automatically squeezed into balls from excitement.
"I'll see you in 20 then."
"Ok. Bye Sam, see you soon" He says and hangs up. I'm ashamed to admit I let out a little squeal.
"Er....hello? Remember me? You have company remember?" Kev is throwing a proper sulk.
"I know, I know and I'm sorry darling. You know you are my bestest friend ever, but just this once can my friend come over to play? I'll clear for a week Kev," I plead.
Kev huffs dramatically, but he doesn't actually mind.
"When were you planning on telling me about Saturday?" he asks.
"We only planned it last night."
"We?" he asks, intrigued.
"Me and Kirst," I smile. I know whats coming next.
"Kirst's coming?" Kev's face lights up.
"She is."
"Why didn't you say? How can I help?" he grins widely.
"Oh stop Kev, Stone will be here."
"Really? What the whole band?"
"I expect so. Becky wants to thank them for coming to her rescue."
"Sounds awesome, seriously," Kev looks excited and then his face drops, "fuck now I have to rewind the tape because we've been talking" he moans "What time is your gentleman caller arriving?"
Shit. I hadn't thought about how quickly Eddie would get here. I put my pyjamas on when I got out of the bath an hour ago, my hair's a mess and I'm feeling a little tipsy from downing my wine.
"About 10 minutes!" I yell and run up the stairs.
"I'm not pausing for you Sam!"
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Samantha! Door!" Kev is yelling up the stairs.
"Yes I heard, thank you Kevin," I yell back. I managed to brush my teeth and put on a touch of make-up. I've kept my pj's on though.
Kev is still snuggled under his blanket and onto the second bottle of cheap red. He's now halfway through Misery. I jog to the door, take a deep breath and open it.
"Hi."
"Hi."
Eddie is heaven on a doorstep. He's got his hair tucked into a backwards cap, which really accentuates how gorgeous his face is, showing off his bone structure and cheek bones so sharp you could slice veg on them. He's wrapped up in a dark coat again, the one we cuddled inside and for the first time he's not wearing shorts, instead black jeans and boots.
We grin at each other like idiots and there's a bit of sniggering. Eddie's cheeks are pink and so is the tip of his perfect nose. It's freezing outside.
"Wow, it's cold, it smells like snow," I say and shiver.
"I know right?" Eddie says with a look of excitement.
More grinning like idiots.
"Oh I didn't know what you were drinking so I grabbed this on the way over, " he says and hands me a bottle of wine. It's looks much nicer than what Kev and I have been guzzling.
"You didn't need to do that, thank you," I smile.
"My pleasure."
More grinning like idiots.
"Should we....er.....maybe go inside?" Eddie says.
"Oh yes! Of course, I'm sorry!" I fluster stepping back from the door. Why does this feel so awkward?
Eddie steps into the darkened living room, the only light is the glow from the TV and a few candles that Kev and I light. Tuesday mood lighting we call it.
"Um...that's Kevin, he's my roommate, we were just watching Misery," I explain.
"Cool, any good?" Eddie asks quietly, clearly not wanting to disturb Kev.
"Er...yeah." I lie, I have no idea, I've not seen most of it.
"So good!" Kev yells from the living area, as the credits start to roll, "Sam didn't even watch so don't listen to her."
Kev gets up and makes his way over to us.
"Hey man, what's up, I'm Kev," he says and shakes Eddies hand.
"Hey, I'm Eddie, nice to meet you," Eddie smiles.
"Yeah, I know, I love your band dude, you guys are awesome," Kev enthuses. Eddie looks a little surprised but smiles.
"Really? Thanks man, still not used to people knowing who we are you know, so that's cool to hear."
"Can I get you a drink Eddie?" I ask
"Whatever you're having I guess, thanks" he says and hits me with a stomach flipping grin.
In the kitchen I pour Eddie a glass of wine and refill my own. By the time I come back out Eddie's jacket and hat have gone and he and Kev are sprawled out on the sofas with their feet up, talking like they're old friends. I hand Eddie his drink and sit down.
"So, the Doors or Arachnophobia?" Kev says reaching for the movies.
"I love the Doors," Eddie says
"I hate the Doors," I say.
"Uh-oh, trouble in paradise," Kev laughs.
"You hate the Doors? Really?" Eddie looks at me like I'm nuts, I'm not going to lie though.
"Yep, always have, always will," I reply and throw my hands up apologetically.
"That might be a dealbreaker Sam," he says but raises one eyebrow cheekily.
"So be it. I listen to the Doors for no man," I laugh.
"Arachnophobia it is then, just to avoid any arguments" Kev pushes the tape in and we settle down in the dark.
I've not actually touched Eddie since he arrived which is weird. I offer him half of my blanket which he accepts but he sits away from me and seems to be completely involved in the plot of the film. I sigh and concentrate on not falling asleep. Three glasses of wine in quick succession has that effect on me. I realise my eyelids are drooping and the salty popcorn has made me crave something sweet so I head to the kitchen for a coke. As I close the refrigerator door Eddie appears in the kitchen, blinking in the bright overhead light.
"You ok?" I ask "can I get you something?" Eddie crosses to me
"No, I just forgot to give you something before, when I arrived," he says seriously.
"Really? What?"
"This," he says and kisses me gently, his hand on the back of my head, "hi," he grins pulling back to look at me.
"Hi Eddie," I whisper shyly.