Chapter 4
Act I, Scene IV: The Ancient Flea Pub, London
Titan
T he weekend came a lot sooner than I’d anticipated.
With work deadlines, Ted and Savi’s engagement party, and this week’s edits behind me, I could finally go out and celebrate the way I needed to.
I pulled up outside the red brick building where the green and yellow sign was still as battered and dingy as the first time I’d come here almost eighteen years ago. The Ancient Flea Pub , where my friends and I’d spent many nights watching the games, picking up women, or drinking ourselves under the table.
The space was packed and the voices carried across the room; a cacophony of laughter, swearing, and excitement. I walked toward the bar, greeted the bartender, and ordered my favourite beer.
I leaned against the countertop and scanned the room. There were the regulars who I’d seen over the years, witnessing their lives progress as they settled down, started families, and moved into the country. Some people had come to pick up people —much like myself—only now, they’d arrive with someone on their arm; a comfort and ease between them as soft conversations happened with their heads bent-together. There’d been proposals in this room, and I’d popped in for lunch a couple of times to find couples with their kids, having some quality family time.
‘Here you go,’ the bartender said, breaking me from my thoughts as he placed the glass in front of me.
Maybe it was a good thing. I was venturing down a mental path which wouldn’t be conducive to my being here. Tonight was about de-stressing and having a good time.
I sat and took one sip before a voice travelled through the crowd. ‘Hey man.’ Nick greeted me. He was one of my closest friends from university, and still as single as I was.
‘Hey. I didn’t order anything for you. I wasn’t sure if you’d make it on time.’
He sat on the stool beside me and gestured to the bartender he’d have the same. ‘I was busy at the office, but I needed a break.’
‘Glad one of us is making use of their architecture degree.’
He thanked the bartender for his drink, downed half of it, then took a deep, steadying breath. ‘You’re lucky it’s not you.’
‘Taking one for the team,’ I said, slapping him on the back.
I looked around the room when I spotted a familiar, but unexpected, face. Seated at one of the booths towards the back was Kalina who nodded at the man across from her. He spoke and laughed so loudly; I heard him all the way from my seat.
Kalina’s face contorted until her eyebrows drew together and her lips pursed. She shook her head and straightened her features again. I’d seen her do it before, like she drifted off mid-conversation then snapped back to it.
I drank from my glass and observed them for a while. The way she averted her gaze when she spoke to him, to the way she got excited and moved her hands animatedly.
He gestured to their glasses and she shook her head.
‘Who do you have your eye on? She’s already on a date.’ Nick’s gaze followed mine.
‘Savi’s cousin.’
‘Ah, the pretty one I assume? She really is pretty.’
I glared at him.
‘What?’ He shrugged. ‘Those were your words.’ He sipped his drink. ‘I thought she was single?’
‘Not for someone like you.’
Nick laughed. ‘Not what I meant. Who’s the old guy?’
‘I’m not sure…’
I turned to the bar to set my glass down, when I caught the eye of a dark-skinned, brunette woman. She spoke to her friend then smiled at me. Something about her face seemed warm and welcoming.
It was all I needed.
Before I could get out of my seat, she’d started over to us. ‘Hi, I’ve seen you here before, haven’t I?’
‘It’s likely. This is one of my favourite pubs.’
‘Mine too.’
‘You here with your friends?’ Nick leaned around her and looked over at the two women she’d been talking to.
‘Yeah, but they’re leaving soon, and you seem like you’ve only settled in.’ She tipped her head at our glasses.
‘Let me see if I can get them to stay.’ He hopped out of his seat. ‘Or get them to leave with me.’
While everyone thought I was the wildcard, I had nothing on Nick.
‘Can I get you something to drink?’ I asked the woman.
‘I’ll have what you’re having.’ She sat on the now vacated barstool.
I waved the bartender over. ‘Two more please.’
I looked over her shoulder at Kalina and her date. He stood beside their table and hugged her while she awkwardly patted his upper arm.
I suppressed a laugh at the look of confusion on her face.
I pulled out a note from my pocket and set it down on the bar. ‘I’ll be right back.’
The woman nodded.
Kalina’s date and I walked by one another as he aimed to leave. She shrugged on her bright pink coat with her gaze on the floor.
‘Not our usual meeting spot, but I’ll take it.’
Her head shot up. ‘How long have you been here?’ Her tone was accusing.
‘Long enough to watch all of that,’ I said with a smirk and tilted my head at the table.
‘You’re so invasive.’
‘This is a public space, dimples.’
She mumbled something incoherent, but likely an insult.
‘Who’s the old man?’
‘Mr. Allen.’
‘What?’ I shook my head.
‘He likes to be called that.’ She tugged on the collar of her coat.
My eyebrows shot up. ‘Seriously?’
‘Entirely. He introduced himself that way and insisted I use it.’
‘How old is he?’ The man had a head full of salt and pepper hair.
‘Forty-two.’
‘Kalina, entering your sugar daddy phase?’ I grinned at her.
‘He’s only twelve years older than me.’ She shook her head. ‘And only six years older than you.’
‘Still a little young then?’
She rolled her eyes. ‘You have too much time on your hands.’
‘It didn’t seem to end well.’
Kalina shifted on her feet and worried the edge of her sleeve between her fingers. ‘Yes, I’m aware.’
Now I felt like shit. ‘I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I wanted to check if you were okay.’
‘I’m fine, Titan.’ Her tone, posture, and eyes said otherwise. ‘You don’t have to check on me all the time.’
‘Are you sure? I can leave with you if you want me to.’
She looked toward the bar to the woman I’d met. The woman, whose name I had yet to discover, wiggled her fingers at us. I winked at her and held up two fingers.
‘You seem to have your hands full.’
I stuck my hands in the pockets of my jeans. ‘Say the word and I won’t.’
‘It’s that easy for you?’ She mirrored my action by placing hers in her coat pockets.
‘I can teach you,’ I joked.
She scoffed. ‘Enjoy your evening.’
I opened my mouth to respond, but it was drowned out by a shriek.
‘Fancy seeing you two here.’ Scarlet hugged Kalina then me.
‘What are you doing here?’ I crossed my arms over my chest. This was no place for her.
Scarlet flicked her curls over her shoulder. ‘Same thing as you; relaxing, getting out, enjoying people’s company.’ She wiggled her eyebrows at us.
‘Me and him? No way.’ Kalina scoffed at the idea.
‘Is it so bad to be out with me?’ I asked.
‘Yes. We have very different ideas of what constitutes a relationship,’ Kalina elaborated.
Scarlet inspected her flawless manicure. ‘All I’m saying is you two seem to have a great time together whenever I see you. Titan, you could do with a little seriousness.’ Scarlet directed her gaze at me. ‘And you could let loose once in a while.’ She nodded at Kalina. ‘You both have so much to learn from each other.’
Kalina’s face twisted; like she was calculating in her mind. ‘I think you should enjoy yourself, and not come home too late. And you,’ she said, looking up at me, ‘be safe.’ She strutted away and out the door.
‘You shouldn’t even be here.’
Scarlet waved over to a group of people at a booth. ‘Enjoy your night out. I’m meeting some friends and you need to relax.’ She hurried off before I had anything else to say.
I focused on the woman at the bar, and not on the men Scarlet would be surrounded by.
Thirty minutes later, I left the pub with the brunette—we’d agreed names weren’t necessary for what we were about to do—and walked back to her place.
I waited until she was asleep before going through the motions; clothes, keys, jacket, and helmet. At least this time it wasn’t the middle of the night when I arrived home.