Page 41 of Common People

‘I know,’ said Max finally. ‘I just …’ He stopped because he felt the tears coming. It was all about his parents. He just couldn’t see or understand a future without them in it, but he had no choice. They were gone, and he had to live his life again. He couldn’t just keep hitting the pause button, forever stuck in the same squalid place, full of despair and downing shots at some dingy club at two in the morning, to somehow not feel anything. It was time to feel something again.

‘It’s OK, pal,’ said Robbie, putting his arm around Max. ‘I’m here for youse, and we can do this together.’

Max looked across the sofa at Robbie, and realised how lucky he was. Most people had already given up on him, but not Robbie. As difficult as it was going to be, Max knew that Robbie was right and he needed a reset. He had to stop drinking, maybe throw himself into work because it was one of the things he loved in life, and perhaps some sort of exercise to lose the weight he had gained since the accident. He wanted off the rollercoaster, and Robbie was offering him a helping hand. It was now, or perhaps never.

‘You know the signs really shit,’ said Max with a smile. ‘It’s obvious the pen was running out of ink, and you can barely see the exclamation mark.’

‘I was rushed,’ said Robbie, laughing. ‘Anyways, I didnae think the sign was the most important part of the intervention.’

‘Well, thanks, mate. Honestly.’

‘Aye, no problem, pal. I just really want this to work because youse my best mate, my flatmate, and I want youse to be happy. Also, the thought of having to move out. It would be so much work, youse know. Finding someplace else to live, moving all my stuff, living with a bunch of weirdo fucking strangers.’

Max laughed. ‘It was all just a bluff then?’

‘No, I would’ve done it, but I dinnae want to. Lucky youse is ready to change.’

‘Thanks, but you know it’s not going to be easy. I might fall off the wagon now and then.’

‘Aye, I do, and I’m ready for it.’

Max looked at Robbie, smiled, and then stood up. ‘Tea?’

‘Aye, go on then, and I made some pasta if youse hungry.’

‘I could eat.’

‘And maybe some telly. There’s a new comedy on later, I wouldnae mind watching. It’s got that girl from that other thing youse like. Youse know the one with whatshisname?’

‘That really narrows it down,’ said Max, walking into the kitchen and flipping the switch on the kettle. There had been days when Max had woken up, and he didn’t know how he would get through the day. On most of those days, he had turned to alcohol, but it was time to change tack. Television had actually been his first love. It was why he wanted to work in media and especially at the BBC. He wanted to be involved in making television shows in one way or another, and maybe it was time he fell back in love with it again. He wanted to watch more television, live a more structured, ordered and quiet life. He wasso lucky he had the job he had, the flatmate he had, and it was time he stopped self-destructing, and started living again. It was time to feel again, and it all began with a cup of tea and pasta in front of the TV. Whether being sober would last was something else, but for that night, at least, Max was determined to give it his best shot.

The soft opening

Robbie had awoken early, before six o’clock, and started pacing around the flat. He had made himself coffee, and continued to pace until he had woken Max up at just after seven. It was the day of the soft opening for the sandwich shop, the first time that Robbie had actually served people at the shop, and it was going to be a test of whether they were ready for the official opening. All the painting and decorating had been done, the new floors were in, and the signage had been completed. While Max had been at work that week, Robbie had been at the shop from early morning until late most nights, preparing everything. He’d had food delivered and was trying out all the sandwiches, making sure he had the recipes down pat for the official opening. He was, for all intents and purposes, as ready as he could possibly be, but when Max walked out of his bedroom and into the living room, yawning, still tired, Robbie looked desperately anxious.

‘You all right, mate?’ asked Max. Robbie was pacing around the flat like a caged animal, a second coffee in his hands.

‘Clearly no. I’m fucking nervous, pal. It’s day fucking one, and what if it’s a disaster, eh? What if it all goes fucking wrong, and I cannae fucking cope? What if—’

‘First things first, you’ve got to stop doing what ifs, and maybe stop swearing quite so much,’ said Max, walking into the kitchen and turning the kettle on. ‘Secondly, you’re ready for this. You’ve been working non-stop for weeks. I know that you can do this, so stop stressing, it’s going to be fine.’

‘Right, yeah, OK,’ said Robbie, who stopped pacing and then finished the last of his coffee. ‘I’m going to get dressed, and get down there.’

‘OK, I’ll be there in an hour or so,’ said Max, but Robbie was already walking off towards his bedroom, his head somewhere else, and so Max made himself a cup of tea.

It had been a strange couple of weeks since Joe’s heart attack. He was out of hospital and doing well, and was coming to the soft launch later, but since his heart attack, Common People had felt different, and he had barely spoken to Bethan. After their conversation at Buddy’s Deli, where he had agreed not to wait for her, things had just been a little off between them, and Max felt it. So, as he got ready to head off to the sandwich shop, where Bethan was due to attend, instead of sandwiches, he was thinking about her. Had the kiss ruined their friendship? Was it even possible to be friends with someone of the opposite sex after you’ve had a kiss like that? All these questions and more were turning over and over in his mind as he finally left the flat, and headed to Rab’s Sandwich Shop for the soft opening.

‘Mate, it’s perfect!’ said Max as he stood outside the shop with Robbie. Hope and Robbie had been working together on the signage for the front of the shop, and it had been completed the day before. It was the first time that Max had actually seen it. The shop front had been painted white, and in small blue lettering to the left of the shop at the top, it said, Rab’s Sandwich Shop. It was minimal but elegant, cool and modern, with a nod to Robbie’s Scottish heritage.

‘Youse like it?’

‘I think it’s exactly how I pictured it in my head. Right, shall we do this?’

‘Aye, I guess so,’ said Robbie, and with that they walked inside.

The soft opening was starting at eleven o’clock and going until two. Three hours to serve a select number of invited friends and some social media influencers that they had invited along. Robbie was a barrel of nerves, but as they got to work, he settled down. They had on his Scottish music playlist, and Max helped prepare food, made sure the place was spotless, and that everything was perfect. He was looking forward to seeing everyone, especially Bethan. He hoped that after a slightly strange few weeks, and perhaps in a more casual setting, things might be a little more normal between them. He had wanted to be more than friends, especially after the magic of the kiss, but at that moment, he would take friends over nothing in a heartbeat.

At eleven o’clock on the dot, the front door was opened, a sign was put up to say that it was a special, invitation only event, and Max and Robbie were ready to hand out sandwiches, and serve ice cold Irn-Bru. The playlist was playing a Travis song, as the first people began walking through the doors. First up, it was a couple of friends that Robbie had invited, both Scottish, and they were obviously excited to see Robbie and to have a Scottish sandwich shop in London. Next up were a few social media influencers that Robbie and Max had invited. If they could get ten or more important social influencers into the shop with good reviews at the soft launch, then it might create some buzz about the actual opening.