Page 90 of In the Same Boat

Within twenty minutes the table is covered in cocktails. Within forty, we’ve somehow progressed to drinking games… although, oddly, it’s Nico and me who wind up drinking the most.

‘I went to the shop and I bought…’ Nico starts, slurring his words ever so slightly. ‘A cake, a pair of blue shoes, a T-shirt that says “Hank is a legend”, a Bee Gees album, apples, a book about bees… er… chalk… er… a piece… No – Super Mario’s hat, a piece of pie, a…’

I laugh. Nico thought he was so smart, picking a memory drinking game, but not only are our parents much better at it than us, but the more we mess up, the more we have to drink, the more we mess up…

‘Ah shit,’ Nico says, grabbing a drink, knocking it back.

‘Sammie, your turn,’ Hank practically screams over the music.

You’ve got to hand it to Mum and Hank, they’re being good sports, playing along. Mum does keep flinching at the loud music though, and neither of them is drinking all that much.

‘I went to the shop and I bought…’

Oh, shit, what was the first one? I can’t even remember the first thing – and I’m pretty sure I went first, so it’s my one I’m forgetting.

‘Is it the shlue blues?’ I check. I pause for a second. Did I say that right? I did, didn’t I? I don’t know why, it just felt funny in my mouth.

Nico makes a noise like a buzzer.

‘Wrong!’

I pick up one of the shlue blots – theblue shots– and knock it back. Do you know, I couldn’t even tell you what they taste like. Just… blue.

Hank and Mum are mostly sipping cocktails, slowly, while smiling at each other across the table like an advert for romantic getaways. It’s me and Nico who are getting sloppy, pounding blue shots, hoping they’ll follow our lead. It’s not really working, but we’re having a blast nonetheless.

I swear, the music gets louder as the night goes on, the club filling with more and more beautiful people. At one point Mum actually dances with Hank, near the booth, while Nico and I watch in stunned silence.

‘Well, that’s kind of adorable,’ Nico leans into me to shout.

‘Hmm,’ I reply. ‘Do you think they’re up to something?’

‘You think?’

‘They’re whispering,’ I point out. ‘Well, they’re probably shouting, but they’ve got a… conspi… sonpira… consira… a sus vibe.’

Honestly, my words feel like they need chewing at this point.

‘Yeah, I think you’re right – in fact, are they… They’re sneaking off!’

I look and they are, they’re subtly but surely dancing away, edging off…

‘We need to follow them,’ I say.

‘Yeah, but let’s wait, so they don’t realise, because they think they’re so smart but we’re smarter.’

We are. Not that I feel it right now.

CAKE! That was my one. I should have started with cake. But the game is over now.

Mum and Hank disappear through a side corridor, where the VIP loos are. I nipped there earlier; they’re individual rooms, for any gender. Still, a bit weird that they’re going together.

The corridor at the back of the club is quieter, lined with dim gold wall lights and velvet seating areas where people can take a minute where there’s slightly less noise. We move carefully past one doorway after another until we finally spot them near the back.

They’re standing close together, just talking. Mum’s laughing softly while Hank says something against her hair.

‘Do you think they’re plotting something?’ I ask Nico.

‘Hmm.’ He looks puzzled. ‘Maybe they’re just talking?’