Page 28 of If We Were Young

“Nope, last I checked I had a fully working penis and two rather full ball bags.”

Again I waited to turn; a mouthful of sick looking for a way out. Ma would have been right when she said I’d never make it through my first day. I hated it when she was right. It didn’t come. I stared as lips curved into a smile that made my heart pitter patter faster, stronger, like running a race and being one second away from the finish line.

“Do you need proof?” The tall boy, lanky with a shock of dark hair grinned as he reached for the shiny buttons on his jeans. My eyes travelled down there, unable to stay up top.

“No, no no.” I couldn’t lift my eyes; they were superglued on his crotch. “We are having a drink though. If you want to join us?”

“Us?”

“Me, and uh...” My cheeks warmed as I failed to remember anyone’s names.

“With you?”

“Well. Not like that.” My face flamed to marshmallow toasting hot.

I needed to go and hide; bury myself under the duvet and never see the light of day again.

“I can’t have a drink with someone when I don’t know their name.”

“Veronica.” I blurted. Kill me. Please.

“Veronica? That’s a very grown up name you have there.”

I nodded, speechless. His voice, with a melodic strum like a guitar in perfect tune, Scottish? Irish? I’d never been very good with accents, made my stomach tumble like it free fell from thirty thousand feet.

“Veronica. I’m Matthew.” He held out his hand and my fingers slipped into his. His hand, so big though, easily encased mine. I gazed up at him even though he stooped slightly to talk to me. I became acutely aware of the white socks on his feet; something about them was appealingly attractive.

“Hi, Matthew.”

Advocate

“So the problem we have.” I slipped back into my chair, the stranger in the seat along from mine didn’t break pace for my arrival. “Is that Supersaver Foods isn’t high street viable anymore.”

“What do you mean?” A frog had taken up residence in my throat and I picked up the glass of water and tried to sip some without combining the froggish tickle with a burp.

“Supersavers has no place on the high street; it’s not one of the big four and neither is it a European import.” His tone crinkled dry as he relayed facts that his face told me were of no interest to him.

“I went through the data, and most of your branches are from the Midlands up.” My palms welded to the table-top where I could stop them shaking.

“It’s a family business that started in Scotland and then grew down the country,” he said, his head inclining a little.

I know. I read the brief, repeatedly, while I worked out how to get the job—you fucking idiot. I wanted to throw a knife at him like a javelin, spearing him straight in the chest.

Okay, so I didn’t know it was a business that happened to be his in-laws. Because life didn’t like to assist me in any way I could avoid awkwardness.

“I’m sorry.” My gaze cemented itself to the table. No matter how hard I tried to lift it to meet his. Just fucking do it, Ronnie. I blinked onto his bloody stunningly handsome—why hadn’t he aged?—face. No smile warmed his expression though, and it helped me get myself on track. “I don’t understand why you’ve taken on the company right now. It’s undergoing a rebrand that I believe…” I cast a quick look at Amanda. “Has been on the cards for a few months now.”

Amanda shifted in her seat. My eyes narrowed.

“I’m sorry, Ronnie. I didn’t give you the full details. You see Supersavers was about to be closed down. McStandish has filed for bankruptcy. Matthew stepped in and agreed to take it as part of his divorce.”

Angela seemed to have considerable knowledge about my old friend’s divorce. I blew a half-hearted draft of air through my lips.

I stared at him and it slashed like knives against my skin. “Why? I’m assuming your assets with your wife… would be split fifty-fifty. Supersaver Foods isn’t worth anything, not if it’s filing for bankruptcy.”

My heart sunk. I couldn’t take on this job, couldn’t sign a contract on this. I was trying to keep my business afloat—I needed someone who could pay.

He cleared his throat, his long fingers looping around his glass. “Because when I started divorce proceedings five years ago, the company wasn’t in receivership, but now there are one thousand members of staff to whom Supersaver Foods is worth something. It’s their pay-check.”