Page 28 of In at the Deep End

“Do you remember when we first became friends?”

Matt frowned. “First year?”

“Freshers’ Fair.”

“Really?” Almost six years ago.

Eric nodded. “Everyone else was queuing for the nightclub society.”

Matt laughed. “And you were standing at the Historical Society stall asking whether they organised trips to castles.”

“And they did!” Eric shook his head. “Remember everyone in first year trying to outdo each other with stories from Saturday night?”

Matt groaned. “How could I forget?”

“And you and I were discussing whether Richard III deserved his reputation.”

He chuckled. “Just your average, totally normal nineteen-year-old conversation.”

Eric smiled. “We were always the odd pair.”

“How do you mean?”

“Everyone else wanted nights out. You wanted museums.”

Matt shrugged. “Museums don’t give you hangovers.”

Eric drank from his mug. “You know what I miss?”

“What?”

“Those pub quizzes we used to go to.”

Matt smiled. “You only miss them because I knew the answers.”

“I miss them because you knew the answers nobody should know.”

“I studied History.”

“You remembered who won the Best Picture Oscar in 1952.” He paused. “How’s being back home? Should I be concerned that you’re calling me from the garden? Are things that bad in the house?”

Matt chuckled. “No, things are good. Better than good, actually. I’ve found myself a job for the summer. Well… strictly speaking, Dad found it for me.”

“I dread to ask. He isn’t dragging you into the city, is he? That’d kill you.”

The fact Eric knew that was further proof Matt had made himself one damn good friend.

“They’ve acquired a neighbour. Turns out, it’s Dad’s best mate from uni. And this mate needed someone to take care of the pool and garden.” He pointed to his own chest. “Voilà.”

“Does it need a lot of work?”

“Not that much. It’s more a case of redesigning it so it fits Owen.”

“What’s Owen like?”

Matt thought about it. “He’s… interesting.”

Eric arched his eyebrows. “That covers a lot of ground.”