Touched - By Malcolm Havard Page 0,35

go. Perhaps this is just the kick up the backside I need to try it.’

‘I still feel bad about letting you go,’ said Ian leaning back in his chair, ‘I always vowed I’d never employ mates for just this reason. It’s just too hard.’

‘Ian I promise you, you’ve been brilliant. It really is no problem.’

‘Thanks. And if things pick up you’ll be on the top of the list – if you’re still available.’

‘Cheers.’

‘And drinks on Friday are on me, OK?’

‘You’re on.’

They both stood up at the same time and shook hands. It struck Dan as perhaps being a bit formal between old friends but it just felt right to him at that moment and clearly Ian felt the same.

Boris and Hannah were talking when he walked back into the office but fell silent when they saw him. Rather than make them ask he decided to grasp the nettle.

‘End of the week,’ he said simply.

‘Oh I’m sorry mate!’ said Boris, ‘Really unlucky.’

Hannah said nothing but just walked over and gave him a hug. She then went back to her desk and pulled her mobile out, clearly sending a text. Dan had a feeling he knew who it was to. In the meantime he tried to get his mind back on work. It was hard.

He was not surprised when he got a text from Jen a few minutes later. He glanced at Hannah but she was typing and seemed engrossed. Whatever she seemed to be concentrating on not looking at him.

The text read: ‘Hey you! I’m free tonight – another hint! ;0). How’s things with my favourite older guy? Jen xxx’

Dan gave a little smile. He still wasn’t quite sure he was ready for another relationship or, even if he was, whether the bubbly, energetic Jenny Jones was exactly right for him but then, what the hell? His brother was right, he needed to get out and it surely was better doing this than sitting alone in his flat brooding and worrying how he was going to pay the next months rent.

As he started to text back out of the corner of his eye he saw Hannah give herself a little self-satisfied smile.

Monday Night

Dan had arranged to pick Jenny up from her flat at just after 7pm. His plan was that they could take in a film and then still have time for a drink afterwards. It seemed a good balance to Dan, getting any early awkwardness out of the way in the cinema. He hadn’t booked anything but had checked that most of the films started between 7.30 and 8pm. He really didn’t care what they saw other than he wanted to avoid the latest much hyped chic-flick – that the critics had savaged it suggested that he wasn’t alone in that view. Even Mark Kermode, who seemed to sometimes perversely enjoy being out of step with every other critic, joined in the rubbishing in typically entertaining and outspoken fashion on Friday’s Simon Mayo’s radio show, which he always listened to the podcast of.

Jen’s flat was on the ground floor. He had to ring the doorbell for a good five minutes before her flatmate heard him over the dance music that was pounding out of the lounge.

‘Hi,’ she said, ‘Jen’s in the shower,’ as she headed back into her bedroom. Dan was left standing in the hall, wondering what he should do next and where he was supposed to go. Then another door opened, a cloud of steam puffed out into the hall and Jenny’s head appeared.

‘Hey you!’ she said, ‘Sorry! Running late!’ Rat tails of wet hair draped over her face and over the one naked shoulder he could see. ‘Make yourself at home! Change the music if you want.’ She then disappeared back behind the door.

Dan easily found his way to the lounge, although he had to battle his way through the wall of sound coming from it to get there. His head was already pounding as he searched a little despairingly through the pile of CD’s on the floor but it all seemed to be on the dance/techno theme. Nothing by the Killers, the Script, Kings of Leon, Adele, Coldplay – the things that Dan tended to listen to.

He gave up searching through the music and tried to find somewhere to sit amongst the chaos. Dan had to admit that he was impressed by the mess that two flat-sharing girls could make between them. As he cleared a space on the settee, Jen appeared wearing a towel that