Free All These Perfect Strangers by Aoife Clifford

book.
    â€˜Raymond Chandler?’ he said, surprised. ‘I was expecting something a little more genteel.’
    â€˜Like what?’
    â€˜Perhaps something with bonnets.’
    â€˜Is that because of Joad?’ It came out annoyed even though I didn’t mean it to.
    He smiled a beautiful smile and stretched out his legs in front of him. I was distracted by how close his limbs were to mine and how easy it would be to put my hand down and brush his jean-covered thigh, so instead I concentrated on his t-shirt, not brave enough to look at him directly in the face.
    â€˜Clearly, I got it wrong. More likely to have a pearl-handled pistol than a bonnet.’
    â€˜That’s right, I’m a femme fatale.’
    â€˜Consider me warned. Anyway, what are you doing here?’
    I pointed to the phone cubicle where the crying had changed to a kind of choked pleading. He listened.
    â€˜That’ll be Tess,’ he said. ‘She was like this all of last year.’ He got up and banged his palm firmly on the frame of the wooden door.
    â€˜People waiting,’ he called out.
    There was a sharp intake of breath, then some fierce whispering and then a louder ‘Look, I’ve got to go . . . I love you . . . ring you tomorrow.’ Tess came out, blinking, eyes red. She shot a furious look at me before noticing Rogan standing there.
    â€˜Tell me it’s not the same guy as last year,’ he said.
    She gasped slightly, ‘Actually, no,’ and tears began to leak down her face.
    â€˜Oh, right. Long-distance relationships.’ He turned and made a comical grimace at me. She gave a watery smile and then left.
    â€˜Phone’s all yours,’ he said, while holding open the door to the cubicle. ‘Not a long-distance relationship, I hope.’
    â€˜Only if you count mothers,’ I said.
    â€˜That I can allow.’
    We both paused as if neither one quite knew how to finish our conversation.
    â€˜Rachel said I should ask you out.’
    â€˜Really?’ I didn’t know if I should feel gratitude or anger towards her. ‘Do you always do what Rachel says?’ I asked, desperately hoping he did.
    â€˜She threatened to garrote me if I didn’t. For real this time.’
    I smiled. Perhaps I did owe her one. ‘Well, we couldn’t have that.’
    â€˜Glad you agree,’ and he grinned back. ‘And I think a Raymond Chandler movie is playing at Film Group on Friday night. Double Indemnity.’
    â€˜Really?’ I pretended that Kesh hadn’t already asked me to go with her.
    A shout came up the corridor. ‘Rogan!’ It was Stoner. He ambled towards us at faster than his usual pace.
    â€˜They phoned,’ he said. ‘You need to call back.’ He handed Rogan a piece of paper.
    â€˜You use the phone,’ I said. ‘I’m not in a rush.’
    â€˜No, it’s OK. You were the one waiting. Maybe I’ll see you at the movie.’
    â€˜Maybe you will,’ I said with my best wise-cracking dame nonchalance.
    I watched him walk the whole way down the corridor, with Stoner talking to him. Then I sashayed into the cubicle and gleefully punched in my home number.
    Â·Â Â Â·Â Â Â·
    I spent Friday afternoon trying not to fall asleep on the shoulder of a big burly uniformed policeman. Our Contracts lecturer had been sick and the lecture had been rescheduled for the last session of the week in an airless room that had been warmed by an army of bodies throughout the day. I tried to concentrate on what was being said but there was something slippery about the subject matter and I was almost hypnotised by the droning voice. Toby had told me that no one really worried about lectures or tutorials until second semester. Dale, the policeman, didn’t seem to know this and sat next to me writing everything down at a furious pace.
    â€˜This friend of yours, he’s got a law degree?’