Page 6 of The Fallback

Rosie pulled a face. ‘I promised I wouldn’t say anything,’ she said.

Jackie threw her hands up in exasperation. ‘Honestly…’ She was about to start a rant about Mitch’s love life and then saw the look of concern on Rosie’s face. ’Don’t worry,’ she patted Rosie’s hand kindly, ‘I won’t tell him you said anything. You didn’t really, I guessed. Anyway, it’s hardly a surprise. It’s not like he’s got a great track record with these things.’ She sighed. ‘What do you think he’s waiting for?’

‘What do you mean?’ asked Rosie, hoping they could finish this conversation before Mitch got back. In fact, if they could wrap it up quickly she could be putting her coat on and saying her goodbyes by the time he walked back in.

‘In a girl?’ Jackie asked. ‘What do you think he’s waiting for? It’s not like he hasn’t dated enough different women.’ Jackie paused, ‘surely he should know what he likes and doesn’t by now?’

Rosie shrugged, unwilling to speculate on what Mitch may or may not be looking for in a girl. This was the sort of conversation that made her squirm and then look in the mirror later, searching for any similarities.

‘I’m not really sure Jackie, maybe he just hasn’t met the right one yet?’ Rosie said optimistically, hoping to shut down this conversation.

‘Maybe…’ Jackie said, sounding unconvinced.

At that moment Mitch came back in and put paid to Rosie’s plans of a quick escape. ‘Done,’ he said, holding up his damp hands which he was drying with a towel. ‘What did I miss?’

‘Oh nothing,’ Rosie said nonchalantly at exactly the moment Jackie said, ‘I hear you and Tessa split up.’

Mitch turned to Rosie and gave her a furious look. ‘You promised!’

‘I didn’t say anything!’ protested Rosie.

‘She didn’t,’ agreed Jackie, ‘I guessed.’

Mitch groaned. ‘But I didn’t tell her why!’ Rosie said pleadingly and then realised her mistake.

* * *

‘You know what we should do?’ Mitch had evidently forgiven Rosie as he had gallantly insisted on walking her to the tube despite the fact that he was staying over at his mum’s that night.

‘No, what?’ Rosie stopped at the edge of the road and waited for a car to pass. Lost in his thoughts Mitch almost walked straight out into the road and she quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him back. This could be a metaphor for their friendship Rosie thought, her cautiously watching and planning, Mitch striding out without thinking.

‘We need some kind of incentive,’ he continued.

‘Sorry what?’ Rosie asked, pulling Mitch across the road now that there was a break in the traffic.

’All our friends are pairing off. If we’re not careful we’ll be the last two singles left. Maybe we both need some kind of deadline.’

He stopped abruptly on the pavement, causing a couple walking behind to almost crash into them. The woman gave Mitch a dirty look which he didn’t notice at all. A grin started to spread across his face.

‘A deadline that is really going to spur us on this time.’

The glint in Mitch’s eye alarmed Rosie; she was used to his enthusiastic schemes but there was something wilder to his look than normal.

‘What do you suggest?’ she tentatively enquired, trying to pull him in the direction of the tube. This sounded like the kind of conversation that could go on for hours and result in her missing the last tube home and ending up on the night bus – not OK on any night of the week, but especially not on a Sunday.

‘Well, it’s got to be something drastic,’ he said, allowing himself to be propelled in the correct direction. ‘Maybe something that neither of us have ever considered before,’ he continued.

‘Does it?’ asked Rosie nervously.

‘Yep,’ said Mitch definitively. ‘And of course, we’d have to agree that neither of us could back out of it. We need to shake things up!’

Rosie really was feeling anxious now, both about the plan and the tube. Mitch had slowed to a snail’s pace. She had no idea what Mitch was going to suggest but she was convinced it wouldn’t be something she was comfortable with.

‘Mitch, what are you thinking?’ she demanded as they finally arrived in front of the tube station. It was still busy for a late Sunday evening, people eking out their last few hours of freedom before the working week began. Rosie watched from out of the corner of her eye as a group of drunk teenagers vaulted the ticket barriers, hoping they wouldn’t be on the same train as her.

She turned her attention back to Mitch. If he was going to come up with some harebrained scheme she needed to know what it was sooner rather than later so she could plan around it. Make a contingency. Or make her excuses.

‘I don’t know, I don’t know,’ he replied tersely. ‘It will come to me, I’m starting to get an idea.’

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