Page 80 of Oar Than Friends

I had to agree.

15. Arthur

(No one looks good in a Christmas sweater)

‘Fine work, Mr Osbourne-Cloud. Though do try to hand it in on time in future.’

My three-hour lecture on Reimagining Ancient Greece and Rome had finally finished –finally– and Professor Barrow, the head of the classics department, was passing out the essays we’d submitted last week.

‘Thank you, sir.’ I took it, throwing him a wry smile before we got into a conversation about why it was late because I definitely couldn’t remember the reason, and folded it up to stick in my backpack, ‘I’ll certainly try.’

I didn’t miss his eye roll as I passed by, and jogged along the corridor of the first floor of the classics building. Taking the steps two at a time, I burst through the entrance doors and out into the cold air, startling a couple of passing girls who screeched loudly, before realizing it was me and not a lunatic escaped from the nearest asylum.

‘Oh, hey Oz,’ one of them tittered as I jogged past, pulling up my hood so I couldn’t hear the rest of what she was saying.

I waved a hand behind me, which was the limit of any response I was prepared to give. I carried on for another minute, jogging down the cobbled path and breathing in the fresh air, hoping my brain would reboot from theinjection of oxygen. Training this week, and especially this morning, had taken on a more sadistic feel, and my muscles were paying the price.

I continued along the road until I spied a familiar figure standing in line at the cash machine. I waited until the girl in front took her money, and he stepped forward.

He was just keying in his pin when I reached him.

‘Gimme all your money,’ I growled in Charlie’s ear.

In his defence, I might have screamed too, and I definitely would have punched anyone trying to steal my money. I’d have also knocked them out. Lucky for me, I was expecting the left hook coming my way.

Therefore, I ducked.

‘You dick,’ he grumbled, snatching his cash from the dispenser and storming off.

I was laughing so hard it took me a second to catch up with him, especially at the pace he was walking, but I did eventually. Throwing my arm around him, I smacked a kiss on his cheek though it didn’t hide the fact I was still laughing hard.

‘Christ, you’re annoying this week.’ He shoved me away, though I could see the beginnings of a smile creeping up his lip. ‘What’s got into you?’

I shrugged, like I didn’t know what he was talking about. ‘Nothing. Just happy it’s nearly Christmas.’

Only it wasn’t nothing, and it wasn’t Christmas. It was Kate. Kate had got into me, she was under my skin, seeping into my bones and burying herself so deep in my chest that I almost couldn’t imagine how I’d managed to get through my days without her texts, or hearing hervoice, seeing her face. And since last week holding her, tasting her, and hearing my name fall off her lips as her tight pussy convulsed around me …

It was becoming an addiction.

I’d snuck over to her dorm once more since our first time, cutting it as fine as I could to creep out at four and make it to my six a.m. water session on the Isis. I’d powered through my training that morning as though I’d had a twelve-hour sleep, even Coach Lassiter had commented on how fresh I was looking.

I couldn’t take the credit. It was all Kate. Kate had invigorated me.

It wasn’t just in training either; I’d bashed out an essay on the Fall of Rome, handed it in on time and received a First for my effort, and when my dad left another voicemail, I’d simply deleted it, then forgotten about it. I hadn’t raged or descended into my usual black mood for the rest of the afternoon, infecting everyone around me.

I was happier than I’d been in a long time.

‘Whatever,’ Charlie muttered, ‘we’re late now because of you, so stop dawdling.’

I glanced up at the clock on top of the church spire. It was five minutes past two, and that didn’t immediately jog any memory for an appointment I may have had. ‘Late for what?’

‘Meeting Brooks at the pub, remember?’ His head tilted, while his eyes narrowed so much I wondered briefly if he could still see where he was going. ‘You forgot, didn’t you?’

‘I’m not sure. Tell me what it’s for then I’ll tell you if I forgot. We can’t all have photographic memories.’

‘We’re meeting Brooks to decide whether we’re having a Christmas party at the house again this year.’

I stopped walking for a second. I definitely knew we’d been talking about throwing a Christmas party again, and I definitely knew about meeting Brooks. However, I didnotknow about the date or time. ‘Are you sure that’s now?’

---