Page 33 of Ex in the City
‘Well, there’s only so much you can do with just a snare,’ Dylan says, and it’s not that I don’t think he’s detecting Rowan’s tone, I think he’s just choosing to rise above it.
‘What do we say to Dylan?’ I prompt Archie.
‘Thanks, Dylan.’ He beams. ‘Can we play now?’
‘I thought you wanted to play your new football game on the PlayStation?’ Rowan says. ‘I just set it up for you.’
‘We can play drums any time,’ Dylan tells Archie. ‘I’ll even give you lessons.’
‘Okay,’ Archie replies excitedly. ‘Do you want to play my new game with me?’
‘I thought you wanted me to play with you,’ Rowan practically whines, like a petulant child.
You can tell he’s rattled by Dylan’s presence, and the fact that the kids love him, but he really needs to grow up. He’s being so cringy right now.
‘It’s all right, I can play later,’ Dylan tells Archie. ‘You guys go ahead.’
Archie sighs.
‘I’ll just play later,’ he says with a shrug. ‘I’m going to get another cupcake.’
Another? Lord, how many has he had?
I notice Rowan running his tongue across his teeth, under his lip – something he often does when he’s wound up. It’s almost as though, the more reasonable Dylan is, the more unreasonable it makes Rowan feel.
‘Okay, why don’t we play?’ Rowan suggests to Dylan.
Dylan laughs.
‘I’m serious,’ Rowan insists. ‘Come on, me and you, head to head.’
I look at Dylan, my eyes wide, then back at Rowan, then to Dylan again as they pause in a silent stand-off. Surely this is a terrible idea.
‘Okay, sure,’ Dylan replies. ‘Let’s do it.’
I follow them to the sofa, nibbling at my thumbnail. Oh, boy, do we really have to do this now? At a kids’ party? In front of all the village busybodies?
As Rowan sets up the game, Dylan examines the controller, looking at it as though he’s never seen one before. Rowan glances over at him and smirks.
‘Right, all set up – are you good to go?’ Rowan asks him.
‘Let’s give it a go,’ Dylan replies with a hopeful smile.
You can tell, from the look on Rowan’s face, that he is confident he’s going to win this one. Well, he plays with Archie all the time, so he’s got a lot of experience under his belt. I don’t like it, that smug look, that certainty that he’s going to beat Dylan and, when he does, he thinks it’ll prove something significant, like he’s the better man. It’s a bloody football game (and not only that, but a virtual one), for crying out loud.
A small crowd of parents gathers around the sofa – the dads because it is almost like sport and the mums because it is Dylan.
I don’t think anyone is expecting to see Dylan effortlessly manoeuvre his on-screen players, executing swift passes and strategic moves, scoring goal after goal – well, anyone except me. On the other side, Rowan is struggling to keep up, his side floundering in comparison. The tension in the room thickens with every goal that Dylan scores. No one says a word, everyone just watches the game go on.
Thankfully, matches are significantly quicker than they are in real life – although it probably felt like ninety minutes – and the game comes to an end. Dylan has well and truly spanked him.
The room is suspended in a charged silence, broken only by the simulated cheers from the game. Dylan grins, enjoying the victory, but when he looks over at Rowan, he sees something unexpected – genuine fury etched across Rowan’s face.
‘You play a lot of video games, when you spend a lot of time on tour buses,’ Dylan says, kindly feeling the need to explain. ‘So, I’ve probably played more than most.’
Rowan takes to his feet.
‘That’s okay,’ Rowan replies. ‘You won, fair and square, and it’s just a game. It’s hard to be mad, when you know you’ve got the real prize.’
