Page 52 of Fix Them Up
‘Red.’ A gruff voice came from somewhere behind me. I knew exactly who it was. But for once, I didn’t have the bandwidth to acknowledge him. I was concentrating on my breath.
‘Shall we step out for some fresh air?’ Liam asked, his voice light.
I rose from my seat, suddenly aware of the scene I was causing. Embarrassment rolled through me. I collected the documents, my tears hitting the folder. I suddenly became desperate for any chance to escape any onlookers.
Liam gave me that, like an outstretched hand.
I glanced up at him, and his eyes met mine, his eyebrows pinched. His gaze dropped to the plans.
‘I’ll take care of these,’ he said, and his hand brushed mine. I followed Liam through the side door into a small courtyard with wooden tables and chairs. It was chilly but not raining, thankfully.
Liam shrugged off his coat and handed it to me.
‘I’m fine –’
‘Don’t argue with me.’
I took his coat and put my arms through it. It was warm and smelt like cedar and musk. It was nice. I sat down at one of the tables, feeling numb.
‘Wait here a minute,’ Liam announced and went back inside.
A few moments later, he came out with a Guinness and what looked like a Coke and popped them on the wooden table in front of us.
‘I figured you could do with a pint.’
‘Do you mind?’ I was suddenly aware I’d never asked if he was okay with being around people drinking.
Liam nodded. ‘Oh yeah, don’t worry, I’m fine. I – I don’t think I’d call myself a recovering alcoholic. I didn’t like the person I was when I drank.’
I sensed there was a bit more detail than that.
‘Have you ever Split the G?’ Liam nodded at the pint.
I shook my head.
‘In one sip, you have to drink so that the line hits right there.’ He pointed to the G on the Guinness logo. ‘Go on, give it a go.’
I took a big sip, put my glass down and waited for the swirling brown liquid to settle. The dark line of the stout was bang-on aligned with the curve of the letter G.
‘Beginner’s luck.’ Liam smiled at me. It was the first proper smile I’d seen on his face, and it felt like an offering. Tentative and sweet. It started a buzzing in my chest, and I couldn’t help but look at his mouth. He had straight, white teeth framed by full lips.
‘I’ll take beginner’s luck.’ I smiled.
Like a switch, Liam’s face turned grave, and I instantly missed the warmth of that smile.
‘About what Brian brought you.’
My stomach sank. Liam had distracted me. I’d almost forgotten why we’d come out here.
Liam held his hands up. ‘You don’t have to tell me if it’s private.’
I shifted my glass and ran my fingers over the ridges of the Guinness logo. ‘It’s okay. They are my dad’s plans for the house. He sketched them himself before he passed.’ I passed them to Liam, giving him permission to have a look.
Liam opened them, and his eyes widened. ‘He drew these? They’re incredible.’
My leg shook under the table. ‘He was a talented artist when he wanted to be. He didn’t get to do it much, though. There wasn’t much of an option to be an artist when he was younger. His family didn’t have money, so he needed to go into a profession. He became a mechanic.’
Liam frowned.
