Page 44 of Common People

Bethan looked at Max, and she smiled a little uncertainly. ‘Honestly, I hadn’t planned on kissing you today. What I said before about not being ready was how I felt, but there was just something about being with you today, about what happened to Joe and that life is short, I just thought I need to give this a shot. I’m not saying I’m one hundred per cent ready, Max, but if I wait for that then who knows how long it will take, and where we’ll be. So, I made the decision to just jump in and see what happens. Is that OK?’

‘Of course it’s OK. It’s what I wanted. I was just a little confused.’

‘Sorry.’

‘No, no don’t be sorry, and you’re right. I’m not sure I’m one hundred per cent ready for this either, but maybe if we take it slowly, it will be the best decision we ever made.’

‘I hope so,’ said Bethan, before she looked at Max and this time with a different smile. It was more certain, and it meant something different. ‘Because I really like you, Max.’

‘I really like you too,’ he replied, before they both took sips of their drinks, the air between them fizzing with romantic energy. Max looked across at Bethan, and he couldn’t believe his luck. Bethan was perfect, and despite both of them having their hearts broken, they had somehow found a way to each other. Just the fact that Max had seen the flyer for Common Peopleon that morning in the coffee shop was in itself quite fortuitous. Even if he had seen it just weeks earlier, he probably wouldn’t have gone along because he wouldn’t have been ready for that sort of change. Perhaps on another morning, he didn’t look at the noticeboard, get a coffee, or even see the small flyer tucked in amongst all the others. The chances of Max finding the run club at exactly the right time felt small, almost impossible, but he had and it had led him to Bethan.

‘How about we go on a date?’ said Max.

‘A date?’

‘Yes. How about tomorrow? I could pick you up around two?’

‘OK.’

‘If we’re going to start going out, it should start with a proper date.’

‘And where exactly will we go on this proper date?’

‘You’ll have to wait and see.’

Bethan looked at him, smiled and then agreed to a date on Sunday afternoon. Max wasn't sure where they should go, but he knew it had to be somewhere special. Max and Bethan discussed the fact that neither of them had been on a date in quite some time, but they were excited about it, although Max was also suddenly fraught with worry about making it perfect. How could he create the perfect date for Bethan that started at two o’clock in the afternoon? What was he going to wear? Where were they going to going?

‘And what should I wear on the date?’ asked Bethan.

‘Umm, just something comfortable.’

‘Something comfortable, like?’

Max was flustered, trying to think quickly about where they might go, what they might do, and what sort of clothes you might wear for such a date.

‘Oh, you know, clothes you can walk around in. Trainers probably.’

‘So, we aren’t going somewhere fancy?’

‘That’s right, not fancy, but somewhere fun!’ Why did he have to say somewhere fun? She wasn’t a child and they weren’t going to Thorpe Park! It was going to be a romantic date, not an afternoon riding rollercoasters. Somewhere fun! Max was digging himself further and further into a hole he had created by himself for no reason. He had to stop digging, and give himself time to actually figure out what he was going to do. ‘Just be ready at two o’clock tomorrow afternoon. That’s all I’m going to say.’

‘Very mysterious,’ replied Bethan, and Max took a long pull of his non-alcoholic beer, wishing for a moment that it actually had a little alcohol in it.

Max and Bethan sat drinking, talking about all sorts of things from the Clapham Half that was coming up with surprising speed, Bethan’s job, Rab’s Sandwich Shop, and Max’scareer at the BBC. After an hour, they decided to leave because Bethan had plans that evening with a friend, and Max wanted to get back to the flat to see Robbie, to see how he was feeling after the soft opening. They walked outside of the pub, standing in front of each other. Max reached down and held her hands in his for a moment, smiling and looking deep into her eyes.

‘I’m really excited about this,’ he said.

‘Me too.’

‘Although, saying goodbye now, I’m not sure if I should kiss you again, you know, after our kiss earlier, but with the date tomorrow.’

‘Maybe let’s wait for tomorrow. After all the fun!’

Max laughed. ‘OK. Tomorrow it is.’

‘Tomorrow,’ she replied, before she turned around and walked away.

‘Can’t wait!’ Max called after her.