Page 68 of Common People

‘Just wait until you try it. Speaking of which, we should get going.’

‘Trains are that way,’ said Max, but it was clear Bethan had other ideas.

‘Follow me,’ she said, and Max picked up his backpack, hoisting it onto his back, before he walked out of the terminal, hand-in-hand with Bethan, towards the waiting cabs.

‘You don’t have to pay for a cab, Bethan. The train’s fine.’

‘Who said anything about paying,’ said Bethan with a smile, as they walked up to a black cab, and the driver got out.

‘Hello, mate!’ said Joe. ‘Welcome back to blighty! Let me get that bag for you.’

‘Joe!’ said Max. ‘You’re taking me home?’

‘Of course. Who else?’ said Joe, who looked thinner than the last time Max had seen him.

‘You look great,’ said Max, as Joe took his backpack, and put it up front.

‘Running, and sticking to the diet. Dawn’s all over it. She buys muesli in bulk these days!’

‘I bet she does. You’ve got a good one there, mate.’

‘Yeah, and so have you,’ said Joe with a cheeky wink.

They got into Joe’s cab, and they started the drive back to Clapham. Joe rattled off a hundred questions about his travels, as Max sat in the back with Bethan, holding hands, their bodies touching. In truth, Max didn’t mind answering his questions, and it was wonderful to see Joe again, but he couldn’t wait to be alone with Bethan.

Eventually they pulled up outside Rab’s Sandwich Shop. ‘A quick pit-stop,’ said Joe, and they all clambered out. It felt odd to be back at the shop, almost as if he hadn’t ever left, but at the same time, as if he’d been gone for a year. He had been texting with Robbie while away, so he knew the shop had been doing well. They were busy every day, and Anita had been a godsend,although as Robbie had pointed out, Anita was a Sikh and didn’t believe in the Christian God. She had definitely been a gift from someone though, and now she had created her very own viral sandwich. As soon as they stepped outside, Robbie, Anita and Eve appeared.

‘Youse back, pal!’ said Robbie, walking across and enveloping him in a hug. ‘I’ve missed you, big man.’

‘Missed you too,’ said Max, and he really had. ‘How’s the sandwich business?’

‘Aye, no bad, pal, no bad. Anita here is a miracle worker.’

‘Oh, I don’t know about that,’ said Anita. ‘Welcome back, Max.’

‘Thanks, and thank you. I heard your sandwich has been a real hit.’

‘Oh, it’s nothing,’ said a bashful Anita.

‘Nothing? It’s been a huge success. Don’t sell yourself short,’ said Eve.

‘Are youse hungry, pal? I could do youse a chicken tikka special, if youse like?’

Max looked at Bethan, and she nodded. ‘I could eat.’

‘Then step this way,’ said Robbie, walking into the shop and they all followed him inside, which had been decorated for Christmas with a proper tree in one corner.

As soon as Max took a bite of Anita’s chicken tikka sandwich, he knew they were onto a winner. It was delicious. As much as The Scotsman reflected Robbie, his heritage, the chicken tikka reflected Anita. The chicken was incredibly soft, the sauce creamy, spicy and with so much flavour. The heat was tempered with a mint and garlic yoghurt, and all the sauce was absorbed perfectly in Robbie’s spongy sourdough bread. It was perfect.

After eating, and catching up on everything that had happened in his absence, including Robbie joining CommonPeople, Max was feeling tired and so he headed back to the flat with Bethan. After Joe dropped them off, they went inside. Max wasn’t sure what state the flat would be in, without his cleaning and tidying, but much to his surprise it was spotless. No doubt it was the work of Eve, who had been living there full-time with Max out of the country.

‘So,’ said Bethan. ‘Are you too tired to—’

‘No! But I definitely need a shower first. Wait in the bedroom, and I’ll be back in a minute.’

‘OK,’ said Bethan, giving him a kiss before she skipped off towards his bedroom.

Max went into the bathroom and stripped off, discarded the clothes he had put on in Sydney before he left for the airport. He looked at his face in the mirror, and it was so different. He had lost weight, was tanned with more hair, but within the folds and creases of his face, in his eyes, he saw something else. There was a change deep within him that wasn’t superficial like his tan that would be gone within a few weeks of the harsh English winter.