married or not, and if they’d had children. It would be called ‘reUNIon’ and was less a social networking experiment than a way for people to be utterly nosey. It would allow you to link up with people and then, once they’d given their permission, you’d be able to see their page which would be formatted almost like a CV. However, before you could see it, the site would ask you to predict what you thought those people were doing. In other words, if you’d signed up to it you might receive an email from an old classmate asking if you wanted to see what they had predicted about you. Tim was convinced that people’s natural desire to know what others thought of them would be the key to its success.
‘So what’s Sean bringing round?’
‘You wouldn’t understand,’ said Tim bluntly.
‘Try me.’
‘He’s been developing some programs. I told you. He’s written some code.’
‘For reUNIon?’
‘Yes,’ Tim said, sounding exasperated, which in turn made Jennifer feel sad.
Just then, Pete yelled up the stairs.
‘Tim, someone here for you.’
‘Great,’ said Tim, bounding into action, brushing past her in his eagerness to get to Sean, practically flattening her as he did so.
Jennifer gave up and sighed. She’d lost him so she might as well get on with her evening. Karen would be pleased anyway, she thought, as she picked her way across the landing which had piles of dirty laundry strewn all over it.
Later that night, or rather, in the early hours of the next day, Jennifer and Karen staggered home. After five minutes of taking it in turns to stab the front door with their keys they finally made it into the house. Giggling like schoolgirls, cross-legged and clutching one another in an attempt not to piss themselves laughing, it took them an age to get up the stairs. Once they had they both raced to the loo and then reconvened in the lounge,they peeled their coats off and Karen got out all her skinning up paraphernalia.
‘I’m going to see if Tim’s still up,’ said Jennifer, who couldn’t be bothered with pretending she wasn’t dying to see him.
‘Fine,’ said Karen, only slightly huffily. ‘No doubt he will be because he hasn’t taken over the world yet.’
As Jennifer bounded up the stairs she decided it was probably time to have it out with Karen once and for all. Her constant jibes were getting on her nerves. It wasn’t her fault Karen was single at the moment.
‘Tim,’ she said, banging on his door, having seen light coming from beneath it. There was no reply but there was music playing, Oasis by the sound of it. She barged in.
Tim and Sean barely looked up, so engrossed were they, huddled over the wretched computer.
‘Er…yoohoo, hello, Earth calling my saddo geek boyfriend.’
‘Oh hello you,’ said Tim looking up. Despite looking exhausted and having the pallor of someone who hadn’t had any fresh air all day, his eyes were shining and he looked excited and thrilled. As he leaned back his shirt rode up exposing a glimpse of his lean hairless stomach.
‘How’s it going?’ said Jennifer, suddenly feeling slightly queasy. Running up the stairs probably hadn’t been the wisest of moves given that she had litres of various spirits swooshing around in her belly. She swayed across the room and sank thankfully down onto the bed. She reached down to pull off her trainers and once she’d manhandled them off, chucked them across the room. They made a huge thudding sound as they made contact with the wall.
‘Amazing,’ said Tim. ‘We’re doing fucking amazing, thanks to Sean.’
Jennifer smiled weakly in Sean’s direction. Sean had the social skills of a jellyfish as far as she was concerned and, if she were being completely honest, she was a bit jealous of him. Tim never looked this happy and satisfied after a night in with her, that was for sure.
‘Come downstairs and have a drink with me and Karen?’ she said, trying not to sound petulant but not sure if she was succeeding due to being so drunk. Ugh, now that she wasn’t breathing in lungfuls of sea air, the alcohol was making its effect well and truly known.
‘Um…’
Jennifer got up, rolling her eyes heavenward, bracing herself for the inevitable no.
‘…yes, why not, my little drunkard? I’d love to. And then you can tell me all about your evening.’
Jennifer smiled. ‘I’ll re-enact it if you like.’
‘Even better,’ said Tim pulling a face. ‘Come on Sean, we should have a break.’
‘Cool,’ muttered Sean, not moving.
Tim rubbed his face with both hands, then came over to where Jennifer was and regarded her with interest as she bent down to retrieve her clumpy shoes.
‘I can see right up your skirt,’ he said, in a way that gave Jennifer an immediate thrill.
He lightly stroked her belly, in a way that was a mixture of quite nice yet also irritating.
‘You are wrecked aren’t you,’ he stated, suddenly noticing how much she was frowning. Her brows were knitted together partly due to how much concentration was required simply to stand up straight.
‘I’m fine,’ she said defensively.
‘Good,’ he said, running his hands up her back.
It was the affection she’d been craving for days, only right this second being touched was making her feel vaguely nauseous. She needed to eat. She needed toast.
‘Can I have some of your bread?’ she said, pulling away and gesturing to his fridge. She lumbered over to it before he’d had the chance to answer.
‘But of course,’ said Tim. ‘Eat an entire loaf if you like, my sweet. And if reUNIon takes off like I think it’s going to, I shall buy you your very own bakers.’
Jennifer wasn’t really listening. She was too intent on getting at the sliced white which she had confidence would restore her sugar levels and hopefully make her feel less pissed. She had planned on toasting it but in the end was so desperate for some starchy carbohydrate, she just ripped a slice in two and shoved one of the halves into her mouth plain.
As she chewed, it stuck to the roof of her mouth.
‘Don’t ever let anyone tell you you’re not completely classy,’ joked Tim. ‘Third class that is.’
‘Come on, let’s go and have a drink then,’ she said, mouth full.
‘Yes,’ said Tim. ‘Because you look like you definitely need one.’
Jennifer tried hard to think of a witty riposte but it was too much effort so she gave up and staggered towards the door instead.
Tim followed her but seemingly Sean couldn’t be torn away from his computer for neither love, money nor vodka.
In the lounge Karen was reclining on the main sofa which was so threadbare and ancient it had pretty much collapsed in on itself a long time ago. Lying on it felt a lot like you were lying on the floor. She was doing some impressive recreational multi-tasking by building a spliff, keeping one eye on the telly and listening to music. ‘Don’t Speak’ by No Doubt was blasting.
‘Evening, Karen,’ said Tim, in a tone that suggested he was up for a bit of a wind-up session.
Jennifer sighed inwardly as she realised she’d now be in charge of keeping the peace.
‘Right…booze,’ she said. ‘Shall I make us all a vodka?’
‘Yeah,’ said Karen. ‘Where’s the bag, we didn’t leave it did we?’
‘No, it’s here by your feet,’ said Jennifer, extracting the plastic bag which had a half bottle of vodka and