“C’mon, please?  You’re supposed to be my girl,” he slurred, “and girls do their men favours.”

“Well, this girl is busy,” I told him, “I’m trying to find someone.”

“Well, I’m right here,” he tried to wink but just ended up blinking with both eyes instead.  What a plank!

“I think you’ve had enough to drink, Aid,” I laughed.

“Whatever,” he spat and quickly returned to his friends that were watching us curiously.  They welcomed him enthusiastically, with a few sly glances in my direction.  If I’d have cared, I would have been jealous when I saw him pick the pretty girl to his left to do his shot with, but I was too busy scanning my surroundings for any signs of Spencer.  I looked past Aiden’s group, my attention drawn to a girl standing just behind them who was pouring herself a glass of wine from the bar.  She took a sip, and casually wandered to the far side of the lawn where a swing hung in the shadows of the tree Aiden and I used to climb as children.  As she passed by a garden candle, she became perfectly illuminated. I smiled – it was Spencer.  A moment later I carefully made my way over.

“Mind if I sit with you?” I asked, completely taken aback by how weak my voice sounded.  I was going to sit down no matter what her response was, but I at least made it look as though I was being polite enough to ask her permission.  Fortunately she didn’t turn me away.  Her eyes flickered to mine momentarily and then returned to ground between out feet.

“Feel free.”

I slumped down next to her on the old swing.  It creaked slightly as I fidgeted in a bid to make myself feel comfortable, but eventually I realised that all the cushions in the world wouldn’t make it any better – it was the lengthening silence between us that was the cause of the discomfort.  I looked at our surroundings, helplessly trying to find something that would inspire a topic of conversation.  I noticed we were in a secluded section of the garden, from which I could just about make out the roof of the house as the rest was hidden by flower beds and shrubs, though I didn’t really think that the topic of Aiden’s foliage was the best ice-breaker.  She must have been reading my mind.