A Ladder to the Sky(107)

The days ahead would be peaceful, at least. Theo had essays to write, two novels to read and the Time Out reviews to draft and, having spent two consecutive afternoons together, I knew that I couldn’t ask him to join me on Friday too, even though I longed for his company now. I’d suggested the following Monday but he’d said no, that it was his father’s birthday, and before I could suggest Tuesday, he’d said the following Friday, which was just over a week away. I wasn’t sure that I could be without him until then, but I could hardly fall on my knees and beg him to reconsider so I had simply smiled, said that sounded good and that I would text him with a place at some point next week, even though I already knew where, because Fridays meant the Dog and Duck on Bateman Street.

I struggled to sleep that night and, shortly after midnight, returned to my whisky, this time managing to finish the bottle. It sat in my stomach, burning me from the inside out, and I stumbled several times as I made my way back to bed. When I finally fell asleep, I dreamed of Edith. She was standing in the bar of the Charlotte Street Hotel, surrounded by dead writers, drinking champagne. William Golding was sitting in a corner with Anthony Trollope, smoking a pipe. John McGahern was trying to catch the barman’s attention while Kingsley Amis emerged from the Gents, buttoning up his trousers. They were all offering congratulations. Something wonderful had happened to her and she was proud and excited. I looked around in search of myself among the party, but I was nowhere to be seen.

‘Has anyone seen Maurice?’ asked Edith, looking directly at me but failing to recognize me. ‘He should be here with me. Has anyone seen my husband? I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him.’





5. The Dog and Duck, Bateman Street


It was the first time that Theo was already waiting for me in the pub when I arrived.

‘Your bruise has healed,’ he said, nodding at my forehead.

‘It has, yes,’ I said. Although I’d been drinking steadily every afternoon and evening since our last encounter the previous Thursday, returning to my daily routine with a mixture of relief and dismay that he wasn’t there to join me, I had made sure to be extra careful when leaving each pub to make my way home. I couldn’t risk another accident. ‘And how was your week?’

‘Good,’ he said. ‘I read the first of those books that I agreed to review.’

‘And?’

‘Unfortunately, it was really good,’ he said.

‘Oh, well. Can’t be helped.’

‘I know. But I’ve started the second one and, so far, it’s a bit slow. So things are looking up.’

‘Excellent. You might find something to criticize there.’

‘Hopefully, yes.’

I smiled at him, but he didn’t smile back. I wondered whether he’d spent our time apart thinking about what I’d told him the previous week concerning Edith’s novel and how poorly I’d treated Dash.

‘Are you all right?’ I asked. ‘You seem a little quiet.’

‘I’m fine,’ he said, shaking his head but still failing to smile. I didn’t care for the fact that he seemed to be growing less deferential to me and more like an irritated friend. ‘How’s your work going?’

‘What work?’ I asked.

‘Your novel.’

‘Oh, you know,’ I said with a shrug. ‘Good days and bad days.’

‘Which are there more of?’

‘The latter,’ I said. ‘Definitely the latter.’

He nodded and seemed as if he wanted to ask me something else but was nervous of how it might come out.

‘What?’ I said, not wanting to sit there all afternoon with an awkward silence hanging over us. ‘Just spit it out, whatever it is.’

‘I don’t want to sound rude.’

‘I don’t much care if you do.’

‘It’s just … well, I’ve been thinking of how we meet. Of where we meet. Of what we do together.’

‘You make it sound like we’re having an affair behind our wives’ backs.’

‘I mean how we always meet in pubs,’ he said. ‘And how we drink all afternoon.’

‘But what else would one do in a pub?’

‘It’s just that you seem to spend a lot of time in places like this, that’s all.’

‘Oh, I see.’

‘And I wondered when you get your writing done? Surely you don’t go home and work in the evening after six or seven pints?’

‘If you didn’t want to meet in a pub,’ I said, ignoring his question, ‘then you didn’t have to. You could always have suggested somewhere else.’

‘It’s not that.’

‘Then what’s the problem?’

‘Can I be really honest with you?’

I sighed. ‘Oh, for God’s sake, stop pissing about, Daniel,’ I said.

‘Theo.’

‘What?’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ he said. ‘It’s just … I was doing some more online research this week.’

‘Why do online research when I’m right here with you? You can ask me anything you want. I’ve been incredibly honest with you so far, wouldn’t you agree?’