I Must Be Blind, to Not Have Seen the Signs

“Well, well, well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” I said as I clocked her. She whipped her head around, her face a mask of annoyance, like she wanted to punch whoever was hitting on her, but when she saw it was me she smiled widely.

“Joshy!” Pip smiled and placed her drink on the bar before throwing her arms around me. I held on to her tiny frame and pressed my nose into her hair. “It’s been ages, where have you been hiding?”

In truth it’d only been about two weeks since I’d last seen her, and at that time I’d been ill-er than an ill thing on ill pills. So yeah she was right, it had been ages.

“I’ve been sleeping” I winked and she smiled a warm knowing smile.

“So you’re all fixed now?”

“Indeed I am, thanks to you”

She smiled shyly and looked up at me through her lashes. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I just wanted to take her into my arms and run away with her.

We were interrupted though by Dan making an appearance. I swear, you can’t take that guy anywhere. After she said hello to him, she grabbed the arm of the girl next to her and pulled her forward so she was facing us.

“Guys this is Kia Baird, she’s my best friend. Kia this is Josh and Dan.”

“Nice to meet you” she smiled at me and then her eyes shot to Dan. I saw her breath hitch and her pupils dilate as she caught sight of him. I looked Dan he was looking back at her with a mirrored look.

I completely understood. She was a gorgeous girl, but I was a tad biased towards Pip. I looked back towards Pip and she looked at me in the same moment, her eyebrows raised. We were clearly on the same wavelength.

I nodded back over to the bar and we left the two love birds alone. She sat on one of the bar stools and I stood next to here. Even then she seemed to be smaller than me.

We ordered a drink and whilst we were waiting I looked around and saw dan and kia sat in a booth talking, their faces ever so close. I nudged Pip and then nodded over to them. She laughed musically next to me and shook her head.

“Looks like we’ll be seeing even more of each other” she winked and we faced the bar again.

“So how’s Henry?”

“Um, yeah, he’s ok”

“Really, you don’t seem so sure about that”

She smiled a little but it didn’t reach her eyes and I could tell there were something more. She was there for me so now it was time for me to be there for her. I placed my arm around her waist and put my lips to her ear.

“If you need to talk, I’m here Pip” I whispered and I felt her nod before she put her head on my shoulder. I moved my head away a little but kept my arm around her. She would spill soon I knew it.

“It’s just he’s working so much right now, I never get to see him”

What did I tell you? Do I know women or what?

“And I know its all part of his job but he works until like 10 at night so he’s too tired to talk at night, and we don’t live together so I don’t see him in the morning. I love him, but I’m wondering weather it’s worth being together if I never get to see him. I mean what’s the point of it?”

“Listen Pip, if you love him, and he loves you, it’ll work out I promise. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a couple better matched than you and Henry”

“Really?” she said looking up at me with those big dark eyes.

“Really. And hey why don’t you go and visit him at work or something. He must have lunch breaks yeah? Surprise him; add some spark back to things”

“Well look at you, you big romantic softy” she mocked, slapping my chest playfully.

“What can I say? That’s why the ladies love me”

I spent the rest of the night with Pip and we got steadily more drunk and ended up making fools out of ourselves on the dance floor. When it was eventually time to go I had to practically peel dan away from kia.

“My god, did that actually happen?” he asked me in the cab. “Did you see her man? She was beautiful”

“Yeah I saw her” I mumbled. There were more important things on my mind like the fact I’d just told the girl I like how to make things better with her boyfriend when I should have told her how to get rid of him.

Why did I have to be so nice?

Dan was still mumbling on about how bright Kia’s eyes were and how soft her hair felt. I just nodded at the appropriate times until the cab stopped and we got out.

As I lay on Dan’s sofa that night I couldn’t stop worrying about Pip. I mean I knew Henry was a hard worker but damn, I don’t think I’d ever heard of someone working so many hours before. And I don’t think I’d ever seen Pip so miserable before.

If he made her happy then I hoped they would fix things soon, just for her sake. I don’t like seeing her sad.

See, I’m not completely heartless.