Chapter 2

The drinks continued to flow. Eve was determined to enjoy her last night. She wouldn't let some grouch get to her. But he was still eating away at the back of her mind.

Just as the karaoke got into full flow, Eve made a dash for the toilets, hoping to avoid being dragged onto the stage. Eve could hold a tune but she had no desire to make a fool of herself no matter how many drinks she had had.

Leaving the bathroom, Eve saw her friends singing a painful rendition of Take on Me and so took the opportunity to get some air. Pushing open the door of the stuffy bar Eve suddenly screamed. She had pushed the door open with a greater force than she realised and it slammed into someone with a hard thump.

"Oh my god!" Eve shouted and quickly pounced on the man, now doubled over holding his nose. "Oh my god I'm so sorry" Eve fell pale when she saw blood trickling through his fingers. "You're bleeding" Eve said moving to his side.

"No shit" The man mumbled and he stood up straight.

"Malcolm! Oh shit, I didn't realise it was you, shit fuck, no put your head down" Eve grabbed a hold of Malcolm and saw him on a low wall. "Head down or you will choke on your own blood" Eve force him to lean down when he tried to sit up. "Wait there, don't you move" Getting up Eve ran inside and to the bar, grabbing a bag of ice and some cloth's. Running back outside she looked to the wall but Malcolm was gone.

"For fucks sake!" Eve snapped. Looking up and down the street she saw a figure stumbling on the path. "Oi!" Eve ran after Malcolm. "I told you to stay put!" Grabbing his arm she pulled him onto a bench. "I'm trying to fucking help" Eve pulled his hand from his nose, it was very red and swollen. "This is going to hurt" Gently she pressed the ice to his nose resulting in a sharp hiss from Malcolm, pulling back but Eve was insistent.

"I need a fucking doctor" Malcolm said as he stared at Eve.

"The ice is helping, blood is stopping" Eve noted, not looking at Malcolm's eyes, almost too afraid.

"You broke my nose" Malcolm stated, anger covering his voice.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were there" Eve said, using a cloth to gently clean his face.

"How could you know I was there, you still broke my fucking nose though!" Malcolm snapped which caused Eve to wince.

"Yes, I'm sorry alright, I'm trying to help, just stay still and shut up" Eve retorted and Malcolm did so. Continuing to clean him up, feeling his eyes pierce into hers. After a few silent minutes Eve took the ice away. The swelling had gone down and the bleeding had stopped. Shyly she moved away, not having realised that she was mere inches from his face. Looking to her hands she was covered in his blood. "I think you will be okay"

"Where did you learn to do that?" Malcolm spoke up now, taking Eve by surprise after such a lengthy silence.

"Erm...when I was at school I took a first aid course, comes in handy I guess" Eve said standing in front of him, feeling unsure of herself.

"Thanks" Malcolm stood up from the bench, looking at his shirt which was most definitely ruined.

"Can I at least buy you a drink, go some way into saying sorry" Eve suggested as she looked to his bloodied clothing. Sure Malcolm would tell her where she could stuff it. But clearly this man was full of surprises.

"Alright, y'made this sorry state, so now ya put up with it" Malcolm spoke and he moved past Eve as he headed towards the bar. Eve quickly jogged forwards to catch up with Malcolm's long strides.

Back in the bar she watched him take a seat in the corner, instead of joining him Eve moved to the bar to get the drinks.

Sitting back beside Malcolm, she passed the man his drinks. A double and for herself, a barcardi and lime.

"So how come you stuck around, you don't seem the type to party the night away with a bunch of students" Eve spoke as she looked to the man across from her.

"I'm not, but I stayed, fuck knows why, especially now" Malcolm placed gentle fingers on his nose. Although red, it didn't look quite as fierce. Eve couldn't look more apologetic. "So why leave university?" Malcolm asked her.

"How did you know I was leaving university?" Eve instead asked him.

"Halfway through the school year, in a student bar and you told me it is your last night" Malcolm spoke as he took a drink of his whiskey.

"Well I applaud your powers of deduction" Eve nodded to him.

"So why leave?" Malcolm again asked and Eve sighed with a hint of sadness.

"My course, I was studying Classics and Italian, and you know what, into my third year I came to realise...Classics is so dull. I want excitement, thrills, not knowing what is round the next corner." Eve enthused and looking to Malcolm she saw him simply staring. "But...what do I do now" Eve sighed and looked to Malcolm with curiosity. "What do you do, you look an interesting man."

"Interesting...I'm not so sure. I'm a press officer for the Deputy PM." Malcolm said as he felt the pleasant burn of the alcohol travel down his throat.

"Wow" Eve was impressed, she could imagine this man in politics. "So do you plan on being Prime Minister one day?" Eve asked and Malcolm cringed.

"Fuck no, too much attention" Malcolm answered.

"Ah, so behind the scenes man, I get the impression that you like telling people what to do" Eve said as she drank her Bacardi.

"Yes and no, people simple seem tae lack the ability to know how to dae anything"

"So you come in and clean up the shit" Eve said.

"If ah have tae" Malcolm said looking to her face, seeing her smiles and eye's light up.

"I have always loved politics" Eve grinned and Malcolm scoffed.

"Why?" Malcolm questioned her and Eve thought a moment before smiling again.

"It's addictive, I want to understand, I want to know. To know and understand the government and make others know. The system if fucked up, always has been always will be. But it can be controlled, to have that control is such a power. There is good and evil in politics, but it's shit full of corruption" Eve said and she smiled taking a breath.

Malcolm gazed at her. She reminded him of a younger self. He was just the same when he discovered politics. Thinking he could change it all given the chance. But idea's changed as you grew older and less wiser.

"God that sounded so stupid didn't it" Eve said quietly and it warranted a chuckle from Malcolm.

"Everyone thinks the same tae start with"

"So you did?" Eve asked and Malcolm nodded.

"You very quickly realise it's a whole lot fucking complicated" Malcolm said as he placed his glass back onto the table.

"Do you like your job?" Eve asked him. Malcolm didn't answer straight away. In face it took him a while to say his reply.

"Yes, or I wouldn't still be here" Malcolm said and he smiled to her.

"I guess so, but you could just be there for the sake of it"

"True, I could be, but I'm not, I'm good at my job, I work fucking hard at it." Malcolm noted.

"How long have you been married?" Eve suddenly changed the subject and they both looked to the gold band on his finger.

"Five years" Malcolm said, slowly turning the ring on his finger.

"Kids?"

"No, fuck no, she wants them, I don't" Malcolm stated and Eve looked to him closely. She got the feeling that Malcolm tended not to talk about himself too often. "She wants the family life, cottage in the countryside, white picket fence, a dog and half a dozen kids." Malcolm spoke with an undertone of distaste.

"You don't seem the type for that" Eve said "If you have such a different ideals, why stay"

"Because I love you, love conquers all right..." Malcolm stated and down the last remnants of his drinks.

"Can I get you another?" Eve asked seeing his empty glass. Just as Malcolm was about to reply she was grabbed by a woman.

"Where have you been, come on, met this gorgeous guy, he's perfect for you. Just who you need to get over Tom" Holly, clearly drunk, pulled Eve from the chair and onto her feet. She tried to resist and turned to Malcolm.

"Sorry, I will be back with another drink, I promise." Eve called out as she was dragged across the floor.

Eve was going crazy, sitting at a table facing some guy, yes he was good looking but conversation was difficult.

"Just going to pop to the toilet" Eve slid out from the table, heading to the toilets but she looked back to the table where her and Malcolm had been earlier. It was empty. Avoiding the toilets she turned back to the bar, searching for him.

But he was gone. Malcolm was gone. She had lost her interesting man.

Eve would see him again. She made a promise.

Eve did not break her promises.