Chapter Nine

Sleeping Arrangements

Manny had finally retreated to bed after a longish ramble about how he made a mistake bleaching his hair, and had asked Ashley a few times what it was like to have red hair. She had been exhausted and had only answered with a series of grunts. Manny had eventually admitted defeat and wandered off, leaving Gordon alone with her.

For a while he hadn't known what to say to her. He had taken off his shoes (he had never been good with Converses) and also removed his tie (he had never really liked ties) and just sat back in the armchair, watching an American cop show that Ashley had left on. He racked his brain for something to say to her, but he had blanked. He had found himself doing this often since he had arrived on Earth. He had no idea what it was. Probably a weird human thing… Humans were such complicated creatures.

'It's so crap that my old house is gone,' Ashley sighed finally, much to his relief. 'I loved that house you know. Got it just the way I liked it.' She peered down into her cup of coffee – she had given up on the wine a while ago. 'Plus it means I won't be getting my bond back. I bet Manny got it all and spent it on this place.' She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the room around her. 'He's done a lot taking he was skint the last time I saw him.'

Gordon swallowed. He felt nervous about speaking now, seeing as everything he said seemed to be the wrong thing. He didn't want to blow his cover. He could have easily left, but he needed her to locate the Tardis and… well, in all honesty, the longer he sat with her, the less he wanted to leave her. 'You can stay with me.' He shrugged, hoping she wouldn't turn around and demand to know who he really was.

Thankfully, she only shrugged. 'Well yeah, you said that.' She replied, blinking lazily. 'But what happens when I get to… like, thirty-five and I want my own space?'

Gordon shrugged. 'I'll give you your own space. We have the whole of space! Is that not spacey enough for you?'

Ashley glanced to him briefly. 'Seriously?'

'Seriously.' He replied solemnly. 'I want you to stay with me.'

She cocked an eyebrow at him. 'You know what? You've been acting really weird since we got here.' She sat forward and put her coffee mug down on the table. 'It's the lack of drama, isn't it? When nothing life-threatening is happening you get weird.'

Gordon clung onto the excuse. 'That's me alright. Weird.' He crossed his eyes and made the 'cuckoo' gesture with his finger. He stopped and grinned at her.

Ashley half smiled. 'Whatever.' She stood up and headed for the door.

'Where are you going?'

'Toilet. If that's okay with you.'

Gordon assured her that it was with an embarrassed mumble and then sat back with a heavy sigh. God this pretending-to-be-the-Doctor thing was harder than he had thought. Maybe he should have spent a little more time watching him. He had just been so excited about the prospect of finally going home that he had gotten carried away and… then he had met her.

He stood up and moved to a long mirror on the wall. He looked closely at his face and ran his hand over his chin. No stubble – nice. He just wished he could do something about the hair. He ruffled it frantically with both hands for a few seconds, and then looked at the results. It hadn't changed position at all.

'Jesus…' Gordon muttered. 'What the hell does that guy use on his hair? Superglue?'

He straightened up and took in his whole reflection. He quickly undid the top button of his shirt. He hesitated, and then undid the next one. He readjusted his collar and half smiled, then put his handson his hips and stuck out his chest a little. The smile quickly changed to a look of alarm and he found himself unsure of what to do with his arms as Ashley returned.

'I forgot what it was like living with Manny,' she huffed, either not noticing him posing in front of the mirror or just choosing to ignore it completely. 'The bathroom smells like a hookers handbag.'

Gordon smoothed down the front of his shirt, slightly embarrassed. 'Really? Oh well I wouldn't know what one smelled like…'

Ashley sat down on the couch and picked up her coffee, turning her full attention to the TV. Gordon remained where he was for a moment, before slowly moving to the couch and sitting beside her. When she didn't say anything, he allowed himself to relax. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She was engrossed in the TV, practically oblivious to his presence. He held his breath and slowly lifted his arm. He was just about to lie it on the back of the chair behind her head when she spoke, without taking her eyes from the TV.

'I'll sleep on the cot thing.' She said. 'I'm more used to it. And plus, your feet will probably stick off the end.'

Losing his nerve, Gordon returned his hand to his knee. 'Yeah, okay.'

Ashley finished off the last of her coffee and got up, stretching her arms above her head. Gordon watched her but tried to make it look like he was watching the TV. She let out a satisfied sigh and headed across to the cot. 'Will you turn the lamp off and stuff when you're done watching the TV?' she asked, lying down with her back to him. 'I know you don't sleep much but… well, there's nothing much else to do, is there? Night.'

Gordon picked up the remote and turned off the TV. 'I suppose not.' He sighed. He reached to the lamp and flicked it off. He sat in the darkness, and brooded.