Chapter Ten.
Every single one of her friends fell quiet as she walked through the pub and passed their table. Her Uncle Jack and Sharon were there and they both got up and gave her a firm long hug to welcome her back. Sharon commented on her hair and they fell into an easy conversation. Her friends were still staring at her though, she could feel their eyes burning into her back. Max went to the bar to get the drinks, returning with an apple juice for Lauren. He and Jack had a scotch, Sharon had an orange juice, her Nan had a gin and tonic, and Abi had a coke. Lauren was surrounded by people drinking alcohol. And., if she was being honest, it made her feel a little nervous. They ordered their food and she got up to go to the bathroom, luckily she didn't have to walk by her friends to get there. After she finished in the toilet she washed her hands, looking at her reflection in the mirror, she rubbed at an imaginary smudge on her face, before turning and walking out of the toilets, bumping straight into Lucy.
'Sorry' Lauren said automatically.
'It's okay, I was actually coming to see you' she told her 'It can't have been easy seeing us all together like that. Alice and Joey were already here, Alice asked us to join their table' she said 'We're going clubbing later, we talked about asking you but we weren't sure if you would want to come' she told Lauren 'so we didn't ask you. We didn't want to put you in an awkward position' she explained.
'It's fine' Lauren said to her 'thanks for the invite but I'll pass thanks'
'Is it because of Joey?' Lucy asked her.
'No' Lauren lied shaking her head 'I'd better get back to my family dinner' she told the blonde and she walked away, leaving Lucy staring after her. Lauren sat down and smiled at her dad, he put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head, he did the same to Abi too and they both grinned at him.
'Can I get another apple juice please, dad?' Lauren asked him.
'Yeah sure' he said getting up.
'Can I go to the bar myself?' she asked him. He looked at her and he flicked his gaze to Cora who nodded encouragingly.
'Yeah of course' he nodded giving her a £20 note.
'Does anyone else want anything?' she looked around the table.
'Coke please' Abi said with a grin.
'Nan?' she asked her and she saw her Nan hesitate. 'Come on Nan, I'm going to the bar, do you want a drink or not?' she frowned at her.
'G&T please darling' Lauren looked around at the others and they ordered the same drinks that they had last time. Lauren made her way to the bar and found she was standing next to Joey.
Tracey came up to her 'Yes Lauren, what can I get you?' she asked her.
'Joey was here before me' she replied.
'Ladies first' he said with a smile.
'Okay, I'll have an apple juice with ice, a coke without ice, an orange juice with ice, two double scotches and a gin and tonic please' she reeled off the drinks order to Tracey. Tracey nodded and went to get them, she could feel Joey's eyes burning a hole into the side of her head and she turned to look at him. 'What? I'm thirsty' she deadpanned.
'Do you really think you should be buying alcohol, Lauren?' he asked her annoyed with Max for letting her come to the bar.
'It's all about building the trust back, Joseph' she said, knowing he hated it when she called him that 'something you clearly know nothing about. And before you storm over there and have a go at dad for letting me come to the bar, I asked him, practically begged him to let me, he has been watching me like a hawk for the last 5 days and It's beginning to drive me insane, I need to show him I can be around alcohol and not drink myself into oblivion. I need him to start trusting me so he gives me some space' she told him 'not that it is any of your business though' she added with a frown.
'Sorry' Joey said softly 'I know you're stronger than that' he said to her 'You know if you want to get away anytime you can always come over to mine. You still have the key right?' he asked her.
'Doubtful, I recall a drunken night down by the river, after another one of our awkward moments, I think your spare key is at the bottom of the river' she replied.
'Good job I have another spare then, hey?' he said producing one out of his pocket. 'I was coming over to see you in a bit' he told her 'to apologise to you again for what happened today…'
'Can we just not talk about it?' she asked him 'or not talk at all? I think I'd prefer that' she told him.
'I wouldn't' he replied 'I did miss you, Lauren' he told her 'and I am really glad you're back, I wasn't sure you were coming back, no one would tell me if you were or not'
'No one knew until the day I showed up here. Except mum. I talked things through with her' she said to him.
'Listen, I was thinking about maybe going for a walk later, through the park, down by the lakes, do you want to come with me?' he asked her.
Lauren looked at him 'I thought you were going clubbing?' she asked him.
'No' he shook his head 'So do you want to come for a walk with me?'
Why?' she frowned.
'So we can talk, try to be friends' he said to her.
'Is that what we are?' she frowned at him 'Just friends?'
'No' he shook his head 'we never were just friends were we, hey?' he asked her.
Lauren looked down at the key on the counter, picked it up and looked at it 'I don't think this is a good idea' she told him 'the key, I appreciate the gesture and everything but….hiding away isn't going to help me solve my problems' she told him sliding the key back towards him, as Tracey came back with a tray of drinks. He picked up the key and as she went to lift the tray Joey's hand covered hers.
'Let me carry it' he suggested, he saw anger flash in her eyes 'I saw first-hand what happened the last time you tried to help me at the club with a tray of drinks' he reminded her.
'Valid point' she said with a sigh as she remembered that disaster, she pulled her hand out from under his, she thought she felt him give it a soft squeeze but she wasn't sure, maybe it was just wishful thinking.
'So about the walk?' he asked her as they made their way back to the table.
'Okay' she replied, surprising herself with her answer.
Joey put the tray of drinks down on the nearby table and Lauren started to give them out. 'I'll wait here until you finish eating' he told her with a smile. He went back over to his friends and sat down again.
Lauren glanced at him every now and then and she was almost certain he winked at her. She blushed and looked down, concentrating on her food.
AN: Max is showing a little bit of trust in Lauren, letting her go to the bar to get the drinks, although this has annoyed Joey! Whatever Lauren does she can't win can she? But she's agreed to go for a walk with Joey. Wonder what he has to say? Will she listen? And will things end well?. Thanks for all your reviews so far. You all seem to be enjoying Revelry….so leave me a review and let me know what you think. R&R as always xx