AN: Thanks for the great reviews and thank you xanafax- glad you like the story. I tried to message you back but I can't- I read Challenging Zed on my Kindle so might have to be downloaded on an eBook? Unless any other readers out there can help out a fellow reader with finding Challenging Zed?

Ed.

I text Lucy at lunchtime the next day, hoping she wasn't feeling too rough after her night out with the girls and was still okay to meet up. Her friends had been nice, although one of them had been experiencing a fan-girl moment. She was obviously a huge fan of my music and I imagined that me being at her best friend's apartment had freaked her out a bit. Maybe turning up to surprise my soulfinder wasn't a particularly good idea. Soulfinder. The word filled my head again and I found it hard to believe. It had been over a week since I'd found her and I was still in shock. It was wonderful. Zed had been quizzing me about it, which had somewhat surpised me, but it meant I had been able to ask him questions about it. I wasn't going to repeat what he had done; he'd sprung it on Sky and just expected her to be with him, cue Sky getting a little freaked out. I, however, wanted to do things properly. I wanted to hang out and spend some time getting to know each other. I wasn't going to deny finding her attractive; she was beautiful and very sexy, especially in the outfit she'd been wearing the night before. But, I wanted to do things right and if we were going to be together romantically then she deserved some dates.

My phone beeped, interrupting my thoughts.

Leanne is far worse off than me. I feel surprisingly fine. Are you still up for later? :) xx

I smiled and quickly replied.

Glad you're okay, hope she feels better soon. Of course, will pick you up at 3 xx

I'd researched a few good things in Brighton and I knew some of them from when I had been down before visiting Jeff, the friend I was staying with. He was on the DJ scene and regularly DJ-ed in Brighton and in London. He looked up at me from his Apple Mac, taking off his headphones.

'So mate, what's your plans for this afternoon? Are you meeting up with that chick?' He asked, sipping at his Red Bull.

'Yeah.' I replied with a small smile.

'What's she like? She got Facebook?'

Yes she had, but I hadn't gathered up the courage to add her on there yet. Maybe after catching up with her later. 'She's kind, funny, pretty and she's a singer-songwriter.' I replied, casually.

'Got a pic?' I knew he wasn't going to drop it so I found her Instagram page and opened the most recent picture of her. It was her with her friends last night. She looked like she was having a great time. I threw my phone to him and he caught it. 'Yeah, mate, she's hot.'

'Yeah.' I held up my hands for the phone back, but he kept tapping the screen. 'What are you doing?'

'Just looking at other pics.' He replied, casually, and I frowned. 'Her mates are fit too.'

I guess Lucy wasn't the only one with embarassing friends.

xx-xx-xx

Lucy.

It was two thirty and I changed my outfit at least five times. Adrianna had headed off to the Job Center but Leanne was determined to stick around to embarass me. When I'd said that, she'd simply smiled and said that that was what best friends were for. I knew Willow probably would have been doing the same if she'd been over here. My heart ached a little. I missed Willow. She would have known what to wear straight away.

'Lea, you're not being particularly helpful.' I told her as I rummaged through my wardrobe.

She looked up from her phone with a smile. 'Just uploading photos from last night.'

'Can that wait? Ed's going to be here in half an hour and it looks like I'm going out in my underwear at this rate.'

'That might not be such a bad thing.' I launched a pillow at her and she frowned. 'Fine, okay, what look are you going for?'

'I don't know.' I sighed. This was silly. It wasn't even a date and if it was, I'd been on enough to know what to wear. This was different, though. Ed wasn't a jerk like my exes had been. And he was my soulfinder. I wanted to impress him. The clock was ticking and I was glad I'd already neatened up my brunette waves and added my subtle day make-up. 'How is it that my wardrobe is so full and I still have nothing to wear?'

'I ask myself that on a daily basis.' My friend replied with a laugh, walking over to join me. 'Where is he taking you?'

'Not a clue.'

'Well that's even less helpful then.' She looked at my dark jeans, scarf and white t-shirt I was wearing. 'See, if you're going somewhere nice, that might be too casual.' I raised an eyebrow and she laughed. 'Which is exactly why you want to get changed, right.' She hunted through my wardrobe. 'Where's that red dress you have?'

'The one with the white flowers?' I knew that she knew almost every item of clothing I owned. We'd shared enough clothes in the past to know the contents of each other's wardrobes.

'Yes... aha!' She pulled out my red dress with white flowers and 3/4 sleeves. It fell just above my knees. 'Wear this with some tights, your black boots with the small heel and your denim jacket.. oh and that brown belt you usually wear with it.'

I changed into the outfit she had suggested and looked in the mirror with a smile. It worked. It was smart/casual, so I hoped it would do. I put on my owl-pendant necklace and changed my clutch bag from the previous night into my black-coloured cross-over body bag.

'You're lucky it's not too cold out there today and the sun is out.'

'Makes a change.' I laughed.

The doorbell rang and Leanne jumped up. 'I'll get it!'

'No, I'll get it.' I shook my head. 'Especially after last night.'

'But that ruins your grand entrance.' She shook her head and walked over to my bedroom door. 'You have to walk in and wow him when I've left him in.'

xx-xx-xx

Ed.

I stood, nervously, on the doorstep, waiting for the door to be answered. I'd contemplated flowers, but I didn't want to scare Lucy off. I was a bit nervous taking her out somewhere as I didn't want us to be hounded and I did prefer nights in, but I thought maybe a onesie night in front of the tv might have been a bit too soon. I fiddled with the sleeves of my hoodie. I'd opted for wearing a blue plaid shirt, navy hoodie, jeans and my vans. Would she like that? I didn't know. I mentally slapped myself. I was being ridiculous. We'd hung out before.

'Hi, Ed.'

I snapped back into reality to see Leanne standing in the doorway wearing her jeans and a cream blouse. She looked exhausted, although I knew better than to say that to a girl. 'Hey.' I smiled.

'She's just finishing getting ready, come on in.'

I walked past her and she closed the door behind me. 'You alright?'

'Yeah, just tired.' She shrugged. 'But we had a really good night.'

'Hey.' I looked across the room and Lucy was stood there with a sheepish smile on her face. She was wearing a red dress, which showed off her long legs that seemed to go on forever, and a denim jacket. Her eyes twinkled and I couldn't help but smile at her.

'Hey, you look lovely.' I said, instantly regretting that I had used the word 'lovely' when there were so many other better adjectives in the English language.

'Thanks.' She blushed, biting her lip. This was something I had noticed she did a lot when she was nervous and it was dangerously sexy.

'Well I'll head out.' Leanne said, grabbing her bag. 'You kids have fun.'

Lucy rolled her eyes at her friend as she hugged her and then she was gone, leaving the two of us alone. 'I'm so sorry about her.' She apologised. 'I couldn't get her to leave before you got here. I swear she lives here sometimes.'

'It's okay.' I replied with a smile. 'Are you ready to go?'

'Sure.' She grabbed her keys and we left her apartment. As we reached the seafront, she slipped on her sunglasses to protect her eyes from the sun and I did the same, but for different reasons. 'So where are you taking me?'

'You'll see.' I replied with a grin as we walked along the promenade. Despite being a sunny day, it was pretty quiet and I assumed it was probably because the English schools had started up again. Our only company were the occassional joggers or students enjoying the September sunshine.

'Where does your friend live?'

'Erm, the other side of the pier. He has one of the apartments right on the seafront.'

She let out a sigh. 'How incredible.'

'I know.' I smiled back at her. 'I've thought about buying somewhere down here before. Brighton is a great city.'

'So where do you spend most of your time?'

That was a difficult question as I lived in two places. If we ended up together, I wondered if my answer would change again. I looked over and saw that she was patiently waiting for a reply as we continued along the promenade. 'I've got a ranch in Nashville, so I hang there quite a bit and I've got a flat in Camden. They're both completely different places, but they're pretty awesome in their own ways.'

When we reached our destination, Lucy squealed with excitement, making me laugh. I'd chosen the first stop of our date as the Sealife Centre. I'd been to one as a child and I'd loved it, but I hadn't ben since. It was one of Brighton's most popular attractions and I'd decided it was a fun idea.

'Did I make the right choice?' I asked after paying for the two of us. Lucy had tried to refuse but she hadn't got anyway.

'I've never actually been here, would you believe it? But I love turtles.' She smiled.

The Sealife Centre was quiet as the last school group had just left and schools were only just finishing. A few people had glanced our way, now that our glasses were off and we were walking through the Victorian part of the building.

'Eek!' Lucy squealed and then shuddered. 'Look at the size of those crabs. Ew.'

I looked at the sign; Japanese Spider crabs. Their leg spans could be up to 120cm. I wasn't scared of much, but the thought made me feel sick. 'Yeah, no thanks.' I agreed with her. 'Let's move on, they're freaky.'

We were fine with the rest of the fish, even though some of them were pretty big. The best part, however, was seeing Lucy's eyes light up when she came across the Green Turtles, Gulliver and Sandy. She smiled as she watched them gliding through the water, swimming right past the part of the tank we were stood by.

'Oh look, he's feeding them!' She whispered, pointing to one of the workers. 'Is he feeding them broccoli?'

I laughed. 'It looks like it. Come on, let's go and find out.' We walked over to the keeper and he smiled as he looked at us. His eyes looked at me in recognition but I brushed it off. 'Are you feeding the turtles broccoli?'

He smiled. 'It's their favourite, although they love kiwi, lettuce and cucumber too.'

'Amazing.' Lucy said in awe, watching them come to the water surface to eat their food.

The keeper looked between Lucy and I and smiled again. 'Would you like to feed them?'

Lucy's eyes lit up and she smiled a beautiful, natural smile. 'Really?'

'Yeah, of course.' He handed Lucy one of the small buckets. 'Just throw it out far enough in the tank for them to swim and catch it.'

'Thanks mate.' I said to him with a smile and he nodded.

Lucy threw a piece of broccoli and the female turtle swam up to eat it. 'This is crazy! Come on Ed, you have a go.'

I moved behind her to reach the bucket. Her warm back leant against my chest and I smiled, resisting the urge to wrap my arms around her. Who knew this was going to be such a good idea?

xx-xx-xx

Lucy.

When I was in the bathroom at the Sealife Centre, I quickly checked my phone to find that I had two texts from the nosiest people in my life:

How's the date going? All the goss later please. Lea xx

So Lea said you're out with Ed today! How exciting! All the dets please. Willz xx

I rolled my eyes and decided to avoid texting them back. I was having a great time and we didn't need any interruptions. I walked out of the bathroom and saw Ed stood there, leant against the wall with a Sealife Centre bag in his hand.

'All ready to go?' He asked with a sly smile. My glance at the bag hadn't gone unnoticed. He handed me the bag. 'I got you something.'

'You shouldn't have. You already paid for our entry.' I replied as he forced the bag into my hands.

'Open it.'

I did as I was told and pulled out a medium-sized cuddly turtle. I smiled at the gesture. 'Thank you.'

'Now you've got a difficult decision to make... are you going to call it Gulliver or Sandy? I personally think he's a Gulliver.'

'I think you're right.'

Next, we headed to Brighton Pier, somewhere I came on a regular basis. It was getting busier as it was a Friday night, but the crowds meant that it was harder to see I was with someone famous. We walked to the amusement end of the pier, where the lights were starting to come on with the darkening sky.

'So which rides do you recommend?

'The Turbo.' I grinned at him.

'What, that rickety thing?' He said, pointing to the yellow and red rollercoaster with a loop.

'Yes, exactly that.'

After riding the Turbo, the Carousel and the Horror Hotel, it was getting dark and my stomach was hurting from being hungry and from laughing. I looked out to the west at the beautiful sunset in front of us. The sky was pink and orange and it had a faded ombre effect. I pulled out my phone and snapped a photo, and when I put my phone away I noticed that Ed was looking at me.

'Sorry, it just looks incredible.' I said, feeling a little embarassed to be caught snapping photos of the sunset.

'It's beautiful.' He replied with a smile. 'But you... you are so much more beautiful, Lucy.' He added quietly, but just loud enough so I could hear. I swallowed as he tucked a lose strand of my hair behind my shoulder and he moved towards me.

xx-xx-xx

Ed.

I wanted to kiss her. I was desperate to kiss her. I was moving my face towards hers, I'd finally gathered up the courage to do it.

'Oh my god, it's Ed Sheeran!'

'Oh, shit.' I grabbed Lucy's hand and shot her an apologetic look. 'Come on, let's get out of here.'

Somehow we managed to lose the crowds and make it to La Mexicana in one piece. It was the restaurant I always visited when I came to Brighton so I wasn't surprised when the owner, Javier, greeted me with a hug. He looked at Lucy and then down at our joined hands.

'So who is this beautiful girl you bring to my restaurant?' Javier smiled.

'This is Lucy.' I replied, feeling nervous and hoping what had just happened on the pier hadn't screwed up my chances.

Javier held out his hand and she took it. 'Pleased to meet you.'

After eating far too much Mexican food, I walked Lucy home. I wanted to kiss her goodnight, but I was too embarassed about what had happened on the pier.

She gave me a small smile. 'Thank you for today. I had a good time.'

'Me too.' I replied. 'I'm sorry about what happened...'

'It's okay.' She shrugged. 'I'm surprised no one said anything sooner.'

'Are you free tomorrow?'

'No.' She replied, a little too quickly. 'No.. sorry, I'm starting a new job tomorrow. I'm working until late.'

'Oh,' I felt a little disappointed by this. 'Well I'll see you soon?'

'See you soon.' She smiled, giving me a quick hug and disappearing into her apartment.

The door closed and I cursed to myself. I loved my job, but sometimes it really got in the way.

xx-xx-xx

Lucy.

I sat down on my bed with my laptop and pulled the green turtle soft toy out of my bag. I couldn't help but smile. Today had gone pretty well and I'd had a great time with Ed. I'd found out a lot more about him and we'd laughed a lot. That was a good sign, wasn't it? I couldn't get over how I'd felt on the pier when I thought he was going to kiss me and I felt somewhat disappointed then he hadn't. He could have kissed me goodnight on the doorstep too, couldn't he? Maybe he wasn't into me that way after all? I looked down at my hand and could almost feel his hand in mine still. It was a wonderful feeling. The Skype dialtone broke me out of my thought and I looked up to see Willow was video-calling me.

'Hey, Luce.' She greeted with a smile from the other end. She must have just got in from work as she was still dressed in her 'fancy office worker' clothes, as I liked to call them.

'Hey.' I replied, adjusting the pillows so that I could lean against them. 'Did you just get in from work?'

'Yeah, busy day.' She replied. I looked at the clock and realised it was about five-thirty over there. 'So... how was the date?'

'It wasn't a date.' I sighed, shaking my head.

'Huh, right. Now tell me everything.' I told her about the sealife centre and that he'd bought me a soft toy, I told her about everything that had happened on the pier and about dinner. She sat back on her computer chair and sighed. 'Luce, you know I love you, but you're an idiot.'

I frowned. 'Charming.'

'It was totally a date!' She stressed, waving her arms frantically in the air.

'We didn't kiss.'

'But it sounds like he wanted to and you were interrupted. Plus, he held your hand and he bought you a cute soft toy, for goodness sake!' She sighed, dramatically. 'Please tell me you're seeing him again.'

'He wanted to see me tomorrow, but I have to work.' I sighed, feeling disappointed.

'Then make time to see him on Sunday. Trust me, girl, he is into you.'

The next day, I started work at 'The Library' at midday. It wasn't opening for six hours, but the staff had all been called in to finish off the last bits and pieces, including decorating the place with gold and black balloons.

'Hey, thanks for coming in Lucy.' Stefan said as he let me in before locking the door and pulling all of the blinds down. 'Hopefully we'll be done in four hours and then we'll all have time to head home and grab food and change for later.'

'What do I need to wear tonight?'

'Any outfit that's black. That's what I've said to everyone else. Right, your first job is to polish all of the glasses. I know it's dull, but it needs doing.'

I spent the afternoon polishing glasses, taping up balloons and cleaning and dusting the bar area and tables. I was talking to one of the guys I would be working with, Hector, when I heard Stefan cursing.

'We're screwed, it's a fucking disaster!' Stefan said, dramatically.

'What's up?' Hector asked, filling up the freezer with ice cubes.

'The singer opening tonight has just bailed on us. That means we have an hour slot with no music whatsoever. We open in three hours, how the hell am I meant to fill that slot?!'

I thought for a moment. It was a huge risk, but an hour was nothing. Everyone who had ever heard me said I was good and I had positive feedback on my Youtube page. 'I'll do it.'

'You sing?' Hector said in surprise, looking at me. 'Are you any good?'

'I... think so.'

Stefan pointed to the guitar on the stage. 'Do you play?'

'Yeah, I do my own stuff.'

'Show me.'

I felt anxious now. My boss wanted me to play for him there and then with no rehearsal. Crap. I stood on the slightly raised platform which made up the stage and hooked the guitar strap over myself. I decided to play a cover, one I had known for a long time. I started strumming on the guitar and singing.

'Well, you done done me and you bet I felt it

I tried to be chill, but you're so hot that I melted

I fell right through the cracks

Now I'm trying to get back

Before the cool done run out

I'll be giving it my bestest

And nothing's gonna stop me but divine intervention.

I reckon, it's again my turn

To win some or learn some.

But I won't hesitate

No more, no more.

It cannot wait,

I'm yours.'

'Okay,' Stefan said with a smile, 'you're in. Get home and rehearse and we'll see you at six thirty.'

I felt nervous as I walked up to 'The Library' later that afternoon, with my guitar slung over my back. I'd opted for wearing my black ankle boots with the small heel and I was wearing my black Topshop jeans with my black peplum-shape top. Stefan greeted me in his black jeans and black shirt, a panicked look on his face.

'It'll be fine.' I told him and I realised I was kind of telling myself too.

'Go ahead and set up your guitar and check it works okay. I'll be out back if you need anything.'

I walked over to the stage and plugged my guitar into the amp system. I plucked a few strings and checked they were intune. Then I adjusted the microphone so it was the right height for me. 'Testing, testing.'

Hector walked into the bar carrying some more glasses from out the back. He nodded at me. 'Lucky we've got you to fill in, huh?'

'Yeah.' I replied, suddenly feeling nervous. I had decided to only play covers as I thought the crowd would be more interested. I placed my guitar on the stand and got down off the stage.

'He gets cranky when he's stressed.' Hector said and I assumed he was referring to Stefan. 'I've known him since we were kids.'

'Oh.' I smiled, looking up at him as he passed me a bottle of water. Hector had hair which was shorter at the sides and longer on the top. He wore thick-rimmed glasses on his face and had a five o'clock shadow going on. He looked in his mid-twenties and I assumed that Stefan was around the same age. He was wearing a black t-shirt and black jeans.

'Sorry I'm late!' Another guy said, hurrying into the bar in a Black Rolling Stones t-shirt and black jeans. He hurried out the back.

'Am I the only girl working here?'

'Yeah.' Hector laughed. 'Good luck with that.'

'Oh, brilliant.' I sighed.

'Don't worry, we'll look after you.' He smiled. 'Now go and put your things in your locker out back, we open in ten.'

At seven, the blinds were opened and the door was opened. A queue had already formed outside and people started to pour in, surrounding the bar. Stefan, Hector, Luke and James started welcoming customers and serving them straight away, whilst I waited to go onstage. When people had started to settle on the seats with their drinks, Stefan left the bar and walked out onto the stage as people continued to walk in.

'Hello and welcome to opening night at The Library. We aim to please you with good literature and good music. We have a good line up to give you a taster tonight and first up we have Lucy, our one and only lady!' Stefan announced and the crowd cheered.

I cringed and walked out onto the stage as Stefan patted me on the back and headed to the kitchen to start handing out the free nibbles. 'Hey everyone.' I said, nervously, into the microphone as I grabbed my guitar and slung it over my shoulder. 'Welcome to The Library, I hope you have a good night.'

I opened with 'Wonderwall' by Oasis, which although clique, seemed to go down pretty well and then I moved on to Jason Mraz, which again earnt applause from the crowd. By the bar, Hector and Stefan gave me a thumbs up and I knew I was doing okay, much to my relief. I was running on adrenaline and my heart was beating quickly in my chest. I took a sip of water, before continuing with the next few songs and then it was the end of my set. 'So my final song is fairly recent so I'm pretty sure you'll all know it. '

'I'm gonna pick up the pieces and build a Lego house

If things go wrong we can knock it down

My three words have two meanings but there's one thing on my mind

It's all for you

And it's dark in a cold December, but I've got you to keep me warm

If you're broken I will mend ya and keep you sheltered from the storm that's raging on, now

I'm out of touch, I'm out of love

I'll pick you up when you're getting down

And out of all these things I've done, I think I love you better now

I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind

I'll do it all for you in time

And out of all these things I've done, I think I love you better now, now.'

The door at the front of the bar opened and my eyes widened as a familiar face walked in. Ed looked at me in surprise as he walked through the door with a guy with mousy brown hair.

'I'm gonna paint you by numbers and colour you in

If things go right we can frame it and put you on a wall

And it's so hard to say it but I've been here before

Now I'll surrender up my heart and swap it for yours

I'm out of touch, I'm out of love

I'll pick you up when you're getting down

And out of all these things I've done, I think I love you better now

I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind

I'll do it all for you in time

And out of all these things I've done, I think I love you better now.'

I felt under more pressure, singing one of Ed's own songs with him in there. He stood by the bar, watching me intently so I focussed on a group of friends at the front.

'Don't hold me down, I think the braces are breaking and it's more than I can take

And it's dark in a cold December, but I've got you to keep me warm

If you're broken I will mend ya and keep you sheltered from the storm that's raging on, now

I'm out of touch, I'm out of love

I'll pick you up when you're getting down

And out of all these things I've done, I think I love you better now

I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind,

I'll do it all for you in time

And out of all these things I've done, I think I love you better now

I'm out of touch, I'm out of love

I'll pick you up when you're getting down

And out of all these things I've done, I will love you better now.'

There were cheers and applause from the crowd and my colleagues. 'Thank you.' I walked off the stage with my guitar wanting to be swallowed up by the ground for the second time in a few days. I felt embarassed and my heart pumped quickly in my chest as I put my guitar away out back. I checked my appearance in the mirror and walked out to join my colleagues behind the bar.

'Fantastic work, Luce!' Stefan said, pulling me into a hug. 'Thank you for saving my arse! Now please tell me why Ed Sheeran is here asking you to serve him.'

'Long story.' I replied. 'I'll go straight over.' Hector high-fived me as I passed him and reached the end of the bar, where Ed was sat on a stool chatting to the unfamiliar guy with mousy-brown hair. 'Hey.'

'Hey, nice performance.' Ed smiled.

'I wouldn't have covered one of your songs if I knew you were coming in.' I winced.

'But it was great, better than my version anyday.'

'Are you stalking me, by chance? Finding out where I work?'

'He might have stalked you other times, but this is totally my fault.' The guy with mousey-brown hair said, holding his hand out to me. 'I'm Jeff. I'm actually DJ-ing here later.'

'Lucy.' I replied, shaking it.

'So you're Lucy.' He smiled, wickedly and I shot Ed a curious look.

'Shut up, mate.' Ed said, nudging him.

'What would you guys like to drink?' I asked, changing the subject.

'Two JD and cokes.' Jeff said with a smile.

'Coming right up.' I fixed their drinks and Jeff gave me the money. 'Have a great time.' And then I added a comment for Ed. 'Try not to get attacked by any fans.'

'You saw my running skills yesterday, I'm hoping it won't happen again.'

'So what's this long story about you and Ed, huh?' Stefan asked me after we closed up at one. The night had been a success and already a fair amount of money had been made. Stefan and I were cleaning down the bar, whereas everyone else was filling the dishwasher or sorting out things out back ready for opening the next day.

I blushed as I mopped the floor. 'Er, we met in America at one of his concerts. My cousin works for a newspaper and she had to interview him.'

'That's pretty cool.' He replied, stacking up the chairs which were in my way. 'And now you guys are friends?'

'Yeah.' I nodded. 'We hang out sometimes. I had no idea he was coming in tonight though. I can't believe he heard me perform one of his songs.' I cringed at the memory of it.

'You were great though. Gorgeous and talented.' He smiled a smile I knew too well. 'We should hang out sometime.'

'Maybe.'

'Well, it's getting late. I'll let you go.' He said and I reached for my bag and guitar. 'Luce?'

'Yeah?'

'You're hired. I'll see you on Monday.'

'Great, thank you.' I slipped out into the cool night air, glad I had picked up a jacket to take with me. I pulled it around myself and jumped at the sight of Ed stood against the wall. 'You're definitely stalking me.'

'How are you getting home?' He asked with a playful smile.

'Walking.' I replied, returning the smile.

He frowned. 'It's late.'

'I can look after myself.'

'You're probably right, but I'll walk you back anyway.'

'Is that why you were lingering outside?'

He nodded. 'I knew you were stubborn and I doubted you'd call a cab.'

'I've lived in Brighton for years and nothing has happened to me.'

'Well now isn't the time for anything to start.' He reached for my guitar. 'Let me carry that.'

I passed it over, realising that I was probably going to lose that argument. 'So I think people liked the bar, didn't they?'

'They did.' He nodded. 'I have a feeling it's going to be a success.'

'Good. Too many pubs and bars in Brighton these days just replicate each other. It's nice to have something different.'

'I couldn't agree more.' He smiled as we walked down the empty high street. 'So what are your plans for today?'

It took me a while to catch on; it was after midnight, meaning that it was Sunday. 'I was thinking of just spending the day relaxing and catching up on some TV or watching some movies. Not hugely exciting, I know.'

'It sounds great though.' He said and I could tell from his eyes that he meant it. We reached the door to my block of flats and we stood quietly for a moment. 'Do you mind if I join you... we could watch some films together?'

'Sounds perfect.' And it really did.