And you never knew
How much I really liked you
Because I never even told you
- The Smiths
The first time she has to pull an all-nighter with Clive, Martha can feel her hackles rising as soon as Billy leaves with a cheerful, "Night, Miss. Night, Sir." It should be funny really, a man five years older than them addressing them as such, but it sounds natural coming from him. Personally, Martha doesn't like the deference it implies, but that's how things are done in chambers.
It's loyalty to Billy that stops her complaining about having to spend the night with Clive, quite literally. Martha disliked her fellow pupil on sight, even before she found out he went to Harrow. Clive for his part seems to find Martha's coolness more amusing than anything. She's caught him eyeing her up a few times, whether in lust or appraising competition, she can never tell. She's seen how he flirts with every other woman he comes across in court or in chambers, and how they fall for it. He knows better than to try it with her though.
Tonight they are working on a case that Billy in his own words "garrotted himself to clerk them in to" and she can't let Billy down. Even if it does mean working all night with Clive. It will be their first time defending a case together, and going through the unused will take hours.
"I think I've found something," says Clive suddenly, after half an hour of pouring over the stacks of paper in silence.
"What?" Martha looks up.
"Only kidding. Fancy a drink?"
Martha glares at him. "We're working."
"And you never drink while working? Come on Marth, one drink."
Maybe it's the shortening of her name that does it, something he hasn't done before, or the sheer boredom of the paperwork, but she sighs and says, "Go on, then."
He pours them both a glass of scotch from Billy's collection, and hands one to her.
"Cheers." She clinks glasses with him reluctantly.
It turns out to be the first of many nights they spend in chambers, drinking and talking and occasionally doing some work. Martha even comes to enjoy those nights and, annoyingly, to enjoy Clive's company. He's funny, even if his idea of humour is to say something outrageous with a straight face and then look at her with a cocked eyebrow to see her reaction. Usually she manages to maintain an unimpressed expression for about a minute before dissolving into laughter. Sometimes he tells her about his latest female conquest, which reassures her that he's not biding his time to pounce on her during one of these late nights. It's comforting and disappointing at the same time.
It's annoying enough to realise that they've sort of become friends, even worse to realise that she now has a slight crush on him. One he obviously doesn't reciprocate, judging by his continued desire to sleep with every woman in London.
It's okay though, because only one of them can get tenancy and then this strange friendship, rivalry or whatever it is, will be over. There's no way they'll stay in touch once their pupillages are finished.
Once she wins, he'll be out of her life for good.