As it Was / A Joseph Quinn story.

5.

"I felt asleep! Sorry! Good morning and have a good day :)"

That's how my next morning started. With a text from Joe.

"I figured. Good morning and have a good day as well!"

I didn't think he would answer again, but he did. And so did I. So, basically, I found myself texting the whole day with him. We sent each other silly pictures and say random stuff. Then, he sent a selfie and my heart bumped a little. He was wearing sunglasses and the caption said "Off to work. Talk to you later, pip squeak!". At that point, I was already at work. The day was pretty busy and time flyed by.

I was going home at about 9pm when I walked by the pub where Joe worked. I could have walked straight home, but I stopped in front of it. My apartment was seriously 800 meters away, but still, a part of me wanted to see him. So that's what I did: I went it. Without further thoughts.

The pub was pretty crowded. The tables were all taken. It looked like pretty much any other old pub in England. I looked around and immediately recognized Joseph behind the counter, serving a beer to a man. He didn't see me at all, so I stepped towards the counter and had a seat.

"Hey, bartender" he looked at me and was flashed. Like, he didn't expect that AT ALL.

"I... I don't know what to say!"

"Ehm... say hi?" He laughed

"Well, yeah, a part from that" he continued serving beer while talking "What brings you in here?"

Like you don't know.

"Since you don't have cats in here, I would say... beer?"

"That's a pretty good reason and you're lucky because this is a pub and we serve loads of it" he filled a glass with blonde beer and hand it over to me "this is on the house"

I smiled at him and took a sip. He was looking at me but I couldn't figure what was on his mind.

"I can take a break in five. Wait for me outside?" I nodded and went out with the glass of beer in my hand. I sat at a table and waited for him. It didn't take long for him to show up.

"Hey" he sat next to me "I really didn't expect this but I like surprises so, thanks" I shrugged my shoulders "hey, does this count as a date?"

I laughed and shook my head "Nope, it does not"

"Lucky me!" He smiled wide and I thought he looked so damn fine. He lightened up a cigarette and smoke while he told me stuff that happened to him during the day. Too bad, he had to get inside, and my beer was over.

"Do you want one more?" he offered, but I refused.

"You're kind, but tomorrow I start at 7am"

"Fair enough" he got up and took the glasses in his hands before saying goodbye "See you soon, Andy" and he entered the pub, leaving me alone. I left too and reached home. I just couldn't stop thinking of his expression of surprise back then. I'm not used in making these kind of things, like, surprises and shit, but in that moment it felt right. I wanted to do it. So I did, and actually it went pretty well. That whole "Carpe diem" shit wasn't THAT shitty, after all. I thought about Lucy, all the times she told me to seize the moment. I texted her.

"I'm sorry for being a shitty friend sometimes I should listen to you more. Talk to you tomorrow, bestie. XOXO"

After I had a shower I went to bed and read some pages of Sally Rooney's last novel. I wasn't that concentrate. I put the book down and took my phone. I opened the conversation with Joe and the picture he sent me earlier. He was too good to be true. Good things don't usually happen to good people, I reminded myself. Seemed like he had no flaws, but probably he was hiding them to impress me. I didn't know him so much to say. I needed time. Was a single month enough?