Here With Me // Daniel Ricciardo

1

The glass in my hand flew uncontrollably from me and landed on the floor, smashing in to a puddle of gin and lemonade at my feet. 

"I'm so sorry!" A man shouted, putting his hand on my shoulder and coming close to my ear. "Can I buy you another?" 

I shook my head politely and told him it was okay. it was true, I didn't want another drink. Christmas brunch turned in to afternoon drinks which turned in to an extremely busy bar in the centre of London on a Saturday night. Not my scene. 

"I think that's a sign for me to stop drinking." I said to my best friend Emily. 

Unlike others I had spread my drinks out and I was only feeling a little tipsy, Emily on the other hand was absolutely plastered. 

"I'm just going to the bar to get us some waters."

I pushed my way through the crowd of people, making sure not to bump anyone and cause a scene of spilling their drinks too. 

I stood patiently at the bar waiting for my turn, I say patiently but I had no intention of being served. the longer I could stay away from my colleagues the less embarrassing moments I had to witness.

"Sophia! Wha- what are you doing here? Is that you?"

My heart was pounding in my chest, it felt like my feet were glued to the ground. I dint know what to do. Running wasn't an option, pretending I wasn't Sophia definitely wasn't an option.

"Michael." I muttered, the volume of music in the bar completely drowning me out. 

My twin brother stood in front of me with his mouth slightly open. I haven't seen him in ten years. 

"Sophia I don't know what to say. This is really weird."

"Yeah you could say that."

"Drink?"

"I'm working tomorrow, I'm stopping." 

He wasn't looking at me, he was looking behind me, shaking his head and signalling a 'don't come over' as if I couldn't see him. 

Then I saw him. 

"Hey man, my Grandma had a fall we need to get back."

"He's obviously not chatting me up and you obviously have never updated your get out of jail line."

Daniel turned to look at me, almost being blown over as if a gust of wind hit him. 

"Soph- wow. You're here. i'm here and you're here. Wow."

I didn't like this altercation, I wanted to leave now. social situations are an effort for me at the best of times but this was a reconciliation I could live without. You'd think that if you moved from Australia to London you'd have a very slim chance of running in to an ex, apparently I was wrong. 

"I'll save us all the awkwardness, I have work tomorrow and other errands to do. I need to get home. if you'll excuse me."

"Are you being serious?" Michael shouted. He wasn't being aggressive, simply trying to be heard over the sound of the music but still it made me jump. "I haven't- we haven't seen you in ten years and you want to just run away? I didn't even know you were in this country."

"I'm here, I'm still a nurse, I've lived here for the full ten years, there's not much else to tell you really. See that girl over there?" I pointed to Emily who was swaying and heading for the door, "I've seen this happen multiple times, she's about to throw up a days worth of drinking in here if I don't get to her asap. I'm sorry."

I turned my back to them and pushed my way through the crowd. Not caring who I bumped in to or what drinks went flying. When I reached Emily I grabbed her elbow and pulled her towards the door, trying to tie her hair up as we moved.