Mr Barlow

Chapter Forty-Eight

"Please come out for a drink with us." Lucy pleaded with me. "It could possibly be the last time we're all together." She kept trying to convince me.

"I don't know, it's been a long day and I've got some good Friday night TV to go back and watch." I joked.

"Oh come on, please." Michael started pleading with me now.

"Okay, fine, but only for one drink." I gave into them.

"Yeah 'one drink'." Lucy mocked me.

"No, I'm serious, I'm cutting back on my drinking." I told them as I picked my bag up.

"Yeah, okay, you say that about 100 times a week." Lucy laughed at me.

"I'm being totally serious this time, I'm having a bet with someone and I don't want to lose." I explained.

"I still don't believe you won't have more than one drink." She laughed and patted me on the arm.

"One drink and that's it because also I was meant to see Gary yesterday but didn't get the chance so I'll have him waiting for me at home." I kept thinking of more excuses to not lose mine and Marks deal.

"Being blown out for Barlow." She tutted.

"Should we probably get going then?" Michael asked.

"You know, I'm going to miss this place so much." I said looking around the store. "So much has happened here and I've got so many good memories from being here. Oh god, get me out of here before I start crying." I laughed getting more sentimental than I had planned.

"You know you're welcome back here whenever you want." Michael smiled at me.

"Thank you, honestly. If I crap out on this new job in the first week I'll be back." I laughed.

"You will be fine I promise, if anyone gives you any shit come find me and I'll beat them up." Lucy joked.

"Oh I will." I laughed with her. "Anyway, yes let's go before I do actually start crying as that would be so embarrassing I'd never recover."

"Okay then, shall we go to that place down the road? Then when we all end up having too much our cars will be safe here and we're close enough to the bus stop." Lucy asked.

"I told you, I'm not getting drunk. Anyway I didn't drive today because Lauren had to use the car so the bus or a taxi will be my way home." I explained to her.

"Right, of course you're not going to get drunk, seriously Katie." She rolled her eyes at me.

"I'm not." I told her again as we walked out of the store. "Well, goodbye then old friend." I said and patted the building. "Okay, that was weird, seriously let's go." I cringed and laughed at the same time as Michael locked up.

"You'll have to come up and see us when you've settled in and tell us all about it." Michael said as we walked down the road.

"And see how the stores falling apart without me, I mean who's going to bring in all these crazed take that fans now?" I laughed as we walked on the road with the pub was on.

"You have done us proud these last few weeks, especially Monday the place was absolutely swarming with people." Michael said.

"It's honestly nothing." I told him as we walked into the pub.

"Right, what are we having then?" Lucy asked us as we walked to the bar.

"Can I have a glass of rosé wine please?" I asked the barmaid.

"Small, medium or large?" She asked me in return.

"Oh, seeming as I'm only having one I'll take a large glass please." I smiled at her.