The Weekend - Completed

Chapter 5

We followed the same schedule as we'd done the previous morning, he walked me to the pool, I swam, and he ran. He collected me from the pool and we walked back together. We had breakfast and after a shower we went to the library.

It was ten thirty by the time we arrived at the library, I had written up all my notes and completed the example exercises during my previous visit to the library so this morning I wanted to look through some of the journals and articles in the maths section. I hadn't decided if I should do a dissertation next year, I was struggling for a topic or idea to base it on, so I was hoping to find inspiration.

Daniel had continued to work through the calculus questions only asking for my help when the exercises moved on from differentiation to integration, but after going through one question with him he remembered it from his maths lessons and he worked through them steadily. I had not had such a successful morning. I had read half a dozen articles and made copious notes but I'd done little more than copy what I'd read, I didn't feel there was an original thought in any of it.

As my concentration waned I found myself looking at Daniel more and more, well not really looking at him, more looking through him, I was thinking about the events of the last two days and what everything meant. Flashbacks of James, Mark, Greg and Daniel swam in my head, I was certain Daniel liked me and yet he had made sure I understood we were nothing more than friends, but why be my virtual shadow for the entire weekend? I was friends with James and he didn't want to spend every waking moment with me, and it was him who wanted to be with me, I hadn't chased him, I hadn't asked him to go swimming with me or to the library. Oh I don't know, was it just that he was trying to be nice, after all Katie had pretty much left me to my own devices more often than not and was it simply that I wanted to believe he liked me, that he wanted to be more than just friends because that's what I wanted.

The more I thought about it, the more I realised how much I did want for there to be something between us, and looking back on the events of the last two days had he been anything more than kind, considerate and friendly? No, I don't think he had, he hadn't even really flirted, as I reminisced over each of our encounters and tried to look at them objectively I saw more and more clearly that this thing that built up, this us, was in my head, I had refracted reality slightly to reflect what I wanted to see. Now get over yourself and get a grip, he had a girlfriend he adored, I told myself over and over again.

Daniel sat down opposite me and put a can of diet coke and a dairy milk in front of me.

"I know how hungry you get, you must be starving it's nearly one o'clock" he noted. I hadn't noticed the time at all, but I put my pen down and closed the journal I was half reading.

"So how's it going? Not too good?" he asked, I explained my indecision over a topic choice for a dissertation.

"I feel like everything's already been written, like there's nothing new for me to discover" he nodded empathetically. "So what about you, looks like you're doing alright?"

"Yeah, I've got loads done, thanks for your help with these" and he looked towards his notepad. We sat for a while eating and drinking our snacks and chatting about nothing in particular, I hadn't realised until now how easy he was to talk to, I never felt like the conversation was strained or difficult.

"This is nice" I said half to myself,

"What is?" he asked puzzled,

"This, just sitting, talking, don't you think?" his hand ran self-consciously through his hair as he smiled and said,

"Yeah, your right it is" and I smiled back at him, looking into his emerald eyes for a long moment.

"So" he changed the subject and broke our stare, "I watched you when you were swimming this morning, I could tell you were completely oblivious to everything and everyone else around you, I'd been there for nearly ten minutes before you even noticed me" feeling a little embarrassed.

"I'm so sorry, you should have called to me, I didn't mean to keep you waiting" I rushed.

"It's ok, besides I can see how much you love it" he added.

"You're right I do, it feels like the only time I get to do nothing, I don't need to concentrate or focus on anything I can just let my mind wander, let it think about anything it wants to, do you know what I mean?" I asked.

"Actually, I do, that's how I feel when I run, you should try it I think you'd enjoy it" the frown on my face said otherwise.

"Listen I'm nowhere near fit enough to go running, every time I get to the top of those stairs I feel like I need oxygen" he didn't seem to believe my excuses.

"You should just start off slow and build yourself up, you should give it a try, I promise that you'll like it" I gave him a 'yeah yeah sure I will' look, "Ok tell you what I'll make you a deal, the next time you come to stay, if you come running with me I'll go swimming with you, what do you say?" he waited for my reply.

"What makes you think I'm ever coming back here?" I teased, smiling broadly and leaning across the table towards me he said in a low voice.

"We both know you're coming back again" he held my gaze for a long time and I felt like an animal trapped in the headlights of an oncoming car unable to move or look away, my heart thumping in my chest and I could hear it's loud thrumming in my ears.

"I suppose we'd better get on" he said eventually and flashing me a quick devastating grin he returned his attention to the pile of calculations and problems in front of him.