Wild (sequel to Deep) - Zarry AU

L

The pub was one of those really old ones updated with a mix of industrial, medieval and gothic décor: all bare brick walls, dented metallic surfaces and distressed wood. I sat on the pew-like bench, a velvet cushion its only concession to comfort. A fire was burning in the grate on the other side of the room but I still felt cold so I pulled the mitten tops over my fingerless gloves, praying silently that Skyla wouldn't be late. This part of Primrose Hill was arty, fashionable and decidedly too expensive for me. Moreover I was starting to feel too old to be a hipster, somehow. Especially too old to be meeting an overenthusiastic sixteen-year-old from the other side of the world and acting like we could be besties. I swirled the cloudy, elderflower spritz thing in front of me around in its glass. I had resisted my usual gin: it was early in the day and Skyla was sixteen, after all.

I looked around. The Lion was half-full: mostly casually- but expensively-dressed men, eyes fixed on various devices. Not as many beards as I expected, though. Why weren't they at work?, I wondered. I had taken a day off for this: had combined it with meeting Chloe later for some early Christmas shopping. I really hoped it would be worth the time I would have to spend catching up.

For some reason, at that moment, my eyes flicked to the door.  And then the door opened.

And my jaw dropped.