Chapter 2

“You’ve come back for me,” Nila told Dom a couple weeks later.

He’d sauntered in early, about 4:30 – just in time for happy hour. “Did you miss me?” he asked as he sat down.

“Of course I did,” she said, giving him his beer and kissing his cheek. “Did you want something to eat?”

“Yeah, please. Whatever’s good today.”

She put in an order for ribs and chips, served a few more customers and came back to chat with him.

“So, love, what’s wrong?”

He frowned. “Nothing’s wrong,” he said.

“You’re here by yourself. You’re never here by yourself. What’s wrong?”

He shrugged. “Nobody to bring.”

“What about Mr. Wood?”

“Lij? Nah, thought you’d be sick of him by now.”

She laughed. “You know he is here quite a lot, whinging about being stuck in a flat with a beautiful woman.”

“Yeah, tough life,” Dom said sardonically.

“Sounds like a real firebrand, this Sophia Bloom.”

Dom grinned. “She’s like a cynical version of her cousin.”

Nila made a face. “Phew, poor Lij.”

“Nah, she’s been crushing on him for a few years already.”

“Really?”

“Oh, sure. One of those girls who overcompensates by being really angry about him all the time. Glaringly obvious, if you know what I mean.”

“I do.” She just stood there and looked at him for a while, until he turned away because he just couldn’t take it anymore. “You still haven’t told me what’s wrong,” she said.

“Nothing’s wrong,” he insisted.

“Dominic Monaghan,” she said forcefully, taking his face in her hand and forcing him to look at her, “You have been in and out of my pub for the last, what, five years? And this is the first time you have ever been in here on your own. That strikes me as odd, doesn’t it you?”

“I, uh, I didn’t get the part,” he finally said.

She let go of his face and stood back from the bar, her eyes flashing fire. “What?” she asked.

“I didn’t get it, I…”

“What’s the number?” she demanded.

“What number?”

“The number of the idiot who didn’t hire you,” she said.

Her reaction completely surprised him. “Nila, I…”

She was already searching for the portable phone. “I’ll tell them a thing or two,” she was muttering. “What’s the number?” she demanded again.

Dom couldn’t help laughing.

“What’s so funny?” she asked.

“You – I just, I never thought you would react so strongly!”

“And why not? I’ve seen your work – you’re fucking brilliant. You deserve this role if it’s one you’ve wanted.”

He reached across the bar and grabbed her hands. “Nila, I was pulling your leg. I got the part.”

She looked stunned for a second then broke out into a huge grin. “I guess we’re even then, aren’t we?” she asked.

“Almost,” he said.

“Almost?”

“Well, see the thing is, I have been in and out of here for the last five years and you know pretty much everything there is to know about me. I, however, know very little about you.”

“What’s there to know? This place is my life,” she said, dismissing the question.

“You know, I’d love to believe that, but I just can’t.”

“And why not?”

“Well, for one thing, it doesn’t explain why I always see massive bruises on your legs during the summer.”

“That’s from bumping into things here. And you only see them because I wear shorts and skirts in the summer.”

“Sorry, don’t buy it.”

She gaped at him in mock offence. “Are you calling me a liar?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Well I never.” She grinned at him then went to fetch his ribs and chips.

“Come on, Nila,” he persisted as he munched at his food. “Don’t be so coy. At least tell me if you have a boyfriend or not.”

“Boyfriend?” she laughed. “When in god’s name would I have time for a boyfriend?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you’re a night owl – sleep all day, fight crime and entertain lovers at night.”

“Don’t I wish. Running a business is a 24-7 gig, love.”

“I just can’t believe you don’t have any sort of social life beyond this place.”

“Believe it.”

“A beautiful girl like you should not be wasting away the best years of her life cooped up in a pub all the time.”

“Maybe not, but I wouldn’t get to see you blokes near as often.”

She was right, of course. “That does pose a bit of a dilemma.”

She went off to refresh the drinks of the other patrons and to catch up with their gossip for a bit. Dom continued picking away at his food while watching the football game on the TV behind the bar. Manchester was winning by two points when she came back.

“Your team winning?” she asked.

“I’m surprised you don’t know who my team is. You seem to intuitively know everything else about me.”

“I guess I’d peg you as either Manchester or Leeds, but you don’t come here often in the afternoon so I’m not familiar with that part of your life.”

He smiled. “Thanks for the grub,” he said, pushing his plate away.

“You’re welcome.” She took his plate and poured him another drink.

“What’s in this one I wonder? Raspberries?”

“Why have you never asked me out?” Nila asked suddenly.

“Pardon?”

“You heard me. Every other bloke that comes in here ends up asking me out at some point. You never have. Why is that?”

He was caught off guard. “What made you think of that so suddenly?” he asked, trying to buy some time.

“I don’t know. The bloke at the end of the bar just propositioned me and I guess I just thought of it.”

“Why have I never asked you out? Well, I guess because I know that every bloke does it…and I don’t want to be every bloke.”

“You’re not,” she said sincerely.

His brain went into overdrive. He had come in here half expecting to have a conversation like this but now that he was in it, he couldn’t think of anything coherent to say. “That’s good to know,” was all he came up with.

She wanted him to push it. She wanted him to ask why she felt that way, why she got anxious if she didn’t see him for weeks on end, why she shamelessly (or so she thought) flirted with him all the time. But he didn’t. He changed the subject and spent the next hour telling her about his new movie.

“I should go,” he said eventually. “Orli’s having a big welcome home party at his flat tonight.” He glanced at his watch. “They’re probably wondering where I am.”

“Well, it was good seeing you. Say hi to your mates for me.”

“I will. I’ll tell Lij to quit his whinging too.”

She smiled, but it seemed like a sad smile to him. But what did it mean? Was she sad because she wanted to get away from this place or because he was leaving? I’ll just make light of it, he thought to himself.

He kissed her cheek as he got up. “Don’t be sad, love, I’ll be back!”

She chuckled. “I know.”

He put down a few bills on the counter. “I don’t run a tab, I don’t run a tab,” he muttered to himself with a coy look at Nila.

“Hey,” she called out as he started to walk away. “If you want to find out about the bruises, be at Leeds U on Saturday at 10:00am.”

He smiled. “I’ll do that.”

Nila sighed heavily when the door shut behind him. What are you doing? She thought to herself. He’s a bloody celeb – don’t do this to yourself! But it was no use. She was fond of him and there was no escaping it.

Back to Relative Nonsense Chapter Three