The Time Bubble Box Set 2, стр. 12

“You’re right, it is a bit quiet in here. I thought you weredoing a roaring trade.”

“She is,” remarked Hannah, eavesdropping from the table.“That’s why we picked a Tuesday to meet up. Peter’s getting on a bit now. Hedoesn’t like it when the music’s loud and there’s nowhere to sit down. He won’tcome here at the weekend.”

The other laughed, to which Peter replied, “To be fair I amofficially eighty-five years old, according to my birth certificate. Surely I’mallowed to take it steady at my time of life!”

There was more laughter, the others of course knowing thatalthough Peter had indeed been born eighty-five years ago, his body was twentyyears younger because of his lengthy stay in the Time Bubble.

Josh turned back to the bar to see Lauren already pouringtheir drinks – she didn’t need to be told what they wanted.

“I hear this place is all yours now,” remarked Josh.

“Yep, lock, stock and all the barrels,” replied Lauren.

“I like what you did there,” replied Josh. “How much do Iowe you?”

“Nothing,” she said. “Tonight’s on me.”

“Great!” said Nobby from his table which clearly wasn’t outof earshot after all. “In that case I’ll have another pint of lager!”

“Nice try, sunshine,” replied Lauren.

“There’s nothing wrong with his hearing, is there?” remarkedJosh.

“Have a heart,” said Nobby. “I had a bad day at Cheltenhamtoday. The favourite was brought down in the Champion Hurdle.”

“Well, perhaps you shouldn’t bet so much,” replied Lauren.

Muttering, Nobby returned to his paper.

“How did you end up taking over this place?” asked Josh.

“Kent finally decided that as he was nearly eighty it wastime to retire. He and Kay have sailed off into the sunset: Tenerife, to beprecise. She’s got a holiday home over there. She’s made a lot of money thesepast few years from her travel documentaries.”

“Who would have thought it, eh?” asked Josh. “Remember whenwe used to come in here when we were teenagers? She used to get in a rightstate then, didn’t she?”

“She’s certainly turned her life around since then,” repliedLauren. “I didn’t realise it at the time but her and Kent go way back.Apparently, they were teenage sweethearts, but due to one thing and another ittook over fifty years for them to finally get it together.”

“I guess everyone’s got a backstory, and one of the greatthings about time travel is that you can go back and find out what it is,”replied Josh.

“Mine would be pretty scandalous,” said Lauren, “verging onthe pornographic, even.”

Josh cast a nervous glance in Alice’s direction to check shehadn’t overheard this. She had always been jealous about Josh and Lauren’spast.

“Yes, well, the less said about that, the better,” saidJosh. “Anyway, there is one good thing about the pub being quiet tonight. Youcan come and join us for a few drinks.”

“I can do better than that,” she said. “If no one else comesin, I’ll close early. Those three at the window will be off to finish their runin a few minutes. They only sneak in here for a quick vodka – apparently, it’spart of the training. The two lads playing pool normally only stay for one ortwo, and it’s well past old Nobby’s bedtime. Once they’re all gone, we can havea proper party, just like in the good old days.”

Lauren had finished pouring the drinks now and put the lastone, Alice’s G&T, onto a tray for him to take over.

“Like I said, on the house,” she said.

He carried the drinks over to the others, where Kaylee wasexcitedly telling them her latest news.

“So, as of next month, I am going to be the leading weatherpresenter on BBC News!” she exclaimed. “I’m so glad I didn’t take that job inAustralia now.”

She was referring to a major project to control the weathershe had been asked to join a few years previously. Ultimately, she had decidedstaying with Lauren and her other friends was more important, as well as beingaround to support her kids through university.

“That’s two famous female TV presenters who have beenregulars in this pub now,” remarked Hannah. “You and Kay.”

“I’ve loved every minute of working at the Met Office, notto mention the bulletins on Radio 2 all these years,” replied Kaylee. “Butpresenting the weather on the BBC is a dream come true.”

“And she might be bumping into me while she’s there,” addedCharlie. “You know that they’re revamping Doctor Who and bringing itback for a new series? Well, they’ve only gone and asked me to write a scriptfor it. I knew writing all those time travel novels would pay off eventually.”

“It looks like we’ve got a lot to celebrate tonight!” saidJosh. “I hope you’ve got plenty of champagne on ice, Lauren,” he added, turningback towards the bar.

“I’m one step ahead of you there,” replied Lauren, who wasalready making her way across from the bar with an ice bucket and a bottle ofMoët & Chandon. This didn’t go unnoticed by Nobby, much to his disgust.

“I can’t get a free pint and you’re handing out freechampagne!” he grumbled.

“Oh, have a pint, then, you grumpy old sod, but after thatyou can go home. And if that horse wins tomorrow you can buy me a double vodkawith your winnings,” said Lauren.

“Cheers, Lauren,” said Nobby, apparently satisfied.

“I have to hand it to you, Charlie,” said Josh. “I read yourlatest book on the plane on the way back from Australia and it’s a cracker. Ishould ask you where you get your ideas from but, as usual, I already know. Infact, I ought to be asking for a cut of the royalties!”

“I loved all that stuff with the alternate universes,” addedPeter, “very imaginative” and he gave Josh a knowing look.

Peter knew very well where Charlie had got his ideas from,and also knew that Alice didn’t know the full truth. As was often the case,what Josh hadn’t told his wife he had confided to his two best mates over a fewpints. Perhaps this hadn’t been the right thing to do, but Josh felt that therewere times in life when it was easier to share secrets with one’s close friendsthan with one’s spouse.

“I do