Goats solve their differences head-on. They don’t give the silent treatment or yell, they butt heads, and then it’s over.Cowboy Marvin has learned humans resolve issues differently especially those romantically involved. His curiosity sparked, he has invited authors to stop by on Fridays and share the first fight out of their latest book.
Erin Lawless is here for ...
First Fight Friday
First Fight Friday
with a scene from
The Best Thing I Never Had
Five years ago at university they had been seven friends
that laughed hard and loved harder.
Nicky and Miles were the couple that were always meant to be… Leigha and Adam, not so much…
So when Adam and Harriet grew close during endless days in the library, they did the one thing that changed everything – they kept a secret. And when it came out, it all fell apart.
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Harriet groaned as Adam turned around and revealed what he had just bought at the bar. “I said one more drink, not one more pitcher,” she called across to him. “We’re expected home already!”
“Listen to yourself, woman!” Adam said incredulously, reaching the table and putting the jug of Snakebite down. “They’re not our parents!”
“Yeah, but – its board game night, ‘The Game of Life’…” Harriet said, stupid with her share of the two jugs of Snakebite they’d imbibed already.
“F*** ‘The Game of Life’,” Adam replied, with great delight, refilling their pint glasses with a clumsy slosh from the pitcher. “I always get the shit jobs anyway.”
“Leigha will be cross,” Harriet predicted, taking a deep drink regardless. Adam’s eyebrows rose.
“With you or with me?” he asked. Harriet shot a look at him through her eyelashes.
“Both,” she replied, neutrally, reaching forward and drawing shapes in the condensation on the swell of the pitcher with her forefinger.
“Let her,” Adam stretched out his legs casually under the table. “She’s not my keeper.”
“Shows what you know,” Harriet said; her tone was light and playful but Adam glowered at her in response. Harriet rolled her eyes and reached forward for her glass again, the drink making her indiscreet. “Christ, any other bloke would be falling at Leigha’s feet for one iota of the attention she’s bestowing upon you.” Adam redirected his glower towards his drink, which he then saw off with slow, careful swallows. Harriet was not to be deterred; “what’s wrong with you?” she persisted.
“Nothing’s wrong with me! I just don’t like this whole sense of ownership, it’s so obvious that you guys totally assume me and her will be getting together.”
“And what’s so odd about that?” Harriet challenged. “You’re single, she’s single, you clearly fancy one another. Get on with it. Stop messing her around.”
Adam inhaled sharply, incredulous. “Messing!”
“Yes, messing!” Harriet’s eyes narrowed. “Unless you’re the sort of guy who’s just after one thing.”
Adam reddened. “Of course not.”
The swift and emphatic denial seemed to take the wind out of Harriet’s sails; she fell silent but looked him square in the face, exasperation still showing on hers.
“Never mind,” she said, finally, standing up. “Look, I’m going to go to the toilet and then we really should head back home.” She was away from their table before Adam could even reply. He sat back against the dark leather backing of the booth, feeling entirely unsettled, eyes on the swing door to the Ladies’ which Harriet had just disappeared through. For the fourth time that evening, he ignored the persistent vibration of his mobile ringing in his jeans pocket.
firstfightfridayfirstfightfridayfirstfightfridayfirstfightfridayfirstfightfridayfirstfightfridayfirstfightfridayfirstfightfridayfirstfightfri“Listen to yourself, woman!” Adam said incredulously, reaching the table and putting the jug of Snakebite down. “They’re not our parents!”
“Yeah, but – its board game night, ‘The Game of Life’…” Harriet said, stupid with her share of the two jugs of Snakebite they’d imbibed already.
“F*** ‘The Game of Life’,” Adam replied, with great delight, refilling their pint glasses with a clumsy slosh from the pitcher. “I always get the shit jobs anyway.”
“Leigha will be cross,” Harriet predicted, taking a deep drink regardless. Adam’s eyebrows rose.
“With you or with me?” he asked. Harriet shot a look at him through her eyelashes.
“Both,” she replied, neutrally, reaching forward and drawing shapes in the condensation on the swell of the pitcher with her forefinger.
“Let her,” Adam stretched out his legs casually under the table. “She’s not my keeper.”
“Shows what you know,” Harriet said; her tone was light and playful but Adam glowered at her in response. Harriet rolled her eyes and reached forward for her glass again, the drink making her indiscreet. “Christ, any other bloke would be falling at Leigha’s feet for one iota of the attention she’s bestowing upon you.” Adam redirected his glower towards his drink, which he then saw off with slow, careful swallows. Harriet was not to be deterred; “what’s wrong with you?” she persisted.
“Nothing’s wrong with me! I just don’t like this whole sense of ownership, it’s so obvious that you guys totally assume me and her will be getting together.”
“And what’s so odd about that?” Harriet challenged. “You’re single, she’s single, you clearly fancy one another. Get on with it. Stop messing her around.”
Adam inhaled sharply, incredulous. “Messing!”
“Yes, messing!” Harriet’s eyes narrowed. “Unless you’re the sort of guy who’s just after one thing.”
Adam reddened. “Of course not.”
The swift and emphatic denial seemed to take the wind out of Harriet’s sails; she fell silent but looked him square in the face, exasperation still showing on hers.
“Never mind,” she said, finally, standing up. “Look, I’m going to go to the toilet and then we really should head back home.” She was away from their table before Adam could even reply. He sat back against the dark leather backing of the booth, feeling entirely unsettled, eyes on the swing door to the Ladies’ which Harriet had just disappeared through. For the fourth time that evening, he ignored the persistent vibration of his mobile ringing in his jeans pocket.
Nicky and Miles were the couple that were always meant to be… Leigha and Adam, not so much…
When the day comes for bridesmaids to be chosen and best men to fulfil drunken promises, Nicky and Miles’ wedding isn’t just a wedding, it’s a reunion – loaded with past hurts, past regrets, past loves…
The Best Thing I Never Had is available to buy at these places:
Amazon | Google Play | iTunes | Sainsbury's
Erin Lawless lives a happy life full of wonderful friends, in love with a man who buys her books instead of flowers. To mix things up a little, she writes books where friends and lovers hit obstacles and (usually) overcome them. When she’s not doing that she reads absolutely everything she gets her hands on, spends an inordinate amount of time in pyjamas and runs a fun-but-informative blog on British history.
Follow Erin Lawless online
Thanks for sharing Erin!
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