Sitting back in her seat, Carla took another sip of her coffee, sucked on her cigarette and returned her attention to her newspaper. Skim reading the pages, her eyes flicked over the lines of text without taking in their content. Lost in a world of her own, she ignored the mass of humanity that buzzed purposefully around her. She absently ground the stub of her cigarette into the ashtray in front of her. Pausing only to take another mouthful of coffee, Carla turned the page then reached for her bag. Seconds later, with the filter tip of another cigarette between her lips, she flicked open her lighter and brought the flame towards the end of her cigarette. She inhaled deeply before expelling the smoke from her lungs with a sigh.
A voice intruded itself into her awareness. "Carla?" it said, "Carla Stevenson? Is that you?"
Puzzled, Carla looked up. A man, about the same age as herself, stood at the other side of her table. He had a friendly smile and his dark, brown eyes shone out from an attractive yet strangely familiar face. "I'm sorry," said Carla, trying to collect her thoughts and figure out where she knew this person from.
"It's me, Andy, Andy Rodgers" said the man, "We were at University together."
"Andy, of course," said Carla warmly, putting her newspaper down, "I'm sorry, I didn't recognise you.
Andy shrugged. "Well, it has been at least six years since we last saw each other so that's understandable, he said. "You haven't changed a bit," he added. "Mind if I join you?"
"Be my guest," replied Carla, folding her newspaper and putting it in her bag. "What brings you here?" she asked.
"Work," replied Andy with a shrug. "I work for the company that owns this hotel," he said, "I'm here for a couple of days doing an audit. What about you?"
"Much the same in a way, I guess," said Carla, "My boss is advising a local firm on their pension scheme and I'm helping out. This is where I'm staying while I'm in town."
"So where's your boss now?" enquired Andy.
Carla shrugged. "Out being wined and dined by the company's directors," she replied.
"While you're away from home, alone," said Andy, smiling warmly.
"C' est la vie," replied Carla, answering with a smile of her own.
Andy pulled out a chair and sat down at the table next to Carla. They drank and chatted, filling each other in about the events of the last six years. Carla learnt that Andy's sister, Avril, had got married to someone she'd met at university and was now living in Glasgow. She told Andy how she and another friend from University, Jane had shared a flat for a couple of years before she'd moved to America shortly after getting married.
"So you and Craig never did tie the knot then?" Andy enquired.
"No," replied Carla, "it finally fizzled out about four years ago. We're still very good friends and our paths still cross a couple of times a year." She smiled, wickedly. "He's still good for a damn good shag now and then."
"Some things never change," laughed Andy. "I was always slightly envious of him, you know?"," he added.
"Oh," said Carla, raising an eyebrow enquiringly, "Why?"
"Well, can you blame me when he had one of the hottest girls in our year for a girlfriend?" Andy teased.
"Nice of you to say so," replied Carla, "But I thought you and Sandra ..."
"Yeah well, there was Sandra," Andy said, cutting Carla off, "but that didn't go anywhere really."
"Really?" asked Carla, her surprise clearly evident, "you seemed quite a good match."
"Well, yes, I suppose we were, sort of" replied Andy, "we even kept it going for about six months after graduation until we realised that it was really just a physical thing. It was exciting but it was never really anything more than a bit of fun."
"But if you wanted to enjoy yourself more why didn't you? I mean, you were, and still are a good looking guy"
"Thanks," replied Andy with a shrug, "Dunno really, lack of confidence I guess."
Carla smiled and put a hand, consolingly on Andy's shoulder. As they'd talked, Andy had slowly pulled his chair closer to Carla's and Carla was aware, albeit, distantly, of Andy's knee brushing occasionally against her own.
Carla yawned. "I'm not boring you am I?" asked Andy. There was a note of apprehension in his voice.