Page 58 of Deep Down

“Chipmunk.”

“Ooh, no having to think about that one. Are you a closet Alvin fan, too?” Heath smirked at Alex.

“God, no. Their voices drive me up the wall.” Alex chuckled. He thanked Marcus upon receipt of his beer.

“Thanks, mate.” Heath did the same. “Okay, favourite movie?”

“Bloody hell, you don’t pull any punches, do you?” Alex shook his head with a smile. “No idea.”

“What? You don’t have one you like?” Heath’s mouth gaped, incredulous.

“I don’t watch a huge amount of TV, but I do like sci-fi fantasy films, like The Matrix and Alien. Stuff like that. Couldn’t name a favourite, though.”

“Okay, I understand. I like time travel ones, like Looper and The Terminator.”

Alex watched as Heath swallowed, gazing as his Adam’s apple bobbed with the motion. Heath caught his gaze and smiled.

Glancing at his watch, Alex couldn’t believe the time. “Wow, we’ve been here for two hours!”

“Is that a good realisation, or a bad one?” Heath studied Alex, gaze roaming his face.

Alex beamed. “Good, of course.”

Heath exhaled. “I’ve had a great time, Alex.”

“Me, too.”

“Would it be too forward of me to ask if you’re willing to try this again sometime soon?” Heath rolled his lips inwards; a sign Alex was coming to realise meant Heath was unsure.

“Not too forward. And I’d love to.”

The smile that spread across Heath’s face could power the whole of Cambridge, and Alex felt a fluttery sensation in his stomach.

Heath pulled out his phone and passed it to Alex, once he’d unlocked it. “Could I have your number?”

Alex grasped the phone and entered his details before passing it back to Heath, who pressed a few buttons before Alex felt a vibration from his own phone. “Now, you have my number.”

Alex retrieved his phone and, with a smirk, saved Heath’s number underHot Vet Heath.

“Hot vet, huh?” Heath grinned.

Alex blushed. “Shut up, I need to differentiate between all the other imaginary guys I have in my contact list.”

Heath laughed. “Good to know.”

“Good to know what? That I have imaginary guy friends?”

“No, that you think I’m hot.” Heath leered.

Alex smacked the back of his hand against Heath’s shoulder. “Shut it, or you drop down my list of who next to contact.”

“No! I’m sorry, don’t do that.” Heath wailed with the exuberance of a child not wanting their favourite toy to be taken away from them.

Alex guffawed. “You’re an idiot.”

“Yep.” Heath agreed with a grin.

Getting into the taxi with Casey—they’d had excessive amounts of alcohol—Alex couldn’t help smiling at the night he’d had.