Page 8 of The Token Yank

“Are you serious?” Rafe covered his mouth in shock. It was quite cute, and Eamonn let it go on for another second before playfully smacking hisshoulder.

“He’s joking with you. Arse,” Eamonn said to Heath. He put a hand on Rafe’s shoulder. “We like to take the piss out of each other. You’ll get used toit.”

“Don’t be afraid to tell Heath to sod off,” Louisasaid.

“Okay. I’ll have a Midori Sourthen.”

“They’re really good. Sweet and sour.” She sucked down the last drops of her drink, which matched the greendécor.

“Louisa should know. She’s had about four of them so far,” Heath said with a raised eyebrow. She raised her eyebrow back and bit off the cherry in herdrink.

Here we go again.Eamonn rolled his eyes. That whole Just Friends agreement wasreallyworking out forthem.

Heath stood up and came with Eamonn to the bar. Eamonn never considered himself short unless he was standing next to his best mate. Heath didn’t make matters better when he styled his shock of white blond hair to stick up like a wave about to crash on the shore. Heath might’ve been taller, but Eamonn was the enforcer of the two. Ever since the first month of uni, when some bloke grabbed Heath’s wet clothes from the washer and threw them onto the floor and Eamonn subsequently threw said bloke on the ground, he’d had his friend’sback.

And having a giraffe for a flatmate served him well on nights likethese.

“Can you see what the hell is taking so long?” Eamonnasked.

Heath didn’t even have to stretch. His eyes scanned the bar area. “They only have two bartenders workingtonight.”

“Bleedinghell.”

“You really need three to handle this amount of traffic. About one for every ninety patrons.” Leave it to Heath to make these kinds of snap calculations, which were always spoton.

“Or you need students to make up their fucking minds before they get upthere.”

Heath had his methodology, and Eamonn hadhis.

“What are you doing next Thursday night?” Heathasked.

Eamonn looked around at the pub. “Same asusual.”

“Well, maybe before we come here, we can go into London. There’s this massive job fair. I think over 100 companies will be representedthere.”

“And what are we supposed to do? Go from booth to booth begging foremployment?”

“Precisely. With a C.V.,too.”

It was their last year of uni, and Eamonn knew what came next. He just preferred not to think about it. They still had months before they graduated. Eamonn hated the whole process.Oh, here’s three years of some classes. Now choose one thing you want to do for the rest of yourlife.

“It’s allbollocks.”

“Right. Work is stupid,” Heath deadpanned. “Why would Eamonn Charles ever consider something as asinine asthat?”

“You can sod right the way off. I’ve had jobs ever since I was twelve. I delivered papers, mowed lawns, washed dishes.” When Eamonn’s dad left, he didn’t leave a fat check on the kitchen table for him and his two younger sisters. If it weren’t for Eamonn’s Uncle George and his company’s generous scholarship, he wouldn’t even be atuni.

“Wait. How come you never washed the dishes in our kitchen? How come you leave all your shitthere?”

“Because no one’s payingme.”

Heath whacked him in thechest.

“Oy,” Eamonn said. “How would you like a smack in the balls, BigBen?”

“If you want to wank me off, just ask. I’ll say no, but still appreciate thegesture.”

Sometimes Eamonn couldn’t believe this sarcastic arse was the same shy roommate he met as a first-year. They’d come a longway.