Chapter Text
"To Charlie, for finally dumping that wanker!" Tao cheered, and a laugh from Charlie and Elle followed as they clinked their glasses.
The three of them sat in The Cheeky Goose, a pub that was a mere twenty feet from their flat. They sat at their usual table, the one in the back left corner that had the comfiest seats.
“I’m embarrassed it took me this long.” Charlie laughed, and took a sip from his rum and coke.
“Hey, it’s our twenties. We’re meant to make mistakes!” Elle masked it as a joke, but the sincerity was there.
“I know, but saying that dating Ben Hope was a mistake is a huge understatement.” Charlie laughed, and Elle smiled as she took a sip of her wine.
“That’s very true. I, however, made a mistake ordering this wine. It’s horrible! ” She said in disgust, and stood up. “I’m going to order a gin and tonic from the bar, do either of you want anything?” She asked, and the two boys shook their heads. Charlie watched as she walked out of earshot, and leant across the table to Tao.
“How are you feeling?” Charlie said in a hushed voice.
“I’m not gonna lie, Charlie.” Tao lent to meet him halfway across the table. “I’m shitting myself.” He stared eye-to-eye with Charlie, who lent back to his original pose.
“You have nothing to worry about, Tao, she’s obviously going to say yes. Plus, who could say no to that ring!?” Charlie grinned.
“I know, I know. But it’s Elle, she’s the greatest woman in the universe! Any man would be nervous to propose to her.” Tao said, looking towards the bar where she was standing as she waited for her drink to be served.
Charlie had met Tao the day he’d moved to the University of Kent, finding each other to be flatmates in Truham Halls. They then met Elle later that same day when they’d attended a party in the flat across from theirs, where she and Tao had promptly shoved their tongues down each other's throats after an hour of knowing each other. The trio had been inseparable since, living together for seven years now after moving to London post graduation.
Tonight marked the seven year anniversary of Elle and Tao’s first date, and also the night Tao was planning to propose after dinner. Charlie had helped pick the ring out, a beautiful opal encased on a thin gold band. It was untraditional but still elegant - just like Elle.
“Well, I’ll be out of your hair soon. I think the bus gets here in five.” Charlie said, and took a sip of his drink as he saw Elle start to make her way over from the bar.
“What are you even doing tonight, anyways?” Tao asked, shifting the subject along.
“You know the guy I sit next to? Isaac?” Tao nodded. “He invited me to karaoke with a bunch of people from the office.”
“I wish I could see you at karaoke! I just get to hear your singing in the shower, thanks to our thin walls..” Elle laughed as she sat down.
“And you’re welcome!” Charlie smiled. “I probably won’t sing or anything, I can't be the office idiot after only working there for a few weeks.” He stood up, and slid his coat off from the chair he’d been sitting on.
“Mmmm true. Anyways, enjoy! Maybe you’ll meet someone to help you forget about Ben.” Elle winked.
“Yes, because life’s just that easy.” Charlie mocked. He gave a hug to Elle, and a wink to Tao, before he left.
The 94 bus turned up on time, and luckily the journey into central London was quick. Soon enough he was outside The Dreamland, a trendy bar in Soho where he’d planned to meet Isaac outside of.
“Hey!” Isaac had called, giving him a wave.
“Hey! Thanks for meeting me outside.” Charlie smiled.
“No worries! Please, come on in. I saved you a seat.” He smiled, and Charlie followed him into the bar. Being twenty-five the bouncers paid no attention to ID’ing him, which felt like a weird milestone in getting old.
Isaac led him to a table where two girls were sitting. They were trying to balance empty plastic shot glasses in a pyramid formation, but were knocked over as one of the girls attempted to place the final glass on top. They gave a groan as the plastic hit the table, before looking up to see Isaac and Charlie and smiled at them.
“Tara, Darcy! Meet Charlie. Charlie, this is Tara and Darcy.” Issac said as he took a seat, and Charlie smiled at them as he took the seat next to him.
“Nice to meet you!” Charlie said.
“You too! Isaac said you're new to the crew, how are you finding Roundabout?” Tara asked.
“Good, thanks. It’s been nice working in an office. I was a freelancer before this, so having a desk that isn’t also your bed is a nice change.” Charlie laughed.
“I’d accidentally nap, like, constantly if I did that.” The other girl, Darcy, joked.
“What do you two do at Roundabout?” Charlie asked, returning the polite smalltalk.
“I work as one of the social media managers, and Jonesy’s the assistant to the Sports Editor.” Darcy said, looking at Tara. The two seemed close, the use of a pet-name didn’t seem out of place for them. “Talking of which, where is Nick at?” Tara asked, looking past the crowd towards the bar from where she was sitting.
“I don’t know! He went to get shots, right?” Isaac asked, and joined her in looking.
“Yeah, like twenty minutes ago–oh, wait! There he is.” Tara rolled her eyes and smiled at someone. Charlie looked round to see, presumably, Nick, walking towards him. He was tall, with sandy hair and still wearing his suit, likely not having a chance to change before work. His tie had been loosened and his top button undone, making the look more casual. In his hands he carried a tray of shots in plastic glasses, the same as the ones Tara and Darcy had been stacking.
“Hey, guys!” He shouted. “Sorry, I got talking to Shaun.” He looked and smiled at Charlie. “Oh, hey! You must be Charlie.”
“Yeah, it’s Nick, right?” Charlie asked, and the man nodded. “Yeah, Nick Nelson.” He smiled, and reached a hand out after placing the tray on the table. Charlie took it, shaking it. His stomach felt the tiniest flutter of anxiety as he did, probably just being his nerves.
“Nice to meet you, Charlie. Wanna do shots?” He said, a sideways grin on his face.
“Sure!” Charlie agreed, and reached for one of them.
“What have we got here?” Tara asked, also reaching for one.
“I think Tequila? I can’t remember. Something strong.” He said, and reached for one as Isaac and Darcy did too.
“Three, two, one!” Darcy called out, and the group took the shots, the sound of plastic hitting the table in unison after they did. The burn of the alcohol was felt, and Charlie wrinced his face in response. It wasn’t tequila, but it was definitely strong. A callout was heard for Bad Romance, and Darcy excitedly got up.
“That’s me! I’ll be back soon!” She said, quickly giving Tara a kiss on the cheek before running towards the stage, and Tara laughed as she watched Darcy run towards the stage.
“She’s my girlfriend by the way, if you hadn’t guessed.” Tara turned to Charlie, and Charlie smiled back.
“Wait, you mean the girl singing Lady Gaga isn’t straight?” Charlie joked, and Tara let out a giggle.
“I think we’re gonna get along well, Charlie.” She said to him, and he gave a smile.
The group watched as Darcy pranced around on the stage, the crowd of her co-workers cheering her on. Mid performance Isaac stood up, and looked at the group.
“Would anyone like anything?” He asked, referencing that he was going over to the bar.
“I could do with a drink, let me come with you.” Charlie said as the other two shook their heads. He and Isaac walked to the bar, and ordered themselves a cocktail each. They then waited by the bar, leaning on it as they watched Darcy’s performance.
“Do you think you’ll have a go?” Isaac said as they leant on the bar.
“Probably not, I’d rather not become the office fool a few weeks in. Ask me again in a month.” Charlie laughed. “How about you?”
“I think you’d rather see a group of cats up there than hear me sing.” Isaac joked, and Charlie gave a soft chuckle.
“Thanks for inviting me, by the way.” Charlie gratefully said.
“Thanks for coming! I remember how daunting the first day at the office was. I’m just happy you’re getting along well with the group!” He said, as the bartender passed their drinks to them both. They made their way back to the table, which was about the same time Darcy’s performance had finished. The group cheered as she came bouncing over, grabbing one of the remaining shots from the tray.
“Whew!” She exclaimed after hitting the empty shot glass on the table. “So, who’s next?” She said, eyeing the group.
“Don’t look at me!” Isaac said to her as she squinted at him, before suddenly turning her head to look at Nick. “Nelson!”
“Nu-uh, Olsson. I’m not drunk enough for that.” He shook his head at her.
“Guess you’ll need this, then.” She said, and placed a shot from the tray in front of him. He picked it up and threw his head back as he took it, and then looked at Charlie.
“I hope this doesn’t change your incredibly high opinion on me.” He said with a sarcastic tone and a laugh, and stood up to walk towards the stage to pick a song.
The group cheered, and soon enough he walked on the stage. Other tables cheered for him, chanting his name.
“Trust Nick to get a crowd going. I swear he doesn’t realise he’s considered cool.” Tara said as she watched him rearrange the microphone wire under his feet.
Charlie had noticed that the man was well liked by his co-workers. He guessed being the lead Sports Editor he was likely to be one of those guys. One of the popular kids at school, captain of the football team or something. The kind of guy who gets all the girls due to his endless confidence.
But there was something different about him. Whilst he seemed like the kind, there was also this softness to him, one you didn’t usually find in so-called ‘sports bros’. You’d probably describe it as golden retriever energy, optimistic with a welcoming grin to anyone he met.
The song started, an old britpop classic: Don’t Look Back in Anger by Oasis. The shot had definitely had an effect, he was wavering with the mic in his hand as he sang/shouted into it. The crowd loved it though, the majority of them singing along with him as he slurred the words.
As he sang he looked to the audience in front as they cheered his name and sang with him. He then switched his attention from those before him to the group Charlie had been sat with. They were all singing along too; it was a classic song every Brit had sung in the club at 2am whilst pissed out of their mind. As he looked to them he flicked his eyes between them, before settling on Charlie’s. He held their stare, and gave a smile as he sang. Charlie smiled back in response, which only made Nick’s grin widen, causing the flutter in his stomach to return.
But it was just his nerves, right?
—
The night grew on, and Charlie sat around the table with Tara, Darcy and Isaac, who were telling him an embarrassing story from their Christmas party. It had something to do with Isaac getting locked in the supply closet for thirty minutes before Darcy had come to his rescue. Charlie listened along, but his attention was interrupted by a notification from his phone. He smiled before pulling it out of his pocket, checking his lockscreen.
Text from: Elle Argent, 9:16pm:
[Attachment: Photograph]
Text from: Elle Argent, 9:16pm:
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG
Charlie smiled as he unlocked his phone, already knowing what the message would be. He looked at the photo Elle had sent, seeing she and Tao smiling to the camera as Elle held up her hand, showing off the ring he’d helped Tao pick out on her ring finger.
“You alright?” Darcy leant into him, and he looked at her and smiled.
“Yeah! My best friends just got engaged.” He smiled, and showed her the picture he’d received.
“Oh my god, they look adorable!” She said as she looked at the picture.
“They are, aren’t they?” Charlie smiled in agreement.
“So how about you?” Darcy pried. “Are you dating anyone?”
“Well, I dumped my boyfriend last night. So nope, not at the moment.” Charlie gave an awkward laugh.
“Oh, I’m sorry–” She said, a worried look on her face.
“Don’t worry! It wasn’t serious or anything. Plus, he was kind of a dickhead anyways.” He said, reassuring her. She gave a look of relief.
“Well, screw him. You seem way too nice to date a dickhead.” She said, and they both laughed. Charlie was slightly surprised about how comfortable he’d already found himself within the group. The trio he’d been sat with during the evening were welcoming and easy to get along with, which to Charlie's relief had helped calm his nerves as the night grew on.
They sat at that table for a while, discussing a rumour going around the office about some guy called Garreth cheating on his girlfriend with the secretary. However, they were interrupted by Nick walking over to them.
“I’m off, I’ll see you guys on Monday!” He said as he stood by their table.
“See you later, Nick.” Darcy said.
“Goodnight!” Isaac nodded.
“Night, Nelson!” Tara smiled at him.
“Enjoy your weekends.” He said, and looked at Charlie.
“It was nice meeting you, Charlie.” He gave a smile to him.
“Yeah, you too!” Charlie said as he waved goodbye. The man turned and headed out the door, his suit blazer folded over his arm as he left.
“I should probably head home after this drink too, actually.” Charlie noted, and sipped on the remaining half of his drink. Once finished, he bid farewell to the group, thanking them for a lovely evening.
“No worries, it was lovely to meet you! Don’t be a stranger around the office, alright?” Tara said before he left.
“Yeah, come join us for lunch on Monday with Isaac!” Darcy invited.
“I’d like that. I’ll see you then!” He said. “Thanks for the invite, Isaac. I’m glad I came!”
“Me too. See you on Monday!” He smiled, and Charlie waved goodbye to them as he walked out the pub and to his bus stop.
The bus home was filled with drunken young adults in their outfits ready for clubbing, sipping on drinks whilst they journeyed to their destinations. Soon enough Charlie found himself at the bus stop outside his flat, and then walking up two flights of stairs to his door on the second floor.
The flat was located in Shepherds Bush, a neighbourhood in West London that was majoritively inhabited by students and young professionals. The flat itself was a cosy two bed shared by Charlie, Elle and Tao. They’d lived there for three years now, and the place was decorated by a mixture of their belongings. A hand knitted blanket by Elle was draped along the sofa, framed film posters on the wall had been hung by Tao, and Charlie’s electric drum-kit resided in the corner of the living room. The kitchen featured mismatched dishware, which none of them could remember whose was whose. Charlie had the smaller bedroom of the flat, not that he minded at all. He’d always found smaller rooms to be cosier, more homely.
He twisted the key in the lock, opening the door to the hallway of the flat. As the door shut behind him, he heard footsteps running towards him.
“Charlie!” Elle squealed, appearing from the lounge.
“Elle! Let me see, let me see!” He said, throwing his coat on the hooks behind the front door. Elle held out her hand as they both admired the ring together.
“It’s lovely, isn’t it?” She said.
“It is! I’m so happy for you both.” Charlie said, closing his hands around hers and giving it a squeeze. She looked at him, squinting.
“You knew, didn’t you?” She asked.
“Maybe. Tao dragged me to, like, five jewellery stores to get my opinions.” Charlie admitted. “To be fair, he was going to go with a silver ring at first.”
“Silver!? But I’m such a gold girl!” She gave a playful shocked look, and then returned back to a smile. “Okay. Maybe it’s a good thing you knew.” She laughed.
The two wandered into the lounge, where Tao was pouring three glasses of champagne for them. The group sat together as they raised a toast to the newly engaged. They clinked glasses and sipped on champagne as Elle started to brief Charlie on ideas she’d already thought about for the wedding.
Charlie listened, agreeing with all of them already.
It’s weird being single whilst living with the cutest couple on the planet. Whilst his love life had been a series of bad tinder dates, shoddy one night stands and knobheads, Elle and Tao restored Charlie’s faith that somewhere out there his soulmate was wandering around.
Maybe it’d be next week, or in a year. Maybe even five years from now! But Charlie was sure he’d meet him soon enough. And who knows? Maybe Charlie had, unknowingly, already met him.