‘You don’t like other people much, do you?’ I ask.
Now it’s his turn to shrug. ‘They’re all right.’
I laugh. ‘“They’re all right.” That’s hardly fulsome praise. What about the people you work with? Your team.’
‘They’re just people I work with. I don’t really think about them. Everyone wants something from you.’
‘You do have friends, don’t you?’ I ask.
‘Of course I have friends. Just not at work.’ He purses his mouth. ‘I choose my friends carefully.’
In that we’re the same. ‘Me too,’ I say.
‘Bet you’re friends with all your team. I’m sure they all love you – the security guy, Danny, definitely does.’
I smile. ‘Yeah, they do.’ I pause and then say in a louder voice, ‘Because I’m nice to them. You should try it some time.’
‘I prefer to keep myself to myself.’
‘So what do you do with these carefully chosen friends when you’re not at work?’
He lifts an eyebrow.
‘Yes, Tom, we’re having a conversation. We might as well, given that there’s sod all else to do. What about we make a pact, whatever you tell me on tour stays on tour?’
His mouth quirks into a begrudging smile. ‘You’re very direct.’
‘Mate, I’ve got nothing to lose. Look where we are.’
‘You have a point.’ He crosses his legs and winces. It’s not that comfortable on the floor even with the towels. ‘I play five-a-side football with mates a couple of times a week. I’m a Marvel and Star Wars fan so I like going to the cinema. I like reading true crime fiction and listening to politics podcasts while I’m out running. I make films and I’m still in close contact with my uni friends and we socialise a lot together. Dinner, going out for drinks, all that malarkey. And Sunday lunch with the folks once a week with my brother and sister. Pretty standard stuff. What about you?’
‘Similar. I’ve got two really good friends from uni. We go out together a lot and I socialise after work once a week with my team, because as you said, they love me … and newsflash, I like them too.’
‘What about hobbies, interests?’
I’m about to shrug and then think better of it. ‘Is cleaning a hobby?’ I muse out loud.
‘Er, no.’
‘That’s a bit sad, isn’t it,’ I joke. My flat is spotless. I don’t think I’ve got a compulsive disorder, but I like things to be tidy.
‘No. I noticed as you set up the camp last night and tonight, you had to get things into an order and sorted. You like to be organised. There’s no crime in that. I shared a flat with a guy once and he lived in chaos, it did my head in. I couldn’t stand it. I moved out after a couple of months. I certainly don’t describe myself as a neat freak but he was…’ Tom shakes his head. ‘All over the place, you know.’
I give a tight smile. Yeah, I know. Only too well.
‘I’ve never seen a Stars Wars film,’ I volunteer as much for a change of subject as anything else because I know this always elicits howls of disbelief and wide-eyed horror. I’m pleased to see that Tom is no different and reacts with outraged predictability.
‘What! You’re kidding me.’
I hold up a hand. ‘Nope. I’ve never seen Princess Leia in that scene with Jabba the Hutt, or Han Solo frozen in Carbonite or when Darth Vader tells Luke,’ I put on the appropriate voice, ‘I am your father.’
Tom bursts out laughing. ‘For someone who’s never seen one of the films, you seem to know a lot about them.’
‘That’s because people always say the same thing about them. Every. Single. Time.’
‘Please tell me you’ve seen a Marvel film.’
‘Yes, my friend Eleanor has a slight obsession with Thor.’
‘Chris Hemsworth. Why do all the women fancy him?’
‘Might be something to do with those twinkly eyes, that smile or the fact that he’s just plain hot,’ I quip lightly. ‘But actually it’s the real Thor, as in the Viking god. She sits through the films complaining about the license they’ve taken with Norse mythology. She works in a bug farm.’
‘Sorry?’
I’ve added the latter for entertainment value and perhaps to make me sound a bit more interesting, because, hey, look, I have interesting friends. ‘She works for a company that is conducting research into how black flies can be farmed as an alternative food source.’
‘Seriously?’ Tom looks appalled. Okay, so maybe not that interesting.
‘Yup. Right in the centre of London. It’s fascinating.’
‘I’ll take your word for it.’ He shakes his head. ‘I still can’t believe you’ve never seen Star Wars. You must have had a deprived childhood.’
If only he knew.
‘Very funny,’ I say with all the sarcasm I can muster. Before I can say anything else he continues.
‘I usually judge people on who their favourite character is.’
