This was so unlike Leon, Maggie thought, wondering whether she had got him all wrong after all. She was glad, though. He was such a lovely person, and it would do him good to be out. This thought made Maggie feel like his mother, so she dismissed it and turned her attention back to Tiger. He too seemed a little reluctant to go to the Students’ Union. Maggie felt that he was holding back. Was he waiting to see what she was going to do before he committed? She hardly dared even think that.
Angie’s friends stood up, making complaining noises about pins and needles in legs and feet, and soon they were ambling noisily down the corridor with Leon in tow. Angie herself had disappeared back into her room to replace the guitar, leaving Maggie and Tiger alone in the corridor.
‘So, Mags,’ he said. ‘You coming?’
Her dilemma was almost palpable. She also had early lectures and a tutorial that she needed to be sharp for. She had had enough to drink for one night, too. Any more would risk a hangover, which she could ill afford. And the Students’ Union wasn’t the ideal place for the intimate tête-a-tête that she had in mind. It could be so loud in there that it was almost impossible to have a decent conversation.
‘Or we could just go for a walk around the lake,’ he suggested, leaning in towards her so that his thigh brushed hers. His voice was softer now that there were just the two of them. ‘I promise not to push you in,’ he added with a smile. He seemed different, less brash, the performance that his life seemed to be paused for a moment.
Maggie raised an eyebrow as if to say that if he even tried to push her in she wouldn’t hesitate in taking her revenge, but before she had time to reply Angie reappeared wearing the moth-eaten Afghan coat that made Maggie’s skin crawl.
‘Right!’ Angie said. ‘Let’s go,’ and set off after the others.
Maggie dithered for a second, but it was too long.
‘Definitely not coming?’ asked Tiger, taking a step away from her. The electricity escaped immediately.
Maggie’s heart sank and then her irritation rose. What was going on here? It felt like he was two people – the gentle romantic who had suggested a quiet moonlit walk, and the life-and-soul party animal that he was with Angie. Her mind flicked to John Travolta’s character in Grease.
Well, that wasn’t good enough for Maggie. He was either interested in her or he wasn’t. There were no half measures.
‘No,’ she said decisively. ‘I don’t fancy it.’
This was a lie, but she looked Tiger straight in the eye as she delivered it. She saw the tiniest twist of his mouth, the raise of an eyebrow, but then he set off up the corridor, catching up with Angie in three steps.
‘Sleep tight then, Maggie,’ he called out over his shoulder without turning round. ‘Don’t let the bed bugs bite.’
Angie slipped her arm through his as they walked, relaxed, unselfconscious. ‘God, do you remember those bed bugs in Goa . . .’ she began, and then they pushed through the double doors and were gone.
Maggie let herself back into her room, fighting her feelings of disappointment. She’d made the right decision, she told herself. In fact, she had probably just had a narrow escape, not allowing herself to be seduced by a bloke who was basically a dick. Tiger would definitely turn out to be a player. He certainly looked like one. It was a wise move on her part not to get involved. She would save herself some heartache later on.
But as she tucked herself up into her narrow bed and flicked off the light, she thought about his expression when she had turned him down. She was sure she’d seen a trace of regret in his eyes.
9
Maggie hadn’t given much thought to who she might move in with for the second year, but when she overheard some other first years discussing it in the refectory, she realised that she needed to. The idea had popped into her head earlier in the term but then she had got so caught up with her course and thoughts of the coming exams that it had drifted out again. Actually, if she was being completely honest, this wasn’t true. She had pushed the idea out of her mind because it was a problem that she wasn’t entirely sure how to solve.
As the year had worn on, not much had changed with her social life. Whilst Maggie had got to know people on her course a little better, there was no one amongst them that she would feel comfortable approaching about accommodation for the following year. In fact, she thought that she might have missed the boat in any event. Going by the overheard conversation, it appeared that people had already split into groups and were searching for houses accordingly. She would have to live with someone, though. That much was obvious, as she couldn’t afford to rent a place on her own.