"So did anything ever happen between you and Sacha, then?" asked Mal unexpectedly.

Alain raised his eyebrows cheekily and licked his lips - but then, abruptly, remembered Mal's comment about how frequently he spoke to Rona. He poured himself another glass of beer from the full jug Mal had bought a minute ago. "Nah" he said dismissively. "You know how it is: you see a chick, reckon you might be in with a chance, you give it a shot. You win some, you lose some."

"Yeah, I guess so . . ." Mal paused for thought. "Still, who'd have thought her and Rona would turn into such good friends, eh? I mean, it must be a bit weird for you, having her hanging around all the time whenever you see Rona these days. Kinda like rubbing it in your face a bit or something."

"Dude, what the fuck are you talking about?" snapped Alain. "I don't give a shit about her. Fuck her."

Mal sniggered. "You wish!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Alain took a sip of his beer, and it seemed to have a calming influence on him. He looked thoughtfully into the sunshine. "Man, though. Summer's coming up. I can't bloody wait! Girls on the beach, wearing their bikinis . . . Hell yeah."

Mal nodded appreciatively. "Do you think Sacha is a beach kind of girl?"

"Why d'you keep talking about Sacha? What is it, do you fancy her or something?"

"What?"

"I mean, you know, you can go after her if you do. I'm not interested any more. And you saw her first, after all. You have my permission" he said grandly.

Mal laughed. "I'm not interested in her!" he said loudly. Alain just looked at him. "Seriously!" He really wasn't, but it annoyed him that the more sincere he tried to sound, the more insincere it came out. "I just think she's a nice girl, that's all. She's kinda cool."

"Mate, you're tripping" replied Alain. "She's more uptight than a . . . I dunno, something." He took a large gulp of beer instead of finishing the simile. "Fuck, though" he said, looking around lazily. "Summer, eh? It's gonna be a good one."

"Yep."

They sat outside the pub for the rest of the afternoon, idling away the hours. The sun continued to shine - as it had been doing consistently for several days now, a surprising phenomenon in this most changeable of cities. Technically, Alain had university to be attending - however he couldn't be bothered, not in such great weather. Only two and a half months until the summer holidays, then three months of sunshine and beer . . .

As the sun started to slide below the crests of the buildings on the city's western horizon, Mal remembered suddenly that he had to be somewhere. Alain took it upon himself to finish the last jug of the afternoon. It was only after he'd drained the last few dregs and started walking towards the nearest mobile 'phone shop that he realised he still had his old 'phone in his pocket: Mal had forgotten to take it. When would that boy learn?