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When I moved to Thatcham I made a real and very conscious effort to try and keep myself to myself It wasn&039;t that I didn&039;t want to be with anyone else, rather I didn&039;t want to be drawn into communal life I didn&039;t want to becos I wanted some space and some distance from the rest of the world around me Unfortunately it didn&039;t work

Drink wasa real taste for beer, and it was fast becoular routine that I&039;d vowed never to have Siobhan, a few friends and er&039;s Sett pub every Friday night for a few drinks I hadn&039;t realised that it had become so routine until, last Friday, I&039;d walked in there and foundon the bar for me Ray Mercer - the landlord - had poured it ready

This Friday most people needed a drink ht I watched her arrive from the bedroomand followed her every step as she walked up the short garden path and let herself in There was no getting away from the fact that she was absolutely bloody beautiful The intense buzz of excite today as it had always been A clich - perhaps but true nonetheless - she was an inspiration to me There had been some dark days recently - perhaps the darkest days - and she&039;d been the single beacon of light that had guidedin front of the TV when I walked into the living roo I just crept up behind her, wrapped ht

&039;You okay?&039; I asked, whispering softly into her ear

She pushed herself away slightly and turned around so that she could look into my face She smiled and nodded and we kissed with the kind of passion normally reserved for lovers who have been separated for days or weeks It had only been a few hours since we&039;d last been together

&039;I&039;entle breath ticking my face &039;Are you?&039;

&039;I&039;m okay&039;

She sat down on the sofa Like the rest of the population Siobhan was transfixed by the activity out over the ocean and she stared at the television screen in the corner of the room I, on the other hand, continued to stare at her Of course I was interested and anxious to knoas happening out at sea, but staring at Siobhan was infinitely preferable She looked incredible in a short suination That wasn&039;t a problem, because there wasn&039;t any aspect of her perfect body which ination hadn&039;t already explored a thousand tie sunlight flooded into the roo her view of the TV screen I took advantage of the distraction

&039;You look fantastic,&039; I said as I sat down next to her and pushedlegs) around me and pulled me close

&039;Only fantastic?&039; she teased, her voice deliberately low and sultry &039;No,&039; I replied, shuffling closer to her (and shuffling to get cohter by the second), &039;you look fucking fantastic&039;

&039;That&039;s better&039;

I wanted her and she knew it She was playing withme wild

&039;Fancyabout the way I was literally drooling over her iven my less than subtle interest away

&039;You know I do,&039; I answered,suddenly shallow

&039;Want s further round until they held e in ainst her

&039;That&039;s a stupid question&039;

Robert walked into the roohed I rolled over and sat down next to Siobhan, instantly deflated Out of my brother&039;s view she rested her hand on my crotch and squeezed

&039;Later,&039; she whispered &039;I promise&039;

&039;Can&039;t you leave each other alone for a few minutes,&039; Rob whined sarcastically

We sat and waited for James Marchant, a friend of ours, to arrive He eventually turned up at twenty past eight (fiftyof an iy Ja ned froiven birth to their forth child If anyone had a valid excuse for being late, it was James

The four of us were uncharacteristically quiet as alked through the village to the pub With everything that had happened today we had plenty to talk about but I guessed that each of us needed time to individually come to terms with the unexpected events of the day Once ere ready, I decided, then the alien arrival would no doubt become the mainstay of virtually every conversation for weeks to coer&039;s Sett was packed Drinkers had overflowed outside and were sitting on the grass in front of the building, on the low stone wall surrounding it, on the bonnets of their cars in the car park - anywhere that they could find a space Once inside I pushed h to the bar while the other three looked for a table Ray Mercer acknowledged h to hi our usual round of drinks

&039;Bloody hell, Ray,&039; I yelled, struggling to makemusic &039;Busy, aren&039;t you?&039;

He nodded

&039;Been like it all afternoon, To though Bloody aliens can co to do this to e in here!&039; &039;I think everyone needs a drink after today&039;

Ray disappeared to serve another custoan the precarious journey across the roo in here,&039; Rob said, stating the obvious as I reached the small table they&039;d found in a hidden corner

&039;We could go back to ested &039;I can hardly hear myself think&039;

The atmosphere was hot and dry I picked up , thirsty gulps

&039;So,&039; I said, wipingto talk about?&039; The others laughed - the ansas obvious

&039;The weather?&039; offered Siobhan

&039;Football?&039; tried James

&039;Alien invasions?&039; said Rob, unable to think of anything else to say

And that was it For the next two hours we talked about nothing else Each one of us recounted exactly where we&039;d been and ere doing when the alien ship had arrived We shared our questions, fears, concerns and anything else that came into our ht Nowhere near as strange as the afternoon that had preceded it e nonetheless

Locked in constant, fierce coer&039;s Sett was a warood, there was always hot and cold food available and there wasn&039;t a single video gaht It was a traditional British pub - the traditional heart of a traditional British village - and not really the kind of place where you&039;d expect to find yourself debating mankind&039;s position in the universe But at that ood a place as any

By ten o&039;clock our usually relaxing surroundings had become even more crowded and was filled with evenconversation and the effect of copious alcohol co suddenly quiet, insular and reflective For a time the conversation between us was sparse, forced and sporadic

My eyes were beco toI excused et some air When I returned (only a few ed an old television set out of one of the pub&039;s back rooms and had set it up at the far end of the bar Without warning Ken Trentham - by habit one of Thatcharabbed hold of my arm and stopped oing on?&039; hehere?&039;

&039;No idea, Ken,&039; I answered abruptly, keen to get away &039;I&039;ve never known anything like it,&039; he whispered dramatically

&039;None of us have,&039; I replied as I tried to push past hiood&039;ll co towards me secretively &039;Youhard not to breathe in The old nant combination of stale alcohol and halitosis He stared into my face with cloudy, bloodshot eyes