'You don't want to be the same as everyone else.' He turned from Tom to me. 'Mark, let me give you a piece of advice. Never have staff.' He took another gulp from his glass. 'Tell me, what is it you do in the company? Accountancy, isn't it?'
So, Tom must have spoken to him about me, and the mention must have been favourable; my hopes for the evening grew. 'Lindler & Haliburton is a firm of accountants, yes, but I'm one of the support staff, in the information technology unit.'
'Good... an important job, good money I'll bet, even if you're not one of the accountants. Perks?'
'Company car. A Vauxhall, nothing special.'
'Special enough compared to one of my old vans.' He went on to ask me lots of questions about the job; there was a rhythm to his speech that was mildly hypnotic. Normally people change the subject if I mention computers and accountancy, but he was keen to hear about the office computer network, my past promotions, and somehow he got me to tell him about Peter and the swimming sessions with some of the senior partners. At the mention of swimming he raised a finger and looked at Tom, 'That's something you're keen on, isn't it?'
'I go to the baths most weeks, a couple of times if I can, like to keep fit.'
'You certainly look fit,' I said, glad to say something to him after answering Andrew's questions and wanting to make clear to him that he attracted me. I bought a round of drinks, and having returned was about to ask Tom if he had anywhere in mind for his holiday when Andrew resumed his interrogation. He asked about my personal life, where I lived, what I did in my spare time, and about my family background. Somehow everything came out, that my parents were killed in a car crash, that my sister and I saw each other once or twice a year, that the money inherited from my parents had paid for my flat in Chiswick, that I had a degree in computer science, was definitely gay, not bisexual or undecided, and did not currently have a boyfriend.
'You make me envious,' he said thoughtfully. 'You've plenty going for you, nobody could deny that.' He sat back, rubbed his chin, and seemed to have run out of questions.
Tom, who had sat silent again since the interrogation resumed, asked: 'Have you finished asking him for his life story?'
'Almost. Only a couple more things. So what about future plans? Hoping for a relationship? Anything else?'