"Very nice indeed, thank you Daniel." I hope to goodness the smile is my happy one, not my 'go to hell' with a hangover version. Daniel places my Burberry on the desk, he clearly has an affection for nice things like I do, and my laptop case on the floor leaned up against the leg of my Val Doonican style swivel chair.
He comes over to me, "I’m glad you like it Tharie, I hope you'll be happy here, if there’s anything you need just call." I have a mind to tell him exactly what I need right now, and a sofa within reach too, but hold it in. I’m so proud of myself. Then answering the silent hum of the vibrator in his phone, he nods me goodbye and a sudden change in his manner, taking a call he’d rather not be taking, he heads back downstairs.
Startled by a commotion outside my window I look out to see collared doves suddenly take flight from the rooftop opposite, scattering in all directions, I wonder what startled them?
TC: “Henry, you got arrested before me, I’m so jealous” it’s the handcuffs I think.
HC: “Knew you’d understand Sis” oh Brother.
TC: “Want to tell me about it?” It’ll be the usual story.
HC: “It was just a misunderstanding, there was this girl……..” bingo.
All his stories begin with ‘there was this girl…’
TC: “Naturally, and?” Then there’s usually a boyfriend…
HC: “Her boyfriend…took an unreasonable dislike to me” can’t think why.
TC: “Are you OK now?” Do I need to come to the police station?
HC: “Course, the Captain is a fan, gave him a demo of the new single and got released with a caution” I’m so proud.
Well, the new single is good.
I plug my iPhone into the Bose speaker docker sitting on a small table by the door, slide the door shut and press play. I fish two horseshoes from my cavernous bag and hang them on the door one from each of my boys. There is a tall black vase with parallel sides filled with the sweetest smelling flowers, I don’t recognise them, like hellebores but double rows of petals in an old antique pink colour, a note on the same folded white card with the ship and eagle watermark, 'good luck today Dx'.
Where's my tea?
I chance another glance at my phone at the missed message, telling myself it could be an emergency but secretly worried I’d miss something. As it turns out, I could not be more wrong.
2 pizzas for the price of one tonight. Even the pizza place thinks I should be sharing pizza night with someone, perhaps they’ve been speaking to my Mum! Maybe I should ask her about that?
Surrounded by my own world of sounds, followed by a quietening in my head, I begin to feel my balance returning. The music is loud enough that I hear it dead centre between my ears but not too loud that I don’t hear a phone ringing. I wander to the sound of the Ace of Spades: Motorhead playing out of an iPhone I’d noticed is part of my set up, and lays perfectly square on my neat desk. The flat matte screen with the eagle and ship logo lit up on it. Another black phone but this time with a black rubberised cover debossed with anti-crack rubber bumpers, the eagle and ship on the back, this is my new work phone. The 'Ace of Spades', how did they know? It is Daniel, he'd had his number programmed in already so his name is part of the display, Daniel Pearce.
I swipe my finger across the answer bar "hello," I fidget my drawing pen and my screens come to life. “What could possibly have happened in the five minutes you've been gone?” The company logo screen saver on the two big screens, and my large flat MacBook monitor has my favourite photo of George and Harry, how? “Daniel.” I whisper under my breath.
"Hungry?" Is all I get, I glance at the wall clock, an intricately carved silver rounded frame like an old pocket watch but much bigger, it is lunchtime already, where is the time going?
"Always," I return, though I’m not really. I quickly finish my tea, mustn't waste that.
Chapter six Tuesday:22stoctober2013, lunchtime
Daniel appears at my door and slides it open, he must have made the call on his way up the stairs. He has to tame his quaffed hair from running up the stairs, looks incredible, I have never seen such a beautiful man in my life,