time for that later!
“Let’s get inside Daniel finally speaks, we’ll put the kettle on.” Yes, that’s the ticket alright, I am falling in love with this man. Bloody hell. What do I tell Mum? Bloody hell.
Did someone say tea?
Chapter fifteen, yes, it's still Sunday:27thoctober2013, the mystery
Sitting for the first time in Daniels place, in a hygienic sparse and very Daniel kitchen, we watch as Daniel goes through the mechanics of making tea. A calming ritual for him too. We all take comfort in its routine. “I feel a little strange, have I been dosed?” he asks. I suddenly think of honey cake and honeysuckle tea, weird, even for me. Must be lack of sleep, yes, that’s it alright. Daniel places three white cups on the worktop and spins the handles round so they all face exactly the same angle toward him, and they sit equidistant waiting for hot brown liquid. None of us take sugar.
My last dreg of battery, I make a contact.
TC: “Daniel is back” don’t ask me what’s happened.
PF: “Fuck sake, what happened?” Well, she’s only human.
TC: “He was at the office” not a lie but not exactly the truth either.
PF: “OK, you can’t tell me, I get it, call me later” she’s good.
PF: “Oh, and Tharie, I’d make a great detective, no question” here we go again.
TC: “You’d be my plucky sidekick” every time.
PF: “The one with all the brains, agree” the nerd with a magnifying glass.
TC: “I’d have the cool car and wear the dark sunglasses” yep, that sounds like me.
PF: “There’s no way your car is cooler than mine” kidding?
TC: “How many bales of hay can you get in your boot?” Always the same lines of dialogue.
PF: “None, but it does go very fast” true story, and thankfully it has great brakes too.
TC: “And can you tow a harrow?” Always practical.
PF: “Why would I want to? Babes, happy Daniel is OK, call me” true, as long as there’s room for a pair of Gucci shoes and some shopping from Hermes, job done. I decide neither of us are going to win this.
I really hope her prediction is right, is he OK?
...and, no question my car is cooler than hers, she's not seen the Mustang yet.
Stan leans on the edge of the counter top, “you’ve had a mild sedative introduced to your system via breathable air,” he checks his phone at a vibration alert. “Keeping you sedated and happily unconscious for the past three days.” Stan says matter of factly, looking up at him eyebrows raised. I don’t understand how they can be so calm, it’s weird. You’ve been in the white room this whole time,” Stan shifts his weight looking across at me “Tharie found you.” Is he guilty for not finding Daniel himself?
'Click'
Daniel looks at me warmly and smiles a little. The boiling water is poured into the matte black teapot and the lid placed on top carefully. I am relieved, there’s a tea pot, so many people in a crisis or a hurry even would be tempted to resort to putting bags in the cup, but not Daniel, we need a proper cup, it’s calming. We watch him as our thoughts catch up with our experience, as is often the case when one has had a mild shock. I should know, the number of times I’ve fallen off.
“Three days.” Daniel is deep in thought, “why, how big is this one?” He swirls the tea around the bowl of the fat bellied pot. And winces at an obvious pain in his side, perhaps he doesn’t know yet.
“We didn’t know where you were Daniel, I saw you get into your car in Tokyo as I was driving away.” I watch him pour the tea, “we’d had a kind-of quarrel,” I shake my head, not quite sure what to call it. “And I went back home by myself.” I looked at my hands, wringing over and over in my lap, he looks too, frowns at my display of nerves. Then I remember, “I have the jeans Daniel, they’re in my office in the safe.” I look at him, wishing we were alone so I could hug him. So I could make the pain go away, just as much for me as for him. Waffling nervously.
“I would never have chosen to leave you Tharie,” he looks down at his feet, “I’m sorry you don’t realise that.” that told me didn't it?
Stan drinks tea, his eyes darting between us over the rim of unchipped crockery.
“Daniel,” Stan’s voice is