The next morning, he rose before dawn and took a car into the office. He didn’t stop for breakfast, with the app launch looming, there was no time. Loaded with coffee, he hunkered down in the alcove and set to work fixing the teething problems the interface had thrown up in his absence. Time became the tap of his keyboard and the blue light of his computer screen.
“You’ll go blind if you squint like that.”
Despite the feminine voice, Sacha still glanced up looking for Jonah. Helga met his frown with a wry smile. “Nice to see you too. When did you last shave?”
Sacha’s scowl deepened. “Why does that concern you?”
“It doesn’t. I like the bearded look. I’m just wondering if you’re okay. You didn’t say much in your emails.”
“You did not ask if I was okay. Why would I answer a question that wasn’t there?”
“You couldn’t read between the lines?”
Sacha shook his head. “I do not know what you want from me.”
Helga sighed and produced a paper coffee cup from behind her back—the good stuff that bore no resemblance to the crap in the break room. “Never mind. How was Russia? Do you have to go back for your dad’s funeral?”
“No. It is today.”
“Today? Then why are you here?”
“Because I did not want to go. My father was a drunk asshole. I only go to give away all his money.”
Helga blinked, caught off guard by Sacha’s rare candour, and Sacha felt bad about that. He liked Helga. Her dry humour suited his own.
“I’m sorry,” Sacha said. “It has been a long week, no? But do not worry about my father. It wasn’t as important to me as it would be for someone else.”
“Is that your way of telling me to mind my own business?”
“No. It is the truth.”
Helga nodded. “Okay. Drink your coffee then. Do you want me to grab you some breakfast?”
“No.”
“Sure? You get angry when you’re hungry and we have a hell of a day ahead of us.”
She wasn’t wrong, but Sacha’s head was still killing him, and nausea had started to roil in his belly. “Thanks, but I’m not hungry. Could you do something for me, though?”
“Of course.”
“There’s some medication in the desk by your computer. It’s mine. Could you bring it to me?”
Helga frowned. “Do you mean the prescription bottle? If so, I threw it away yesterday. It was empty.”
“Was it? Damn.” Sacha sighed. “Never mind.”
“Are you sure? I can send someone out to the pharmacy if you have your prescription?”
“No, no. It’s okay. I will go at lunchtime.”
“We have a meeting at midday, and another at two. You might not have time.”
“Then I will be fine,” Sacha said. “Do not worry. You said it yourself, we have a big day, yes? No time for headache. I will probably forget about it.”
Helga seemed unconvinced, matching how Sacha felt, but he was right about one thing: there was no time.
She left him alone to get on with her own mammoth to-do list. Sacha soldiered on, putting out fires until the first of a dozen meetings came around.