It was now lunchtime, and I’d still heard nothing. Reservations had been made as promised, and I’d texted him the details, but so far, nada.
What was taking so long? What had the guy said to him?
My knee jiggled under the table as I obsessively checked my phone. I took a bite from my sandwich, barely tasting the spicy chicken.
“What’s up with you?” Ed sat down next to me at the lunch table in the canteen. I usually went out, but seeing how I was going out for dinner, I’d bought a sandwich and braved the crowded lunchroom.
“What do you mean?” I tilted my phone away from him. I didn’t want him to see what I was looking at.
My text conversation with Killian. I’d been reading it back for clues on his mood and came up empty. Our conversation last night had turned into an actual call, and I’d replayed that repeatedly in my head all night.
“You look like someone’s pissed in your cornflakes.” He took a bite from his sandwich and chewed loudly.
“Did you know you have a really terrible turn of phrase?” Not to mention the noise.
“I don’t give a fuck. Take me or leave me.”
Well, I know what I’d do, but then I remembered how he’d looked after me last week at the pub and realised I’d never thanked him.
“Thanks, by the way. For looking after me last week. I know I kind of left you alone.”
“You left me and went with a man you said you didn’t know. I’ve been worried sick about you. He might have killed you.”
“Killian isn’t like that. He’s a nice bloke.”
“Oh, like that, is it? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you call anyone a nice bloke in all the time I’ve known you. Come to think of it, I’ve never known you to talk to anyone. What’s got into you?”
“Nothing. Look, it doesn’t matter who he is or what he is to me. I can be friends with whoever I want.”
“You? Friends? I’m not being funny, Harvey, but I’ve worked here for three years, and not once have I seen you speak more than five words to anyone, and that includes me. You’re not exactly a people person.”
Harsh, but true. I just wasn’t the socialising type. I had everything I needed or wanted, until, of course, I’d met Killian.
But how could I explain that to Ed? And why should I? He didn’t tell me about all his friends, and I wouldn’t want to know. That was his business, the same as Killian was mine.
“So, you coming out again this Wednesday?”
There was no need now. My only reason for going out last week was to see Killian again, and now we were on texting terms, I didn’t need to.
If I wanted to go hear him sing, I could, but I was sure if I asked him, he’d do it for me anyway.
I checked my phone for the last time before it was time to head back to my desk. Still nothing.
I sat in my closed-off pod, my colleagues separated from me by flimsy opaque screens. It was supposed to dull the sound, but I could still hear the constant chatter from around the room. The more I listened to it, the more annoyed I got. Usually, it wouldn’t have bothered me, but today it was all too much, my senses overloaded, and I needed to get out.
I gathered my coat and phone and walked to the lift.
“Harvey, is everything okay?” my supervisor asked.
“Not feeling too good. Think it might have been the lunchroom sandwich.”
“Oh, I should go look into that.” She disappeared, striding towards the canteen.
When I finally got outside, I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. The surrounding street was still noisy, but not unbearably so.
Why did I work again? I’d been the sole heir to my family’s money. If I didn’t go mad and spend it all, it’d last me until the end of my days. I could give up work any time I wanted, but the idea of spending my days doing nothing didn’t appeal. At least this way, I got out of the house three days a week. Perhaps Icould find something more satisfying because this job was slowly sucking the life out of me.
I’d give it five more minutes, then go back inside.