He gave a dry, humourless laugh. ‘I’m probably okay, because according to the internet, these marks should be gone in a few days, but you might be easier for them to identify.’
‘I suppose I could always dye my hair.’
‘That would be a sacrilege.’
Another smile that had no business being there landed on my face.
‘Did you get the colour from one of your parents?’
The smile froze. ‘My mum’s a redhead – she’s practically the same shade as me,’ I said, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. ‘But I’ve no idea about my father. I never knew him.’
‘I’m sorry. That must be hard. I—’
I cut him off, a technique I’d learnt from a grand master.
‘It’s all ancient water under the bridge.’ My tone made it clear I was shutting the door on the topic.
There was a long moment of silence, and I suspected there was more he wanted to ask. Well, Rhys had his secrets, and I had mine.
‘How are you feeling today? Any peculiar after-effects?’
He’d taken the wheel and steered our conversation in a totally different direction, and I was grateful.
‘No. No new ones anyway, but I’ve felt kind of out of it and inadequate at work today. As though I wasn’t supposed to be there.’
‘Maybe you weren’t. Perhaps you should have taken a few days off.’
‘I’m a one-man band. I don’t do time off.’
‘Not ever?’
‘Not recently.’ I gave a small laugh. ‘Or maybe I’ve just come back from a fortnight in the Maldives and I’ve forgotten all about it.’
‘Well, that would be a shocking waste of money.’
I laughed again and realised I did more of that in his company than with anyone else I’d spent time with recently. Or as far as I could remember.
It felt like our conversation was reaching a natural conclusion and I wanted to go before we reached the awkward umming and ahing bit.
‘Anyway, thanks for the warning about the journalist.’
It was the point where Rhys was supposed to say goodbye, but he didn’t seem in a rush to do so.
‘I was thinking,’ he said, ‘that it might be sensible if we keep in touch over the next week or so. Just to check in and compare any weird symptoms we might have.’ He gave a despairing laugh. ‘You should know that sounded much cooler when I practised it earlier.’
‘You rehearsed it?’
‘I had to,’ he said with disarming honesty. ‘It’s been a while since I’ve done this kind of thing.’
‘What kind of thing is that?’
‘Ask someone if they want to have a drink with me.’
‘Oh, is that what we’re doing?’ I teased. ‘I thought we were conducting some kind of scientific observation?’
‘Well, that too, obviously,’ he said, and I just knew he was smiling.
It was just as well we weren’t on a video call, because my grin already looked like I’d swallowed a coat hanger.