Jesus Christ, Sara! What the fuck! You don’t even know her to make those kinds of assumptions! . . . No. Seriously, I don’t wanna hear it. I’ll speak to you later.”
I hear the television go on and wait a few minutes before going in the living room. I don’t want him to think I was listening in on his conversation - which I obviously was.
He looks up when I enter, eyes dark, a frown etched deep into his forehead. I take a seat on the sofa beside him. He starts tapping the phone loudly against his pot.
“ Are you okay, James?”
“ Yep.” There’s an edge to his voice.
I link my fingers together. “You don’t seem okay, you seem –”
“ I’m fine,” he says curtly, cutting me dead, his tone surprising me.
“ I’ll leave you alone.” I get up to leave.
He puts a hand on my arm, stopping me. “I’m sorry.” He shakes his head, and sighs. “I didn’t mean to snap at you, I’m just – really pissed off.” He tosses the phone onto the sofa beside him. “You remember my friend Sara – the one you met at hospital?” I nod. “Well she’s just kinda –” he half smiles, “ – pissing me off at the moment, which is weird really 'cause we never row.” He rubs his brow thoughtfully. “To be honest, I can’t think of a time we have in all the years I’ve known her.”
“ How long have been friends?” I ask.
He looks at me, his face less tense now. “Since we were kids. Our dads were best friends. We grew up together. She’s kinda like a sister to me. Our families always went on holidays together, days out – you know that sort of stuff.” He pushes his fingers through his hair. “But she’s just . . . overstepped the mark a bit. She thinks that –” He looks at me with weary eyes, then shakes his head and smiles. “It doesn’t matter – so anyway, did you have a good time shopping today?” And just like that he changes the subject.
“ Yes, it was great, and thanks again for all the clothes and shoes . . . and other stuff.”
“ Don’t thank me, it’s the –”
“ – least you can do after what I did for you,” I say, finishing his current aphorism with a smile.
He laughs, a real laugh, reaching all the way up to his eyes. “Touché,” he grins, “touché.”
* * *
At five o’clock James’ employee, Neil, comes by the house to go through some work things with him. After the obligatory introductions, with me pretending like it’s the first time I’ve ever seen Neil - it’s not; I’ve seen him many times before when I used to watch James - I make myself scarce, leaving them in the living room to get on with their work.
I go in the kitchen, fill a glass with water and take it into the garden with me. I have no intention of attempting to drink it but I need it to appear to James that I do actually drink every now and then, and it doesn’t hurt to dirty up a few glasses here and there as proof.
I sit down on one of the chairs on the paved area overlooking the big garden, resting the glass on the table, and let the afternoon sun drift over me, savouring the absolute tranquillity of this garden, the calmness it offers, as the heady scents emitting from the blossoms whirl gently around me.
I could spend forever sitting here.
After about an hour, Neil pops his head out of the back door.
“ I’m off now. It was really nice to meet you, Lucyna,” he says, smiling.
I return his smile. “It was nice to meet you too, Neil.”
“ See you, then.” He waves and disappears off.
Five minutes later James comes out with a coat in his hand.
“ I brought you this in case you were getting cold.” He hands me the coat and sits down in the chair beside me.
“ Thank you.” I slide my arms into the sleeves, pulling it around me. It smells of him, all musky and intoxicating. “Your garden is really beautiful, James.”
“ Thanks – well I suppose it should be with what I do for a living.” He laughs. “Wouldn’t be a good advert if it was a
I hear the television go on and wait a few minutes before going in the living room. I don’t want him to think I was listening in on his conversation - which I obviously was.
He looks up when I enter, eyes dark, a frown etched deep into his forehead. I take a seat on the sofa beside him. He starts tapping the phone loudly against his pot.
“ Are you okay, James?”
“ Yep.” There’s an edge to his voice.
I link my fingers together. “You don’t seem okay, you seem –”
“ I’m fine,” he says curtly, cutting me dead, his tone surprising me.
“ I’ll leave you alone.” I get up to leave.
He puts a hand on my arm, stopping me. “I’m sorry.” He shakes his head, and sighs. “I didn’t mean to snap at you, I’m just – really pissed off.” He tosses the phone onto the sofa beside him. “You remember my friend Sara – the one you met at hospital?” I nod. “Well she’s just kinda –” he half smiles, “ – pissing me off at the moment, which is weird really 'cause we never row.” He rubs his brow thoughtfully. “To be honest, I can’t think of a time we have in all the years I’ve known her.”
“ How long have been friends?” I ask.
He looks at me, his face less tense now. “Since we were kids. Our dads were best friends. We grew up together. She’s kinda like a sister to me. Our families always went on holidays together, days out – you know that sort of stuff.” He pushes his fingers through his hair. “But she’s just . . . overstepped the mark a bit. She thinks that –” He looks at me with weary eyes, then shakes his head and smiles. “It doesn’t matter – so anyway, did you have a good time shopping today?” And just like that he changes the subject.
“ Yes, it was great, and thanks again for all the clothes and shoes . . . and other stuff.”
“ Don’t thank me, it’s the –”
“ – least you can do after what I did for you,” I say, finishing his current aphorism with a smile.
He laughs, a real laugh, reaching all the way up to his eyes. “Touché,” he grins, “touché.”
* * *
At five o’clock James’ employee, Neil, comes by the house to go through some work things with him. After the obligatory introductions, with me pretending like it’s the first time I’ve ever seen Neil - it’s not; I’ve seen him many times before when I used to watch James - I make myself scarce, leaving them in the living room to get on with their work.
I go in the kitchen, fill a glass with water and take it into the garden with me. I have no intention of attempting to drink it but I need it to appear to James that I do actually drink every now and then, and it doesn’t hurt to dirty up a few glasses here and there as proof.
I sit down on one of the chairs on the paved area overlooking the big garden, resting the glass on the table, and let the afternoon sun drift over me, savouring the absolute tranquillity of this garden, the calmness it offers, as the heady scents emitting from the blossoms whirl gently around me.
I could spend forever sitting here.
After about an hour, Neil pops his head out of the back door.
“ I’m off now. It was really nice to meet you, Lucyna,” he says, smiling.
I return his smile. “It was nice to meet you too, Neil.”
“ See you, then.” He waves and disappears off.
Five minutes later James comes out with a coat in his hand.
“ I brought you this in case you were getting cold.” He hands me the coat and sits down in the chair beside me.
“ Thank you.” I slide my arms into the sleeves, pulling it around me. It smells of him, all musky and intoxicating. “Your garden is really beautiful, James.”
“ Thanks – well I suppose it should be with what I do for a living.” He laughs. “Wouldn’t be a good advert if it was a
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