and I was hoping for a chance to get to know you.’ He ran one hand through his hair, looking awkward. ‘I mean – God, that sounded a bit keen. I just meant that it’s nice to know your neighbours and it’s hard to get to know people. Especially in London.’
‘Where are you from?’
‘I’m from Suffolk. Not that far from London, but it’s another world. Everyone knows everyone else’s business.’
‘Sounds like a good reason to leave.’
‘You might be right.’ He laughed a little bit too heartily. Still recovering from his earlier embarrassment, I diagnosed, and I found myself smiling a little, wanting to set him at his ease. ‘What about you?’ he asked.
‘Oh, I grew up in the suburbs. I’m used to the London way of ignoring people.’
‘I’m glad he didn’t ignore me,’ Dec said, putting down the controller as the screen turned red. Game over, you’re dead. He stood up and I moved back, conscious that we were both towering over Chris. Dec was six foot four and broad with it, so he took up a fair amount of space.
‘Where were you until now?’ Dec was using his special older-brother tone of voice and I reacted accordingly, defensive from the off.
‘I told you, I got held up. Can you help me move the boxes into the flat before you go? It’ll take me a million years to do it on my own.’
‘Why do you think I was hanging around?’ He stretched. ‘Mum made me promise to see them inside your door. Apparently she’s given you some of her most precious possessions.’
‘Oh, great.’ I didn’t bother trying to sound pleased. Lately, Mum had been spending a lot of time clearing out the attic. Horrified at how little I had managed to accumulate in the previous twenty-eight years, and having given up on the thought that I might get married any time soon, she had decided to start handing over the things she’d been keeping for me. There was no way to refuse to take them without causing offence.
‘There’s china in there. I know that much. She made me promise to be careful with it.’
‘Well, at least that’ll be useful. I’ve been surviving with paper plates.’ I turned to Chris. ‘Sorry again. We’ll leave you to enjoy your evening.’
He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned his feet so he was standing on their outer edge in what was almost a parody of shyness. ‘I could help. I mean, I’m good at carrying boxes.’
I hesitated, not sure I wanted to invite my new neighbour into my flat but reluctant to turn down any offer of assistance. It felt a bit like taking advantage, though, and we’d done enough of that for one evening, I thought.
‘Brilliant.’ Dec clearly had no such scruples. ‘The more the merrier. We’ll get it done in half the time.’
‘Okay. Where do you want to start?’
I led the two of them into the hall where we stared at the boxes with varying degrees of enthusiasm, ranging from Dec (none) to Chris (puppyish). I was somewhere in the middle with moderate curiosity about what they contained. ‘Right, lads. If you carry them in, I’ll tell you where to put them.’
Dec narrowed his eyes. ‘So let me get this straight. We carry the boxes and you stand and point. Is that it?’
‘More or less,’ I admitted.
‘That sounds fine.’ Chris was clearly determined to keep the peace. I let him heft the first box and Dec took the second with a grunt.
‘These’ll be the lead weights you wanted, Maeve.’
I ignored him as I opened the door, flicking on the main light and doing a swift recce to make sure I hadn’t left anything embarrassing in plain sight. It was actually reasonably tidy in the flat, for once. I was impressed with myself. ‘Leave the boxes along this wall, if you can. Anything with kitchen stuff in it should go over here. That’s about it, really.’
‘And that’s all you’re going to do?’ Dec let the box he was carrying fall from waist height to the floor. It gave an ominous clank as it hit the ground.
‘Where are you from?’
‘I’m from Suffolk. Not that far from London, but it’s another world. Everyone knows everyone else’s business.’
‘Sounds like a good reason to leave.’
‘You might be right.’ He laughed a little bit too heartily. Still recovering from his earlier embarrassment, I diagnosed, and I found myself smiling a little, wanting to set him at his ease. ‘What about you?’ he asked.
‘Oh, I grew up in the suburbs. I’m used to the London way of ignoring people.’
‘I’m glad he didn’t ignore me,’ Dec said, putting down the controller as the screen turned red. Game over, you’re dead. He stood up and I moved back, conscious that we were both towering over Chris. Dec was six foot four and broad with it, so he took up a fair amount of space.
‘Where were you until now?’ Dec was using his special older-brother tone of voice and I reacted accordingly, defensive from the off.
‘I told you, I got held up. Can you help me move the boxes into the flat before you go? It’ll take me a million years to do it on my own.’
‘Why do you think I was hanging around?’ He stretched. ‘Mum made me promise to see them inside your door. Apparently she’s given you some of her most precious possessions.’
‘Oh, great.’ I didn’t bother trying to sound pleased. Lately, Mum had been spending a lot of time clearing out the attic. Horrified at how little I had managed to accumulate in the previous twenty-eight years, and having given up on the thought that I might get married any time soon, she had decided to start handing over the things she’d been keeping for me. There was no way to refuse to take them without causing offence.
‘There’s china in there. I know that much. She made me promise to be careful with it.’
‘Well, at least that’ll be useful. I’ve been surviving with paper plates.’ I turned to Chris. ‘Sorry again. We’ll leave you to enjoy your evening.’
He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned his feet so he was standing on their outer edge in what was almost a parody of shyness. ‘I could help. I mean, I’m good at carrying boxes.’
I hesitated, not sure I wanted to invite my new neighbour into my flat but reluctant to turn down any offer of assistance. It felt a bit like taking advantage, though, and we’d done enough of that for one evening, I thought.
‘Brilliant.’ Dec clearly had no such scruples. ‘The more the merrier. We’ll get it done in half the time.’
‘Okay. Where do you want to start?’
I led the two of them into the hall where we stared at the boxes with varying degrees of enthusiasm, ranging from Dec (none) to Chris (puppyish). I was somewhere in the middle with moderate curiosity about what they contained. ‘Right, lads. If you carry them in, I’ll tell you where to put them.’
Dec narrowed his eyes. ‘So let me get this straight. We carry the boxes and you stand and point. Is that it?’
‘More or less,’ I admitted.
‘That sounds fine.’ Chris was clearly determined to keep the peace. I let him heft the first box and Dec took the second with a grunt.
‘These’ll be the lead weights you wanted, Maeve.’
I ignored him as I opened the door, flicking on the main light and doing a swift recce to make sure I hadn’t left anything embarrassing in plain sight. It was actually reasonably tidy in the flat, for once. I was impressed with myself. ‘Leave the boxes along this wall, if you can. Anything with kitchen stuff in it should go over here. That’s about it, really.’
‘And that’s all you’re going to do?’ Dec let the box he was carrying fall from waist height to the floor. It gave an ominous clank as it hit the ground.
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