11:40 GEORGEYou should have all your compulsory ‘well done’ toasts this week if you want to go back asap to pretending it’s not happening
11.40GEORGEWhat would you hate least?
11:42Short. Intimate. Spotlight away from me.
11:42GEORGEOn it!
‘The report won’t write itself.’
‘I’m double-checking the figures,’ Charles mutters without a glance at Gareth.
‘That’s my job and it’s done.’
‘Should I ignore your mistakes, then?’
Gareth sneezes, panic-stricken. ‘What mistakes?’
Charles passes him the printed version of an Excel file that he’s started marking in red.
His phone is buzzing from notifications, because both George and the parents’ grapevine work fast, but he reopens the only conversation that’s safe.
11:44Oui Monsieur, but in Polish.
11:45I might take you to see Her in exchange for another massage.
11:45 WITH ONE LMy hands are yours!
‘Charles!’ Clifford grins at him from the doorway to his office. ‘Why don’t you come in for a cheeky scotch and a couple of pointers about the MBA?’
‘I’d love that, Sir.’
Charles would rather swallow one of the lilies, but he gets up, caressing his neck to conjure the soothing effects of Loris’ touch.
***
George gathered the squad in his flat around the latest Xbox prototype and snacks they could nibble at while they played. This programme limited lengthy conversations that would have revealed the screws driven in Charles’ throat. George also broke prolonged silences with entertaining accounts of his own feats, and he kicked them out before they got tired of the video games.
George did a fine job.
‘Earth calling!’
Charles turns away from the dark scenery going by outside the window. By the sound of it, it wasn’t Alex’s first attempt at bringing his mind back into the taxi driving them to Hampstead.
‘I’m listening.’
‘I didn’t want to ask earlier and risk encouraging Spencer’s fucked up fantasy, but is everything okay with Elsy?’
‘Everything’s perfect, yes.’
Sitting at the front, Phil looks at him through the rear-view mirror. ‘His innuendos about Elsy stopped being funny after the very first one. I’d punch him if I were you. Doesn’t matter that it’s Spence. Actually, maybe because it’s Spence.’
‘I really don’t care. Why do you ask, Alex?’
‘You’ve looked down in the dumps all night despite your good news.’
‘Work was stressful.’ Charles rubs his temple, fighting a losing battle against a headache. ‘I’m just exhausted.’
He’s sweltering. The warm air heating is oppressive. Being in the car with them is oppressive.
