‘No, no, it’s fine,’ I insist, pushing the box toward him slightly.
‘We should share it,’ he suggests.
‘It’s not a milkshake with two straws or a big plate of spaghetti,’ I reply.
Lockie laughs.
‘As into both of those things as I would be…’ he jokes. ‘Here. I’ll take the top half. Seeing as though you don’t eat your crusts.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with not eating crusts,’ I protest.
‘Do you cut them off your sandwiches too?’ he checks playfully.
‘I’ll cut your crusts off, if you don’t back off,’ I say through gritted teeth, but it’s a playful reply. I sort of like the banter, sometimes, although other times I really do want to murder him.
‘Sorry, sorry,’ he replies.
I try to keep cool but my pulse betrays me, thudding louder than it should over something so silly.
We eat in silence for a minute, chewing, getting back to the task at hand, pretending we’re not flirting with the idea of flirting.
It’s Lockie who breaks the silence, of course.
‘So,’ he says, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. ‘Since we’re already invading the contestants’ private lives, what about ours?’
I give him a wary look.
‘Ours?’
‘Yeah, I heard a rumour today, about an office romance –theoffice romance, apparently.’ He smirks. ‘One of the girls was telling me how you and your ex were like the main characters of the place, the ones everyone shipped.’
The words hit like a punch to the stomach.
‘Yeah, well, it didn’t work out, because it turns out he couldn’t be trusted,’ I say flatly. ‘And I don’t want to talk about it.’
His smirk falters, softening into something else.
‘Fair enough,’ he replies.
‘I’m very anti-workplace romance now,’ I say, setting my stall out. ‘They’re a terrible idea.’
‘Not always,’ Lockie replies. ‘Statistically speaking, some of the best relationships start at work.’
‘Statistically speaking,’ I counter, ‘so do most affairs, divorces, and HR investigations.’
He grins. ‘That’s just all part of the story, right?’
‘Everything is a story with you – do you ever have a day off?’ I clap back.
‘No,’ he says plainly. ‘But I have had an office romance too, and mine didn’t work out either, so I do know where you’re coming from.’
‘Oh, right, well… I’m sorry to hear that,’ I tell him honestly. ‘What happened?’
I know it’s rich of me to ask, when I’m keeping my own secrets to myself, but I get the impression he wants to talk about it.
He hesitates, then shrugs.
‘She cheated,’ he says eventually. ‘At the Christmas party. It’s a tale as old as time. You know what these industry parties are like – drinking games, spin the bottle, truth or dare. Harmless enough when it’s inside the game. But…’ He swallows. ‘I caught her kissing one of the show’s stars out in the smoking area. She said it was no different to doing it in the game, that I was being a baby but… the trust was gone.’
