CHAPTER 8 #2
‘So, this is my room. Sorry about the mess.’ He led Jeremy inside.
There was no real mess. The neat room held a bed, a chest of drawers and a wardrobe, and a lamp provided the majority of the dim illumination. An open window looked out into the neighbour’s dark backyard.
Sam sat on the bed, moving aside to make space for Jeremy to join him. The bedspread was covered with a laptop and a diary and a bunch of papers.
‘Are you working again?’ asked Jeremy.
‘Yeah, it’s hectic at the moment. I really need this rally I’m organising to go well and we’re hitting some issues… My boss, Melanie, called earlier and needed some changes made to something,’ Sam explained.
‘Seriously, I know we don’t know each other super well, but I’m confident in saying that you need to create some work-life boundaries here,’ Jeremy said, pushing aside some papers to sit on the bed.
‘It’s fine – I love helping out, and I’m lucky to have a job focused on making positive change—’ began Sam, and Jeremy placed a finger against his lips.
‘Shush … this is a safe space,’ he joked. ‘You don’t have to pretend to be perky and perfect every second of the day.’ He removed his finger quickly, like it had been scalded on the surprising softness of Sam’s lips.
‘I’m not pretending!’ Sam said. ‘I just like to help.’
‘Sure, but you should be paid for it.’ As they were speaking, Sam looked down at his phone and grimaced. Jeremy shook his head. ‘If that’s your boss right now, I’m throwing your phone out the window.’
‘No, it’s my mum,’ said Sam, and Jeremy mock scowled in response.
‘I guess I’ll allow that,’ he whispered.
Sam answered the phone, bellowing a hearty ‘Hello, Mum!’ into the receiver.
It didn’t seem like his mood was matched, however, as he quickly started saying, ‘Oh no,’ and ‘That’s a shame,’ his mother’s words indiscernible but her tone significant and explaining.
‘Oh right,’ said Sam, pacing around the bed.
‘I have work, otherwise I’d be happy to take Nanna to her appointment …
Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Well, what about Dave? Or Ana?
It’s just that we’ve got a huge campaign we’re working on right now and I’m running that morning’s meeting. ’
He paused, and even though he was smiling, Jeremy detected the first hint of bad temper around Sam that he’d ever seen – a tightening of his eyes, a stronger grip on the phone.
‘I know they’re doctors, but that doesn’t mean I can just not turn up to my job. Yep. Yep. No, I know, I know you didn’t mean that. Of course. No, actually, look, leave it with me – I can take Nanna in and I’ll move the meeting to midday. Yeah, it’s no problem. Okay, love you.’
Sam sighed and hung up the phone. ‘My mum thinks that, because I don’t work in a hospital, conventions such as “office hours” are more of a suggestion,’ he explained.
‘Your siblings are doctors?’ asked Jeremy.
‘Yeah. Dad too,’ Sam said. ‘They’re amazing and I’m so proud of them – Ana is a neurosurgeon, Dave an anaesthetist. Mum would have loved a full set of medical professionals, I think – it’s the immigrant dream.
My grandparents and practically all their siblings came over all at once and immediately started breeding future doctors. ’
‘That’s why I love being an only child to a single mother,’ Jeremy said. ‘I get all the attention and I’m automatically the best one.’
‘My parents love us all equally,’ muttered Sam. ‘But maybe they don’t love all our jobs equally … Anyway, it’s fine – I get to hang out with Nanna at the podiatrist tomorrow morning, so that’s a big win for me.’
‘Of course you’re the perfect son as well,’ Jeremy said, and was rewarded with a look of slight pain from Sam.
They sat on the bed for a few moments, Sam pensive, Jeremy awkwardly trying to work out if he should be comforting or praising him, until Sam suddenly brightened and popped open his laptop.
‘I forgot to say – I’ve had a brainwave about stage two of your campaign,’ he said, businesslike. He turned the screen around to show an event page for the local bookstore, titled In Conversation with Author Brian Northern Trellis .
‘Now, if I’m not mistaken, that’s one of Miles’s favourite authors,’ said Sam, pointing to the campaign folder, which was full of handy knowledge Jeremy had reluctantly remembered about his ex. ‘Stage two is all about having a new and improved friendship circle of people Miles fears and respects.’
Jeremy nodded. ‘He always used to say he wanted to be invited to the holidays houses of smart, interesting people in society, famous authors and thinkers – you know, nerd celebrities.’
‘So, you’re going to go to this talk and make friends with Brian,’ said Sam.
‘As easy as that,’ Jeremy said, but he was already laughing, because Sam was opening a new spreadsheet entitled Stage Two .
‘Don’t worry, I’ll come with you so you have some backup,’ promised Sam, writing down the event details into the binder. ‘It’ll be fun!’
‘No it won’t,’ warned Jeremy. ‘Most book launches make you consider that maybe there are too many sentences in the world. But there will be free wine – it will be absolutely disgusting, but free.’
There was a knock on the door.
‘Sam,’ came an imperious woman’s voice that must have belonged to the previously mentioned housemate Ruth. ‘Do you mind if we use those zucchinis in the fridge?’
‘Ah,’ said Sam. ‘Actually, I’d prefer it if you didn’t – that’s my dinner tonight.’
‘Okay, well, they’ve been in the fridge for over a week,’ said Ruth, opening the door, a look of exasperation on her face. ‘So I assumed they were just going to be thrown out.’
‘No, my dinner. Sorry for taking up fridge space! I think I only bought them a few nights ago, but you know, I’ve been busy.’
‘That’s okay, but we did already put them in our curry, so maybe if you want to keep vegetables in communal spaces for a long time, you can put a sticky note on them.’
‘You’re totally right,’ Sam said. ‘This is my friend Jeremy.’
Jeremy did that little wave you do when you’re introduced to someone you don’t like, but you don’t want to appear rude.
‘Hi,’ she said, looking at him impatiently. ‘We’re having a date night in the living room, so try to be quiet,’ she ordered, then turned around and closed the door.
‘Did she just eat your dinner?’ Jeremy asked indignantly.
Sam laughed. ‘Yeah, but it’s fine.’
‘It certainly is not! That’s theft! You should steal their food at some point.’
‘If they had asked, I would have happily shared,’ Sam said.
‘Yeah, but they didn’t ask. That’s the difference. Maybe you could start putting laxatives in some of your vegetables so they learn they can’t just help themselves.’
Sam shrugged. ‘It doesn’t bother me, and I’m also worried about how quickly you spring to revenge plans. Remind me to never get on your bad side.’
‘I’m starting to think you never will, because you’re clearly too nice for your own good.’ Jeremy felt a little like he was beating his head against a particularly accommodating rock.
Sam shrugged again, but this time his smile was a little forced. ‘Well, my ex did say I was a pushover.’
Jeremy felt bad, and also suddenly protective of Sam. Even though he technically agreed with the ex, he also felt it was cruel to say that to him.
‘Hey, look,’ he said. ‘Obviously I’m benefiting a lot from how generous and kind you are, and you should never feel bad about that.
You’re a ridiculously nice person! It’s disgusting, but also lovely.
I don’t think you should change.’ Sam smiled, and Jeremy shook his head.
‘But, girl, don’t let your housemates eat your zucchinis – that’s the line I think you should draw in the sand.
Anyway, let’s go. I’ll buy you dinner somewhere as a thank you for all this.
’ He gestured at the pile of papers on the bed.
‘I can’t have you starving from an acute lack of zucchini. Let’s go eat zucchinis.’
‘It really doesn’t have to be zucchinis,’ said Sam.