Chapter Three.
Katy
Wow, how had I not seen how white Alex’s teeth were until he smiled?
They shone against his tanned skin. And it was actually nice to hear Alex chuckle.
Undoubtedly, Alex had little to laugh about.
That took years off him, and he appeared younger than I believed he was.
The streets aged a person, and I’d put Alex at late forties, possibly even early fifties.
But with his smile and eyes lit up, Alex looked to be in his mid-thirties. Damn.
“You’re challenging me?” Alex teased.
“Yes. I’d have happily bought you breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, my boss, Aiden Armstrong, has given me a company card to buy you food with.”
Alex stiffened as I mentioned Aiden’s name, and he put the roll down. “Did Aiden or you buy this?”
“I did today,” I replied quickly. What on earth just happened? The moment I spoke Aiden’s name, Alex became stiff, and it was obvious there was a problem. Immediately, I sensed Alex would refuse to eat something bought by Aiden.
“Don’t get me anything from Aiden Armstrong. Katy, please. You don’t have to provide food for me either, so if you can’t afford it, stop,” Alex said, but his gaze lingered on his lunch.
Gently, I placed my hand over Alex’s, surprised at how clean it was and held his eyes.
“Alex, I can bring you breakfast and lunch. Honestly, I live pretty simply, so that won’t break me.
At night, though, how about you attend the soup kitchen I volunteer at?
I’m there Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I’m also there on Sundays.
It’s the hall at the back of St Mary’s church.
” I was trying to distract him from the heavy mood that had overtaken him.
“Are you inviting me?” Alex asked, picking his roll up again.
“Yes. If you’d like to come. You don’t have to, but you’ll receive a free meal,” I babbled.
“And get to see you in action. Tell me, do you have a frilly white apron?” Alex teased.
“No!” I exclaimed, and Alex laughed. “But I wear one with bobbies on.”
Alex choked on a bite of roll, and I slapped his back. His eyes widened, and I poked my tongue out.
“I…I just…wow. I bet that makes you popular at the soup kitchen.”
“No, as they’re old lady saggy boobs.”
Alex sputtered a second time, and I began laughing. “Stop!” he begged.
“Fine, I’ll behave. I’m not at the soup kitchen today, so is it okay if I bring you some dinner tonight?”
“Not with Aiden’s money. Actually, no, don’t. I’m not your responsibility, Katy.”
“No, but I wished when I was growing up somebody would be kind and give us some food, and nobody did. Now I refuse to let someone go hungry if I can help it.”
Alex
My stone-cold heart cracked. Shit, this girl was unique, but Katy was too soft.
She needed protecting, and I’d no idea how to do that.
I wasn’t a part of her world. Honestly, I was just a random homeless guy Katy had taken pity on.
It was harsh, but the truth. Katy was living her best life while I was at rock bottom.
The food lay heavy in my stomach; what was I doing?
I’d flirted with Katy like a regular guy.
And I was anything but normal. Katy had touched my hand as if the blood I saw there wasn’t visible, and then she’d patted my back.
She’d actually touched my old, worn, and dirty clothing like it didn’t matter.
If I kept hanging around, Katy would get hurt, because that always happened to people close to me.
Rightfully, I should walk away. Leave now before harm befalls her. The food stuck in my throat, and it was hard to swallow.
“Katy, what are you doing? Don’t you understand I could pose a threat?” I whispered.
Katy pursed her lips together. “Everyone can be dangerous.”
“Are you being deliberately dense?” I asked, and Katy flinched. Shit. “Katy…”
“No, Alex. You’re trying to frighten, and I don’t know or understand why.
I need to go back to the office. I finish work at half-five tonight.
Please be at the bench for five-forty-five.
I’ll bring dinner. If you don’t arrive, I’ll go looking for the next homeless person and give it to them.
” Katy got to her feet, passed me the rest of her lunch, and walked away.
Blast, I’d handled that wrong. My gaze wandered to the building behind the park.
What was Aiden Armstrong playing at? When Katy had said Aiden’s name, I’d wanted to rant and rave, but that would only have frightened her.
Katy didn’t deserve that. My eyes narrowed.
Was Aiden looking down at me right now from his high-up office?
I’d rather starve than take anything from his hand.
St. Mary’s Church soup kitchen. They had a good reputation there, didn’t judge the homeless, and made time for conversation.
They also had people there to help us get off the street if we wanted.
I’d always avoided it because I didn’t want to leave.
The streets are what I deserved. And that’s where I’d stay.
Katy
I could feel eyes watching when I returned from lunch. Barely stopping myself from blowing out my cheeks in exasperation, I sat down and pulled out my latest project. The lines on one side were bothering me, and I wasn’t happy.
“God, you’re really taking the mickey,” Tiffany exclaimed.
Sighing, I gritted my teeth. Now what? I glanced up, annoyed at being disturbed. “Tiffany, I’m working.”
“You were fifteen minutes late back from lunch.”
“Take it up with Aiden,” I muttered, returning to the drawing. What on earth was wrong with it? The customer’s projected specifications were easy to understand, but something was missing. I frowned and rotated it slowly on the screen.
“Aiden? That’s Mr Armstrong to you!” Tiffany screeched, and I felt eyes boring into my back.
“Whatever, do you mind?” I murmured, not paying attention as I began losing myself in the lines of the house.
They’d wanted gothic, heavy on eerie and spooky. Concentrating, I bit my lip. I’d hit the target, but the special spark was absent. Placing an elbow on the desk, I leaned my chin into my hand and rubbed my jaw. Leaded glass, spires, railings, odd little windows—what was missing?
“Are you even listening to me?” Tiffany’s voice grew louder, and I knew she was acting up for the audience.
Ah, that’s what it needed. Just as I grasped what it was, Tiffany growled and spun my chair around. My elbow shot off the table, and I jolted forward.
“What on earth?” I exclaimed, facing Tiffany, as her little sycophants laughed. Several more of my colleagues began chuckling, and I stood up. Tiffany wanted a scene? I’d give her one.
“Just what the fuck is your issue?” I snapped loudly, and Emily and Sami stopped laughing. “I’m trying to work on a problem with a client’s house, and you want fucking attention. Go on, Tiffany, you now have mine!”
“Holy crap, when did Katy get a spine?” someone whispered.
Tiffany’s mouth opened, and I cut her off.
“Well, come on! You think you can stand there shouting abuse, what the fuck do you want? Drama? Now you’ve got it.
I’m in a higher position than you, Tiffany, something you seem to forget.
I’m head architect here, not you. You don’t get to demand explanations for what I’m doing or who I’m doing it with.
Now return to your desk and do some work, instead of interrupting mine! ”
Silence fell across the office as people watched. “You were late back from lunch! I’m reporting you!” she spat.
“Go ahead because you love wrecking people’s lives. Those security guards were sacked because of the stunt you pulled this morning. Now go away and let me work!” I replied angrily.
I sat down and turned my back on Tiffany. That would really annoy her.
“Is there a problem here?” a voice snapped. Now what? I spun around and saw Pepper Jones from HR standing there watching me.
“Yes!” I snarled before Tiffany could answer. “I’m trying to work on an issue with a house for a client, and had solved it when Tiffany decided to cause a scene.”
Pepper swapped glances with Tiffany. Yeah, they were friends, so I guessed where this was heading.
“Katy was late back from lunch, and I was giving her a friendly heads-up when she got nasty and began cursing and causing trouble,” Tiffany simpered.
“Is this true?” Pepper asked, looking at Sami and Emily.
“Yes, Katy’s been nasty ever since she started mixing with that homeless guy. He’s a bad influence, and Tiffany was trying to help,” Emily said.
“Katy has always been jealous of Tiffany,” Sami added. “And Katy even called Mr Armstrong, Aiden; we all know he doesn’t like that.”
“Is that so?” Aiden asked from behind. Everyone turned and gaped. “I gave Katy permission to call me Aiden.”
I watched as Tiffany seemed nonplussed. Then her mind kicked in, and I guessed where Tiffany was heading before she spoke. “Oh, Aiden, how kind of you…”
“Excuse me,” Aiden interrupted coldly. “I didn’t realise Katy was a metaphor for the office. I gave Katy, not everyone else and certainly not you, permission.”
Tiffany paled. Aiden stood up and walked across the room as the entire floor watched, spellbound.
“Which house was causing issues?” he asked.
“The Christies. I’ve solved it; it needed gargoyles.”
“That would make the design perfect. Good catch,” Aiden said, placing a hand on my shoulder and squeezing.
“This is the third time this week you’ve come to my attention, and for not great reasons, Tiffany.
” Aiden turned, and I watched as she paled even further.
“I was disgusted by your opinions of homeless people yesterday. And now, this morning, you did indeed cause two guards to be fired. I gave you the benefit of the doubt then. However, this latest drama…”
“Katy started it; she came at me!” Tiffany exclaimed, looking around for support. Emily and Sami had both stepped back.
Aiden snorted. “I was present from the moment you said, and I quote, ‘you’re taking the mick’.
Actually, you are. Katy doesn’t report to anyone but her manager and me.
She’s head architect, and there’s a reason why with her talent.
You work under Katy, not vice versa. Lately, Tiffany, your designs have been lacklustre, and two of them even came close to infringing on copyright.
And your professional behaviour is, frankly, alarming and disturbing. ”
I sucked my bottom lip in as Tiffany took a tongue lashing.
“Perhaps we ought to take this somewhere private,” Pepper suggested.
Aiden spun. “Why?”
“Because this is undignified and embarrassing for Tiffany,” Pepper replied.
“But it was okay to call Katy out in front of the entire staff?” Aiden challenged.
Pepper began spluttering.
“You forget who you work for. Well, maybe not for much longer. Mrs Ellison, ask Karen from HR to attend a meeting in my office. I have some staffing issues that need resolving. Pepper, head to conference room one and wait there until requested. Tiffany, conference room two, Sami, room three, and Emily, the lunchroom, please. I refuse to have bullying in my company,” Aiden stated.
“Mr Armstrong…” Tiffany pushed.
“No. Be quiet. And by the way, I gave Katy permission for an extra fifteen minutes on her lunch break. Why? Because I admire Katy’s kindness towards those less fortunate than her.
Perhaps that’s something you might need soon, Tiffany.
Feeding the homeless isn’t a waste of time, nor is sharing a kind word with them.
People like you, shallow, insensitive, selfish, mean, and many other negative things, forget they are human with feelings,” Aiden said calmly.
Tiffany seemed as if she were going to pass out. Damn, Aiden hit hard. After the announcement, Aiden pivoted and stomped off. Silence fell, and then Tiffany let out a wail and rushed away.
“Someone finally got their just deserts,” a guy commented, and then slowly chatter picked up as people returned to work.
Anything else?
◆◆◆
At half-past-six, I admitted defeat. Alex wasn’t coming.
I began heading towards the car park, resigned.
I hoped Alex was okay; it was raining, the typical English drizzle that chilled you to the bone.
As I left, I saw a guy settling into a doorway for the evening.
I pulled over, gave him Alex’s dinner, and drove home.
My apartment felt even smaller for some reason, and I couldn’t settle.
Outside my warm home, Alex was sleeping rough, hungry and getting soaked.
I paced back and forth as night fell and finally headed to bed with a book.
But even then, I didn’t fall asleep for hours.
When I did, food danced around in my head as if taunting me that Alex went hungry tonight.
Alex was an adult, I knew that, but I couldn’t stand the thought of him needing a meal and not having one. Maybe I’d pushed too hard.
Katy - Sunday, ten days later.
“Katy!” Jenny called as I entered the church hall just before noon.
“Hey Jenny, where do you need me?” I asked.
“Can you hand out sandwiches, my lovely? We’re short-handed today. Some volunteers haven’t turned up, and we’ve got everyone in the kitchen cooking. Get the clients lined up and walk them down the line one at a time. Thanks to Aiden, we have a fine spread to share today.”
As I’d not used the money he’d given me, Aiden had insisted I spend five hundred pounds on food for the soup kitchen.
Today we had a full roast dinner, soup and cake.
Lunch included not just sandwiches and crisps, but also cakes, pork pies, sausage rolls, mini chicken kievs, and cocktail sausages. The guys would eat well today.
I smiled at Jenny’s enthusiasm, but it hid a wealth of sadness.
Since that day, Alex hadn’t returned, and I hadn’t seen him.
I’d been devastated at Alex disappearing and had searched, but there’d been no sign of him.
Resigned to Alex not coming back, I’d handed the card to Aiden, who then told me what to do with the five hundred pounds.
Jenny had been stunned when I arrived yesterday with loads of food for the forty people we averaged.
“Katy?” Jenny said, concerned.
“Sorry, yes. Sandwiches. I’m on it.” I took my coat off and headed for the tables.
At eleven-forty-five, Jenny opened the door, and the clients entered.
“Start a line, gentleman. Today, I’m your server, and we’ll go one at a time.
Please wait your turn to be served!” I called out.
The first was a regular named Tom; honestly, it was easy.
They chose their sandwiches; I placed them on plates and then filled them with the other items on offer.
It was wearying but worth it. Jenny was attending tables, serving drinks, and pretty soon the room was alive with chatter.
After an hour and a half, I was lagging and needed a coffee break.
“Grab yourself some lunch,” Jenny ordered, and I nodded. “Oh, hello there, you’re new.”
“Hi, I came to have lunch with Katy,” Alex said shyly, and I spun around as my mouth fell open.