Chapter 10 #2
How to answer this? Because my government career was another thing I’d lost when Will had left me.
We’d joined the same graduate scheme together, and had been working in the same department while we were engaged.
When we split up, I was already on annual leave for the wedding and the easiest thing for me to do was resign to avoid all the pity and weird looks.
I’d tried to find an internal transfer option, but the only speechwriting gig going at the time had been for a minister whose remit appeared to be to defund the arts and redivert the cash into the pockets of AI-peddling tech bros.
Having written speeches for other questionable politicians over the years, I just couldn’t face it.
‘Let’s just say that writing government speeches isn’t the most fun field to be working in at the minute. It was time for a change, for a whole host of reasons.’
That’ll do.
He glanced up from his screen and grinned, but I could tell he was already in his creative zone, so I zipped up my mouth and finished setting up my workspace.
‘Help yourself to anything from the fridge, by the way,’ he said, gesturing to a glass-doored unit in a corner next to a couple of vintage armchairs and a coffee table, his eyes still on his screen. ‘There’s snacks, soda – even beer, if you want one.’
‘Oh, I had quite enough to drink last night.’
He glanced up at me. ‘Yeah?’
‘Yup.’
I was fresh out of little white lies. If he wanted to know more about my evening – or my life – he was welcome to probe, but he didn’t.
I plugged in my laptop and connected my devices to Wi-Fi.
My phone immediately buzzed with a WhatsApp message.
It was a photo of Mum and Anneka from about twenty minutes ago, standing in Times Square surrounded by – for no obvious reason – the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Mum was still clutching her staff, which, in this context, didn’t look out of place, as if she were their rat sensei who had momentarily transformed into a human.
I was already anticipating that she would try and bring the branch home on the aeroplane, and I also anticipated an awkward stand-off when the airline staff inevitably said ‘no’.
I forced myself back into the very pleasant present, tapping out a quick reply:
Flora:
Turtle Power! Hope you’re having fun. I’ve found a good spot to get some work done for the next couple of hours.
I looked at the time – it was just gone noon.
Flora:
Shall we maybe meet back at the hotel at 4 p.m.? Or is that too late?
Anneka:
Sounds good, Flo! We’re just having lunch in another fun bar. And guess what… it’s happy hour here, too! Enjoy DMing your fit client!
Little did they know I was currently within touching distance of him.
Three or so hours later, the first draft of my soapy speech was done and I’d sent it off to the client.
Ironically, I knew that if I weren’t in New York working alongside Ethan today, procrastination would have taken over and the speech would have taken me days to write.
Ethan’s visual speech was also progressing well; he’d sketched out a few cartoons, which had been awe-inspiring to witness, and I’d helped him come up with a framework he could use to map it all into a slide deck.
He felt confident he could finish it off and get it printed in the next couple of days.
All in all, it’d been a productive afternoon for both of us – fuelled by a delicious pizza that Ethan had insisted on ordering from his favourite place – but one that was disappointingly about to end since it was almost time for me to get going.
‘Are you sure I can’t tempt you with a beer?
We’ve got… Blue Moon?’ Ethan extracted two bottles from the fridge and wiggled them in my direction.
I figured it would only take me twenty minutes or so to walk back from here, so decided to make the most of what would be my final moments with this talented and funny person.
‘Go on, then.’
‘Correct answer!’ He popped off the lids with his thumb and we each sat on an armchair. Ethan’s cheeks were flushed pink with creative exertion and satisfaction and I assumed mine were, as well.
‘This has been fun!’ he said, taking a long swig.
‘Yeah, it really has.’ My phone rattled on the table. Another message from Anneka. ‘Sorry, just have to check this.’
Anneka:
Flo-bo! Change of plan – Mum had a few too many drinks at lunch, lol, and she’s in bed sleeping it off.
I’d probably keep your distance for a little while longer if I were you as the room currently reeks of vom.
Please confirm you’ve got this message and let me know when you’re on your way back. Soz!
I sighed as I replied.
‘Everything okay?’
‘Yeah, just more flakiness. All good.’
‘You sure?’
‘Yep.’
‘So, erm, in terms of payment, I guess you should send me an invoice and…’
‘Ethan, it’s fine. You don’t have to pay me. You’ve already compensated me in coffee and notebooks and pizza and panic attack assistance.’
‘I’m gonna pay you, Flora.’
‘Not if you don’t have my bank details.’
‘I could pay you in cash, here and now.’
‘Do you have a hundred dollars in cash, here and now?’
‘Noooooo…’
‘Well, there you go.’
‘I guess I’ll just have to keep chasing you for an invoice.’
I shrugged, maintaining eye contact with him. ‘You have my details; I give you permission to chase.’
I took a long, suggestive sip of beer while Ethan put down his own bottle and scratched his head with one hand.
‘Sorry, Flora, but I gotta ask: do you, uhh, have a boyfriend back in the UK?’
I literally spat out my mouthful of beer all over myself.
‘Fuck!’ I said, desperately looking around for something to absorb the liquid that had unceremoniously sprayed from my mouth. And from my nose.
Ethan handed me a box of tissues from a nearby desk. Thankfully he was laughing, and I quickly followed suit.
‘I am such a twat,’ I said.
‘That was really funny. Sorry, did my bluntness shock you?’
My mind tried to search for a vaguely cool answer until it remembered that I’d shattered that illusion entirely now. ‘Yes!’
‘And… what’s the answer to my question?’
‘No! I don’t have a boyfriend. I mean, look at me! Here I am trying to be all mysterious and aloof and I end up regurgitating beer all over myself! I don’t exactly have blokes queuing up.’
‘Gotta be honest, it’s not the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.’
I snorted, deciding I might as well embrace Full Unsexy Mode, now.
‘Urgh, I am so bad at this!’ I said, trying but failing to absorb the beer from my dungarees.
‘Bad at what?’