Choosing Her Lover

*****

The front doors swish open and Ben strides in. “Hi, how’s my favourite girl?”

Calm down….

“Hi, Ben. I’m busy right now. Is it anything particular or just….”

“Just thought I’d drop by to see if you’re free for lunch?”

Should I?

Why not?

“I’m off at one. Is that good for you?”

“Great. I’ll come back then.”

He turns to leave but as he does so, the elevator doors open and Charlotte steps out into the lobby, followed by James. Both are carrying large bags. A fluorescent yellow hard-hat, the kind that might be worn on a building site, peeps from the top of Charlotte’s.

There is something about the way the two move. Although they walk with a distance between them, somehow James’ proprietorial attitude to Charlotte still radiates wide.

Ben’s eyes narrow as he sees them.

“Oh hello, Ben. I didn’t know you were around.” smiles Charlotte. “Are you here to see me for something?”

“No, I just called by to say hello to Kirstie,” he replies. His words are polite, but his eyes are on James and are not friendly.

a cool expression.

voice is also cool.

set out

Charlotte got to

pressed together. “Charlotte is, as you know, a trainee. She’s going to be spending time with the surveyors over the next

“No,

We’ll be on our way,

door, James walks behind Charlotte, his hand resting in the small of her back, in that gesture

this you know. He behaves as though he’s the

hell do I say to

“I’ve got to get some work done now, Ben.

He looks thoughtful. “Yeah, I’ll see

*****

Ben is moody and doesn’t speak. I try to start a conversation, but he’s not interested. Bolting down

get a phone call. It’s my

“Hey, Sis, what’s wrong?”

dumped me, Kirstie. I thought he was going to propose, but he dumped me

slow down. Who’s

I thought he was going

sorry. You really liked him didn’t

I always think it’s going somewhere and then they all just vanish over the horizon with some

*****

evening, meeting Ben on the beach, he jogs up to me smiling, his mood

a phone call I got