CHARLIE
‘Hello you, I haven’t had your name flash up on my screen for a while.’
‘A nice surprise, I hope?’
‘Of course it is, Charlie. It’s always a pleasure to hear from you. I was only painting my nails.’
‘Good, I’m glad. You don’t have company, do you?’ I heard Mel giggle a throaty giggle.
‘No, I’m all alone. What about you? What’s happening with . . .’
Mel paused, as if she couldn’t remember Lucy’s name. I liked that she couldn’t recall it. She could help me forget, too.
‘All finished. I don’t really know why. She probably wasn’t ready for the commitment.’
‘And you are?’
Mel giggled again. I loved that giggle: it spoke of dark rooms and good times.
‘I might have been.’
‘Sure,’ Mel purred back. ‘But back to reality, are you still living in the same place?’
‘I am. Hang on, someone’s calling me.’ I pulled the phone away from my ear and looked at my screen. It was Ma. It must be important, she never usually called at this time in the evening. ‘Mel, I have to take this, but can I ring you back in a minute?’
‘Go on then.’
I switched calls.
‘Charlie?’
‘Hi Ma, are you okay?’
‘Can you talk?’
‘Sure, I’m home now. Just . . .’ – I reached for the remote and pressed the on switch – ‘watching some TV.’
‘Busy day?’
‘You could say that. The list feels twice as long as it should at the moment with Anton still off sick, but we battle on through and stagger home eventually.’
‘Good.’
Good? When I complained about being tired, Ma told me I work too hard, or how much good I did for people. She wasn’t meant to say it was good I’d staggered home that night. It wasn’t good I was feeling jaded. She couldn’t have heard me right.
‘Is everything OK with you? You sound a bit . . . quiet or something. Is Dad okay?’ I asked her.
‘Yes, yes, we’re fine thanks, Charlie. It’s just—’
‘Good.’
‘—that . . .’
‘Sorry, I talked over the top of you. Go on.’
Lydia cleared her throat. ‘I – rather, your father and I – just wondered if you were free to come down for dinner sometime soon. Maybe this weekend?’
‘Oh, right. Hang on. Let me open my calendar on my phone . . . can you still hear me?’
‘Yes. Yes I can.’
‘Right, back again. I could do Friday night, does that suit?’
‘Friday would be fine. We’ll see you then.’
‘Are you sure everything is OK, Ma? You do sound really odd, like you’re worried about something. Now you’ve got me worried.’
‘We’re fine, honestly, darling. No, it’s just that . . . well, we just need to have a bit of a catch-up. We’ll see you Friday then?’
‘OK, Ma, see you then. Bye.’
‘Bye, Charlie.’
I chucked my phone onto the sofa beside me and stared blankly at the screen for a while. I didn’t like that conversation at all. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it; there was something in Ma’s voice. She sounded distant, like she had a lot on her mind and she was fuming. I flicked through the channels for a bit, but there was nothing on that would distract me from feeling that somehow I was in trouble. I picked my phone up again. Dammit, I worked too hard to waste time feeling uneasy about something that hadn’t even happened yet. Life is for living, Charlie boy, buck yourself up! I scrolled back to Mel’s number. Cute little Mel, only around the corner. She’d sounded pleased to hear from me before. I glanced at the time. Nine thirty. There was still time left in the day. I pictured her in her pants, painting her toenails on the edge of her bed. It was a nice room, that one. I hadn’t seen it for such a long time and just thinking about it made me feel a bit better. I pressed on her name to call her back.