Cross, Neil by Burial

Author:Burial
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-03-05T22:00:00+00:00

19

He lay his forehead on the desk. He was smiling. He too went to pieces when leaving personal messages on answer machines.

Then he strutted through to Justin's office.

He said, 'It turns out, I'm not as busy as I thought. I'll look after the report. We should talk about it down the pub.'

Justin almost burst with happiness.

When Nathan got back from lunch on Thursday, Justin was dallying in the corner of his office, a draft report concertinaed in his fist.

Probably, it was something important and overdue -- something that Nathan would be required to take immediate and urgent care of, because Justin had filed it in the boot of his Mercedes for the last three months.

It took twenty minutes to convince Justin it wasn't necessary to discuss this emergency down the pub.

When, finally, Justin had stomped away, Nathan retrieved his voicemail. The first two calls were from irate customers chasing delivery of orders agreed at terms two months ago. The third was from Holly. Gently, Nathan closed the office door and listened to the message three times, looking for hidden significance.

Hi. It's me. I hate these things. Anyway, I was wondering -- are you still there? - if you'd like to come for lunch on Sunday. And then.

I don't know. Go out or something. Am I rambling? I'm no good at these things. Anyway. Give me a bell. Right. Bye. It's me, by the way. Did I say that? Bye.

On Sunday, Nathan took the long route to Sutton Down.

Graham had cooked the Sunday roast. When Nathan had finished clearing the table and loading the dishwasher and leaving the roasting tin to soak, Holly slipped her arm through his.

There was the shock of first physical contact.

She said, 'Come on.'

'Where are we going?'

'Drink?'

Nathan looked at June as if to say What can I do ? as he and Holly got their coats.

A morning fog had not quite cleared. The village was quiet.

They walked along the banks of the river. He tried to think only good thoughts.

She said, 'We're doing this backwards.'

'What do you mean?'

'My parents know you as well as I do.'

'I don't mind that.'

They walked for a minute.

Holly said, 'Thanks.'

'For what?'

'I don't know. Trying to understand what it must be like.'

They had arrived at a mossy stone arch that crossed the river. It looked a thousand years old. The mist was deeper here. It pooled in the roots of the trees. He could feel the cold rising from the water.

He said, 'This isn't about your sister.'

She let go of his arm and turned to face him. There was an anxious comma between her eyes. 'I know that. But everything has been. For a really long time.'

She stood on tiptoes and kissed him. Then she grabbed the lapels of his coat: "Well, say something.'

But he didn't want to hear his voice -- he wanted to be someone else, in this good moment.

He said, 'You already know what I want to say.'

She slipped an arm round his waist and hugged him as they walked across the river, towards the pub.

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