Mr Patterson bid farewell and took off down the corridor, swinging his briefcase jollily in his hand.
‘Who are you?’ Alfred asked Gabe, bringing Lou back into the room.
‘I’m Gabriel.’ Gabe held out his hand. ‘Friends call me Gabe, but you can call me Gabriel,’ he smiled.
‘Charming. Alfred.’ Alfred reached out his hand.
Their shake was cold and limp and their hands quickly fell by their sides. Alfred even wiped his on his trouser leg, whether it was consciously done or not.
‘Do I know you?’ Alfred narrowed his eyes.
‘No, we’ve never actually met, but you may recognise me.’
‘Why’s that, were you in a reality show or something?’ Alfred studied him again, with a smirk but a less confident one.
‘You used to pass by me every day, just outside this building.’
Alfred narrowed his eyes, studying Gabe, and he looked back at Lou with a slightly nervous smile. ‘Help me out here, pal.’
‘I used to sit at the doorway next door. Lou gave me a job.’
Alfred’s face broke into a smile, the relief more than obvious on his arrogant face. His demeanour shifted and he became the big man of the fraternity again, knowing that his position wasn’t threatened by a homeless man.
He laughed as he turned to Lou, making a face and using a tone that he didn’t even attempt to disguise in Gabe’s company. ‘You gave him a job, Lou?’ he said, turning his back on Gabe. ‘Well isn’t it the season to be jolly, indeed. What the hell is going on with you?’
‘Alfred, just leave it,’ Lou replied, embarrassed.
‘Okay.’ Alfred held his hands up in defence and chuckled to himself. ‘Stress affects us all in different ways, I suppose. Hey, can I use your bathroom?’
‘What? No, not here, Alfred, just use the restrooms.’
‘Come on, don’t be a dick.’ His tongue sounded too big for his mouth as it rolled around his words. ‘I’ll just be a second. See you around, Gabe, I’ll try to aim my coins at your cart when you pass by,’ Alfred joked, giving Gabe the once-over again. He smirked and winked at Lou before making his way to the toilet.
From the office, Lou and Gabe could hear loud sniffing.
‘There seems to be a nasty cold going around this district,’ Gabe smiled.
Lou rolled his eyes. ‘Look, I’m sorry, Gabe – he’s, you know, don’t take him seriously.’
‘Oh, nobody should ever take anybody seriously really, you can’t control anything but what’s inside this circle.’ Gabe’s arms made a movement around his body. ‘Until we all do that, nobody can be taken seriously. Here, I got you this.’ He leaned down to the bottom tray of the cart and lifted up a Styrofoam cup of coffee. ‘I owe you from yesterday. It’s a latte, the machine was back working again.’
‘Oh, thanks.’ Lou felt even worse, now totally conflicted as to how he felt about this man.
‘So, you’re going for dinner tonight?’ Gabe undid the brake on the cart and started to move away, one of the wheels squeaking as he pushed it.
‘No, just a coffee. Not dinner.’ Lou was unsure if Gabe wanted to be invited. ‘It’s no big deal really. I’ll be in and out in an hour at most.’
‘Oh, come on, Lou,’ Gabe smiled, and he sounded alarmingly like Ruth. Oh, come on, Lou, you know this one. But he didn’t finish the sentence in quite the same way. ‘You know these things always turn into dinner,’ Gabe continued. ‘Then drinks and then whatever,’ he winked. ‘You’ll be in trouble at home, won’t you, Aloysius,’ he said, in a sing-song voice that chilled Lou to the bone.
Gabe exited the office and made his way towards the elevator, the squeaking of the wheel loud in the empty hallway.
‘Hey!’ Lou called after him, but he didn’t turn around. ‘Hey!’ he repeated. ‘How did you know that? Nobody knows that!’
Even though he was alone in the office, Lou quickly looked around to make sure no one had heard.
‘Relax! I won’t tell anyone,’ Gabe called back to him in a voice that made Lou feel far from reassured. Lou watched as Gabe pressed the call button for the elevator and lingered by the doors, while the elevator began to rise from the ground floor.
The bathroom door opened and Alfred exited, rubbing at his nose and sniffing. ‘What’s all the shouting about? Hey, where did you get the coffee?’
‘Gabe,’ Lou replied, distracted.
‘Who? Oh, the homeless guy,’ Alfred said with disinterest. ‘Really, Lou, what the hell were you thinking, he could wipe you out.’
‘What do you mean, wipe me out?’
‘Come on, were you born yesterday? You’ve taken a man who has nothing and put him in a place where there is everything. Ever heard of a thing called temptation? Actually, forget I asked, it’s you I’m talking to,’ he winked. ‘You give in to that every time. Perhaps you and the homeless man aren’t so different,’ he added. ‘You look alike, that’s for sure. Maybe sing “Feed the Birds”, or something, and we’ll see,’ he laughed, his chest wheezing, the result of a forty-a-day habit.
‘Well, that says a lot about your upbringing, Alfred, that your only reference to a homeless person would be something from Mary Poppins,’ Lou snapped.
Alfred’s wheezing broke out into a cough. ‘Sorry, pal. Did I hit a sore point?’
‘We’re nothing alike,’ Lou spat, looking back down at the elevators to Gabe.
But Gabe was gone. The elevator pinged and the doors opened, revealing nobody inside, and with nobody to step in. In the reflection in the mirror that lined the back wall of the elevator, Lou could see the confusion written all over his face.
11.
The Juggler
At five p.m., at exactly the same time that Lou should have been leaving the building in order to get home for Lucy’s school play, he instead paced the floor of his office. From the door to the desk, from the desk to the door, and back again. Over and over again. The door was wide open, prepared for Lou’s eventual catapult launch down the corridor and into Mr Patterson’s office, where he would announce he was unable to meet Bruce Archer for coffee. Not unlike Mr Patterson, he too had family commitments. Tonight, Laurence, his daughter was going to be a leaf. For some reason it made him weaken at the knees. Each time he reached the doorway he stopped short, and instead he’d turn around and continue his pace around his desk.
Alison eyed him curiously from her desk, looking up from her typing each time he reached the doorway. Finally, the sounds of her acrylic nails against the keys stopped.
‘Lou, is there something I can do for you?’
He’d looked at her then, as though realising for the first time that he was in an office; that Alison had been there all along. He straightened himself up, fixed his tie, and cleared his throat.
‘Eh … no, thank you, Alison,’ he said, more formally than he’d meant, so intent on convincing her of his sanity that he came across as a drunken man trying to appear sober.
He began pacing towards his desk again but then stopped himself and poked his head outside the door. ‘Actually, Alison, this coffee meeting …’
‘With Bruce Archer, yes.’
‘It’s just coffee, isn’t it?’
‘So Mr Patterson said.’
‘And he knows that it’s me that’s going to meet him?’
‘Mr Patterson?’
‘No, Bruce Archer.’
‘Mr Patterson called him earlier to explain that he wouldn’t be able to make it but that a colleague of his would be more than happy to meet him instead.’
‘Right. So he might not be expecting me?’
‘Would you like me to confirm that for you? Again?’
‘Eh … no. I mean yes.’ He thought about that while Alison’s hand hovered over the receiver. ‘No,’ he said, then headed back into his office. Seconds later he poked his head out the door again. ‘Yes. Confirm.’ And then he quickly ducked inside again.
While he was pacing, he heard Alison call cheerily, ‘Hi Gabe.’
Lou froze, and then for reasons unknown found himself rushing to the door, where he stood with his back to the wall and listened to their conversation through the open door.
‘Hi Alison.’
‘You look smart today.’
‘Thanks. Mr Patterson has asked me to do a few jobs for him around here, so I thought it would be a good idea to look a bit more respectable.’
Lou peeked through the gap in the hinges of the door and spied Gabe, his new haircut combed neatly like Lou’s. A new dark suit, similar to one that Lou owned, was draped over his shoulder and covered in plastic.
‘Is the new suit for up here too?’ Alison asked.
‘Oh, this? This is just for me to have. You never know when a suit will come in handy,’ he gave what Lou considered a very curious answer. ‘Anyway, I’m here to give you these. I think they’re plans. I believe Lou wanted to see them.’
‘Where did you get these from?’
‘I collected them from the architect.’
‘But he was working from home today,’ Alison said, looking inside the manila envelope with confusion.
‘Yes, I collected them from his home.’
‘But Lou just asked Mr Patterson for these five minutes ago. How did you get them so quickly?’
‘Oh, I don’t know, I just, you know …’ Lou could see Gabe’s shoulders shrugging.
‘No, I don’t know,’ Alison laughed. ‘But I wish I did. Keep working like this and I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr Patterson gives you Lou’s job.’
They laughed and Lou bristled, making a note to make Alison’s life hell right after this conversation.
‘Is Lou in right now?’
‘Yes, he is. Why?’
‘Is he going to meet with Bruce Archer today?’
‘Yes. At least, I think so. Why?’
‘Oh, no reason. Just wondering. Is Alfred free this evening?’
‘Lou asked me the very same thing earlier, that’s funny. Yes, Alfred’s free, I checked with his secretary. That’s Louise, you’d like her.’ She giggled flirtatiously.
‘So let me get this straight. Lou knows that Alfred is available to meet with Bruce, if Lou decides to back out.’
‘Yes, I already told him. Why, what’s going on?’ She lowered her voice. ‘What’s the big deal about this evening? Lou’s been acting funny about it.’
‘He has? Hmm.’
That was it. Lou couldn’t take it any more. He closed his office door, no doubt startling them both. He sat down at his desk and picked up the phone.
‘Yes?’ Alison answered.
‘Get me Harry from the mailroom on the phone, and after that call Ronan Pearson and check with him if Gabe collected the plans from him personally. Do this without Gabe knowing.’
‘Yes, of course, just one moment please,’ she said professionally in her best telephone voice.
The phone rang and Lou adjusted his tie once again, cleared his throat and spun around in his oversized leather chair to face the window. The day was cold but crisp, there wasn’t a breeze as shoppers rushed to and fro worshipping the new religion this season, their arms laden down with bags amid flashing primary colours of the numerous neon signs.
‘Yello,’ Harry barked down the phone.
‘Harry, it’s Lou.’
‘What?’ Harry asked loudly, the sounds of machines and voices loud behind him, and Lou had no choice but to speak up. He looked behind him to make sure he had the all-clear before speaking. ‘It’s Lou, Harry.’
‘Lou who?’
‘Suffern.’
‘Oh, Lou, hi, how can I can help you? Your post end up on twelve again?’
‘No, no, I got it, thanks.’
‘Good. That new boy you sent my way is genius, isn’t he?’
‘He is?’
‘Gabe? Absolutely. Everyone’s calling me with nothing but good reviews. It’s like he fell from the stars. I’m telling you that he couldn’t have come at a better time, that’s no word of a lie. We were struggling, you know that. In all of my years in this job, this Christmas season is the wildest. Everything’s getting faster and faster it seems. Well it must be because it’s not me that’s getting slower, that’s for sure. You picked a good one, Lou, I owe you. How can I help you today?’
‘Well, about Gabe,’ he said slowly, his heart pounding in his chest. ‘You know he’s taken on some other commitments in the building. Other work outside of the mailroom.’
‘I heard that all right. He was as excited as anything this morning. Got a new suit, and all, on his break. I don’t know where he found the time to get it, some of them in here can’t even light their cigarette in the time given. He’s quick, that boy. I’d say it won’t be long before he’s out of here and up there with you. Mr Patterson seems to have taken a shine to him. I’m happy for him, he’s a good kid.’
‘Yeah … anyway, I was just calling to let you know. I didn’t want it to conflict with his work with you.’ Lou tried one more time. ‘You wouldn’t want him to be distracted, with his mind on other things that he’s doing on these floors. You know? It gets so manic up here and distraction can so easily happen.’
‘I appreciate that, Lou, but what he does after one p.m. is his own business. To be honest with you, I’m glad he’s found something else. He gets the job done so quickly it’s a struggle to keep him busy till the first break.’
‘Right. Okay. So, if he acts up in any way you just go ahead and do what you have to do, Harry. I don’t want you to feel in any way obligated to keep him on for me. You know?’
‘I know that, Lou, I do. He’s a good lad, you’ve nothing to worry about.’
‘Okay. Thanks. Take care, Harry.’
The phone went dead. Lou sighed and slowly spun around in his chair to replace the receiver. As he turned he came face-to-face with Gabe, who was standing behind his desk, watching him intently.
Lou jumped, dropping the receiver, and let out a yelp.
‘Jesus Christ.’ He held his hand over his pounding heart.
‘No. It’s just me,’ Gabe said, blue eyes searing into Lou’s.
‘Have you ever heard of knocking? Where’s Alison?’ Lou leaned sideways to check her station and saw that it was empty. ‘How long have you been there?’
‘Long enough.’ Gabe’s voice was soft, and it was that which unnerved Lou most. ‘Trying to get me in trouble, Lou?’
‘What?’ Lou’s heart pounded wildly, still unrecovered from the surprise, and also alarmingly discomfited by Alison’s absence and Gabe’s proximity. The man’s very presence disconcerted him.
‘No,’ he swallowed, and he hated himself for his sudden weakness. ‘I just called Harry to see if he was happy with you. That’s all.’ He was aware of the fact he sounded like a schoolboy defending himself.
‘And is he?’
‘As it turns out, yes. But you must understand how I feel a responsibility to him for finding you.’
‘Finding me,’ Gabe smiled, and said the words as though he’d never heard them or pronounced them before.
‘What’s so funny about that?’
‘Nothing,’ Gabe continued the smile, and began looking around Lou’s office, hands in his pockets, with that same patronising look that was neither jealousy nor admiration.
‘It’s five twenty-two p.m. and thirty-three seconds now,’ Gabe said, not even looking at his watch. ‘Thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six …’ He turned and smiled at Lou. ‘You get the idea.’
‘So?’ Lou put his suit jacket on and secretly tried to get a glimpse at his watch to make sure. It was spot-on five twenty-two.
‘You have to leave now, don’t you?’
‘What does it look like I’m doing?’
Gabe wandered over to the meeting table and picked up three pieces of fruit from the bowl – two oranges and an apple – which he inspected closely, one by one. ‘Decisions, decisions,’ he said. He held the three pieces of fruit in his hand.
‘Hungry?’ Lou asked, agitated
.
‘No,’ Gabe laughed again. ‘You any good at juggling?’
That same feeling struck Lou’s heart, and he remembered exactly what it was that he didn’t like about Gabe. It was questions like that, statements and comments that pierced Lou somewhere other than where they should.
‘You’d better get that,’ Gabe added.
‘Get what?’
Before Gabe could respond, the phone rang and, despite preferring having Alison screen his calls, he dove for it.
It was Ruth.
‘Hi honey.’ He motioned to Gabe for privacy, but Gabe began juggling the fruit in response. Lou turned his back, and then, feeling uncomfortable with Gabe behind him, he faced front to keep an eye on Gabe. He lowered his voice.
‘Em, yeah, about tonight, something’s come up and –’
‘Lou, don’t do this to me,’ Ruth said. ‘Lucy’s heart will be broken.’
‘It’s just the play I won’t make, sweetheart, and Lucy won’t even notice I’m not there, the place will be so dark. You can tell her I was there. The rest of the night is fine. Mr Patterson asked me to meet with a client of ours. It’s a big deal, and it could help me with getting Cliff ’s job, you know?’
‘I know, I know. And then if you do get a promotion, you’ll be away from us even more.’
‘No, no, I won’t be. I just have to really slog for these months to prove myself.’
‘Who are you trying to prove yourself to? Laurence already knows your capabilities, you’ve been with the company five years. Anyway, I don’t want to get into this conversation now. Will you make the play or not?’
‘The play?’ Lou bit his lip and looked at his watch. ‘No, no, I won’t make it.’
Gabe dropped the apple, which rolled across the carpet towards Lou’s desk, and continued juggling with the oranges. Lou felt a childish sense of satisfaction that Gabe had failed.
Cecelia Ahern 2-book Bundle Page 9