Page 65 of The Freshman

Glen snorted. “Apologize?”

“I woke Queenie up. Askedfor tissue through the hatch.”

Henry frowned. “You shouldn’t do that,but at least you asked Queenie, not Nate. Who knows what hewould’ve done.”

Marie stepped forward and pressed herpalm to his head. “You do feel sweaty.”

Henry sighed. “Go home. Can’t have youhere vomiting everywhere.”

Alfie didn’t argue. He rushed pastwith his body stooped over and his arms hugging his stomach. Hefelt the eyes of his colleagues boring into him. He wondered ifthey had worked out his lie and were muttering in hiswake.

Once he was home, he cleaned himselfin the shower. The water was scalding hot, and he washed everytouch, every kiss and lingering scent of Nate off his body. He wascareful with the sorest part as he swept the flannel over to cleanaway any mess.

Afterward, Alfie collapsed onto thesofa and hugged his arms around his shivering body. It was darkoutside, but the curtains were still partially drawn, and he couldsee the sign for Larkwood. He snapped his gaze away but balked atthe penis candle on the mantelpiece. Too weak to stand, he rolledto face the back of the sofa and closed his eyes.

****

He called in sick the next day, saidhe had a fever and was non-stop vomiting. Ryan heard the croak inhis voice and gave him the week off. They didn’t want the prisonerscoming down with a vomiting virus.

Nate called him each night, and hestared at his name flashing on the phone but didn’t answer. Hecouldn’t bring himself to listen to the voicemails either. Hisbrain was still spinning from the suddenness of everything. He wasso wrapped up in Nate, in the moment, and then reality slapped himaround the face. He didn’t even have time to recover before he wasthrust in front of his colleagues and forced to lie to save hisskin. He was a prison officer and had just slept with the mostnotorious criminal in Larkwood.

It got to Friday, and the crushingfeeling didn’t lessen. He ignored the knock to the door from thepizza guy and crushed his head under a cushion.

Tia didn’t understand he wanted to beleft alone. Despite him ignoring her calls and her angry banging onthe door, she strode in twirling a key on her finger.

“Knew I shouldn’t havegiven that to you.”

She clutched the key in her fist.“It’s for emergencies, and it must be an emergency if you couldn’tget up for these.”

Alfie peeked up from the cushion andeyed the soggy pizza boxes balanced on her forearm. “Didn’t hearhim.”

Tia narrowed her eyes. “How’d you knowit was a him?” She moved into the room and dropped the boxes on thecoffee table, then went to hang up her coat. She paused when shespotted the expensive one from Nate.

“You suddenly developedfashion sense?” she said, raising an eyebrow.

Alfie shook his head. “I didn’t buyit.”

“Tut tut, sure hope youdidn’t steal it, Mr. Prison Officer.”

Alfie squeezed his eyes shut andbreathed out heavily through his nose. When he opened his eyes, Tiawas staring at him with her lips in a pout.

“Just as I thought, I’llput the kettle on.”

“What’s just as youthought?” Alfie asked.

Tia ignored him and went about makingthem coffee. A few minutes later, the rich scent invaded Alfie’snose and chased away any phantom fragrance of Nate.

Tia placed the coffees on the table,then sat down heavily on Alfie’s legs.

“Ouch!”

She winked and flicked her platinumhair. “Move then.”

Alfie shuffled up begrudgingly andhugged his knees to his chest.

“So the guy from workbought you that, huh?”

Alfie stared across the room at thecoat, the nodded with a sigh.

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