Page 63 of Anything but Easy
“Anticipating my every need. Iwasfeeling a bit chilly too,” she mumbled.
Typical Kira, not aware of the fact that instead of preventing her from getting ‘chilly’, I was in fact covering her up from my brother’s greedy eyes.
“Henry, you could learn something from big bro here. You didn’t eventhinkof the blanket when I complained a minute ago.”
“Hmm. . .” Henry mumbled at the telly, his smug little smile taunting me. “Can’t understand how I forgot about that. My bad.”
He shot me a quick grin and a wink. It was all I could do not to smack that smile off the pillock’s face. I resisted the urge and turned back to the television screen. Two ladies with suspiciously long eyelashes were sitting staring at each other, both holding glasses of champagne, their faces unmoving – either from the Botox or for dramatic effect. I faked a yawn and drew Kira closer.
“Hey, you tired?” Kira asked, right on cue. I shrugged.
“Don’t worry, you carry on watch–”
“No way, SB! You need your rest time to fight for environmental and social justice. Peace out Henners, we’re outta here.”
I didnotneed my ‘rest time’, although Ihadbeen sleeping much better with Kira next to me, and since she had started making me meditate every day. It pained me to admit it, but the damn stuff did actually work. So no, I didn’t need rest, but Ididneed to take her upstairs. The legwarmer-knicker combo was getting to me. She threw off the blanket and sprang up in her fairy-like way. I launched myself after her to block my brother’s view of her arse. As soon as the knickers made another appearance, Henry’s eyes had lit up again and his smirk was back. I was pleased for my brother’s recovery and all (he’d been going to counselling for the last three weeks, and some of his friends were back in the picture), but I’d forgotten how annoying the little shit could be.
I felt my neck heat up as I remembered the extent to which I’d conveyed my appreciation for those leg warmers that night. When we were finally falling asleep and she was sprawled over me, one of said leg warmers still around her ankle, she whispered, “I thought you were tired,” then her breathing evened out and she started making those little snuffling sounds she made in her sleep – the ones that seemed to be helping me with mine. I’d smiled at the ceiling and thought just for that moment,fuck it, maybe Ishouldget lost in this girl.
Then today I’d had to go and act like a complete wanker, crushing the light behind her eyes just a little more. I hated it when Kira was hesitant – hesitant was not an adjective that shouldeverbe linked with Kira Murphy, but me and my attitude had made her that way. And it was obvious whatever she’d organised tonight meant something to her. I should be there to support her.
As I pulled open the lid of the lunch box I stared at the contents for a moment, before I burst out laughing. My door flew open.
“Mr Lucas?” Carol, the latest Under Secretary with an office next door to mine burst in and asked anxiously, “Is there a problem?” As Carol had yet to even see me crack a smile it was only natural that she found actual laughter coming from my office concerning.
I tried to hold it in but I just couldn’t contain it. I even wiped a tear from under my eye. Unable to speak, I turned the open lunch box around for Carol to look at.
“Is that a . . . badger?” Carol asked – her face a mask of confusion.
“Yes, Carol,” I replied, my voice still shaking with laughter. “Yes, it bloody well is.”
A combination of different coloured breads had been used to make a badger’s face out of sandwiches. It had an olive for a nose and plum tomatoes cut in half for eyes. It looked terrifying. I managed to get myself under control and my voice was steady again.
“Thank you, Carol,” I said. She looked from the sandwiches to me. Her mouth opened as if to say something, then she snapped it shut.
“Okaaay.” She drew out the word as she turned and left the room.
I reached into the box and took one of the sections out, shoving it into my mouth. I nearly spat it out. Predictably, it was inedible and even left a slight burning aftertaste. But in a day that had been depressing and frustrating in the extreme, Kira had managed to come and bring her light to me through the gloom; she’d managed to make me laugh.
For some reason, in that moment I started to imagine a life with no Kira in it. All I could envisage was a grey, bleak landscape of political ambition and seriousness, no light to break up the gloom, no laughter in the middle of the day at ridiculous sandwiches. Then, I thought back on how little of myself I was actually giving her at the moment. All for some bullshit idea about rationing something I felt might be distracting. I always was a delayed gratification kind of guy – I used to save my Easter eggs for months. Drove Henry mad. But what woman was going to put up with some twat that got home late and dragged her off to bed? Kira didn’t deserve that. I pushed away from the desk and stood up. TonightI’dgo toherwork and make damn sure she knew how important she was to me.
Chapter 25
Allowed to be happy
Barclay
It was a short walk from the Houses of Parliament to St Thomas’ Hospital. I was hoping to catch Kira before she left. As always, my security team tagged along, but thankfully there was no sign of the press. Why hadn’t I done this before? I could have met her from work every day and taken her home myself. She deserved someone who was going to put in that kind of effort. She also deserved someone who looked after her and made sure that she didn’t volunteer to cover any clinics after a night shift. Between that and coming to see me today, when had she slept?
I turned the corner into her department and was about to approach the nurses’ desk when a familiar face caught my attention. It was one of the other doctors Kira worked with. I wracked my brain for a name, but all I could remember was that this guy was her supervisor. He’d been the one to contact the management for me that first day that I’d come looking for her here after she performed a miracle attitude change on Henry.
“Hey Dr . . .” I stole a fast look at the guy’s ID and met his eyes, “Dr Tabard, I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m–”
“I know who you are,” Dr Tabard said, and a for a moment his expression darkened so much it looked like actual fury had clouded his features. But then, it cleared just as quickly as it came and he gave me such a causal, seemingly genuine smile I assumed I must have imagined it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you again, Mr Lucas.”
“Please, call me Barclay.” I shook Dr Tabard’s outstretched hand. The other man’s grip was just that bit too tight, but he let go so quickly I wondered if I’d imagined that too. “I don’t mean to interrupt but–”
“Bit late for that what with all the press attention. The normal running of the clinic’s beeninterruptedfor a while now.”
