Page 51 of The Retreat
‘This’ll be fun,’ he said, dropping into the seat. ‘Try not to cry when I win.’
Talia picked up her chair and placed it quietly opposite him, giving him a flat look. ‘Daniel. This is conflict resolution. Nobody wins.’
He grinned. ‘We’ll see.’
They took their places near the centre of the room, and Rebecca gave them a moment to prepare. Talia took a breath and fixed her gaze on Daniel, letting her professional instincts surface. It didn’t matter whatever else was going on inside her; this part—she could do.
‘OK,’ Rebecca began. ‘Talia, you’re the one who feels wronged. Daniel, you missed a deadline. Five minutes. Begin.’
She didn’t rush. She let the pause stretch a little and then said evenly, ‘You told me I’d have the paperwork by end of day Friday. I didn’t get them until Monday afternoon. That delay pushed everything else back and made me look like I was the one holding things up. I need to know if I can count on your timelines.’
Daniel leaned back in his chair, one leg crossed leisurely over the other. ‘Ah yes, the Friday fantasy. I remember it well,’ he said, amused.
She blinked. ‘Would you like another go at that response?’
His smile faltered. ‘Look, I admit I was late,’ he said. ‘But a lot was happening on my end that you don’t know.’
‘You could’ve flagged it,’ Talia said calmly.
‘I assumed you’d manage.’
Talia narrowed her eyes. ‘So, you assumed I’d just clean up your mess quietly?’
‘No,’ Daniel said, the grin faltering. ‘I assumed you were capable. I guess I overestimated.’
A flicker of tension rippled through the room. Someone sucked in a sharp breath. Daniel noticed and tried to walk it back.
‘OK, poor choice of words. I didn’t mean it like that. Look, it all worked out in the end, right?’ he said, struggling to be Mr Chill now.
‘It did work out, after some extra time on my part that I could ill afford,’ Talia replied, arms folded now. Her voice had sharpened. Her posture had stiffened. ‘Maybe I’m not shouting about my deadlines, but that doesn’t mean they don’t matter.’
Daniel gave a small laugh, nervous now. ‘Alright, alright. Point made. I’ll loop you in the next time I can’t make the deadline. How’s that?’
Talia sighed and glanced across the room, and that’s when it happened: she caught Imogen’s eye.
Imogen’s gaze was steady and even, but it hit Talia like a jolt. Talia’s mind wobbled. She turned back to Daniel and spoke without thinking.
‘That’s not an apology, first off,’ she said, her voice quieter now, tight. ‘Second, when someone says they’ll be there and then they’re not—when they say something they don’t mean—it’s a big deal. It feels like you’re the idiot for believing them. And you tell yourself not to be so naive next time, but the damage’s already done.’
Daniel blinked, unsettled. ‘Talia—’
‘It’s not just the delay,’ she continued, her throat closing. ‘It’s the erosion. It’s what it does to trust. I can’t build anything with someone who keeps chipping away at that, Flora.’
A beat passed. Talia caught up to her own words. Jesus fucking Christ, had she just called DanielFlora?!
‘What?’ Daniel asked, confused.
‘Daniel,’ she said quickly, but it was too late. But she kept going anyway. ‘I was trying to say Daniel, but then a, er, fly flew into my throat,’ Talia blurted, stepping back.
Daniel’s eyes widened. ‘Jesus! Is it still in there?’
‘Maybe. I think I just need to cough it up.’ She nodded briskly. ‘Thanks, Daniel. That was... enlightening.’ She stood.
‘Somebody get her some water,’ Daniel said, recoiling slightly. ‘She’s eaten an insect.’
Talia moved from her chair quickly, back into the general population—but nowhere near Imogen—trying to move with purpose, to mask the clumsiness of her exit.
Rebecca said quickly, ‘Let’s move on to the next pair.’ Talia barely heard her as she grabbed a seat in the back. She was hoping no one would remember she used to have a girlfriend called Flora. If they didn’t, they might buy the fly thing. Daniel certainly had.
