Chapter 59

"Alex!" I injected as much enthusiasm and goodwill into the word as I could; in truth I was both thrilled and terrified to see her. The past week had been terrible - I had spent most of it alternately catching up on all the paperwork I had missed while being away and moping in my flat, lonely and miserable. My stomach plunged when I saw her; could I really go through with this? "Good holiday?"

Alex looked about as energised as I felt - it looked a little as though she was only standing because it was a hallway and a chair had yet to present itself. "It was... Well. I caught up on sleep," she said eventually. Even that looked suspiciously like a lie.

"Well. I'm glad." I managed a smile, though I don't know how convincing it was. "I hope you're ready to readjust to life back in the real world." I know I'm not.

"Well. Um." Alex hesitated. Then she seemed to decide against whatever she was going to say. "Sure," she said. "I mean, it was... quite an experience," she said eventually.

"Mm. That it was." Okay, this was becoming excruciating. "Well. Back to work, I suppose..." I was dying for her to give me any sign that this was as unbearable for her as it was for me.

"Right." Alex frowned. Then she cleared her throat. "I... need to give you this," she said, holding out a blank envelope.

"Right. Well, thank you," I said, slipping the envelope into my pocket. "See you later?"

"Um, absolutely," Alex said with a nod. "Yeah. Sure. Definitely."

"Okay. Well. Have a good day."

Glancing down, possibly in the direction of my pocket although I wasn't sure, Alex seemed like she might say something more, but then she merely nodded her head, turned on her heel and fled - well, walked quickly away off toward her office, but it certainly felt to me as though she was running away. I suppose I could hardly blame her.

 

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