I hope you enjoy the new extract.
Harry Daniel.
Robert had finished his work. He almost couldn’t believe his accomplishment. It was 4:59 P.M. and Robert Simms was up to date and ready to leave on time for the first evening in 5 years. He rose out of his chair, head held high and swung his blazer over his arms, pulling it around his body. Then, with his satchel flung over his shoulder he sauntered out of the office, like Greene, without a care in the world. He walked down the stairs, taking them one at a time. He was in no rush tonight, he was leaving with the rest of London and even though Robert knew it would take hours to get across London at this time Robert was happy.
As Robert entered the reception he was pleasantly surprised to see the receptionist whose name he never knew but always wanted to learn was still there, finishing up her own work for the evening. She stood, hunched over the chair busy tidying up her belongings into an open hand bag. Her brown locks fell over her face towards the desk. Robert knew that that face was the most beautiful he had ever seen and the second he had seen it on his first day, he had been smitten. He had quickly concluded that even the most depressed person in the world could have a crush on someone as beautiful as her.
Robert walked past her desk, closer than he had ever dared go before and with his new found true smile on his face he wished her a nice evening to which she raised her head momentarily, smiled and resumed her work.
***
The next few days continued much in the same way. Robert loved his life. All the thoughts of killing himself had been washed away, no trace of them remained. He wore a smile on his face everywhere he went. He was interested in the television he watched, he laughed at the stand-ups on the tele and cried from laughing whilst watching American Pie. He was eating good food rather than the countless ready-meals he was having night after night before Iablo’s intervention. He had time in the shower to think of a plan for the day rather than contemplating suicide. He was happier at work than he was at home. Robert felt good to be showing off his smile, to be standing tall in the office, to be saying hello and actually engaging with his colleagues out of choice. Robert was on top of his work load, in fact he was well ahead of it. He had time to eat his lunch away from his desk. He went to a park, and sat on a bench and gazed out at the small trees and took in the smells and sounds of a London park. Robert was a new man and he felt all the better for it. Iablo had done more than save his life, he’d made it worthwhile.
***
Ten days after Iablo’s visit and Robert was walking into the reception area at 5:00 P.M. exactly. The receptionist whose name he did not know but had always wanted to learn was sat at her desk typing quickly and fluently. Robert took a deep breath in. Nerves had begin to set in and suddenly his plan didn’t seem so smooth. Robert had finished his work around three but knew the reception would still be busy then with all sorts of people visiting all numbers of different floor and so had waited and planned on how he was going to finally, after all these years of being miserable finally strike up a conversation with her.
His footsteps sounded uncomfortably loud as he approached her desk, her eyes never leaving the glow of the screen. Robert took another shallow nerve seducing breath and began.
“Hey, I’m Robert Simms.” His voice cracked a little, he coughed and continued. “I have been working here for five years now,” the receptionists eyes drifted up to meet Roberts, yet her fingers carried on typing away, “and in all that time I have never properly spoken to you, nor do I know your name. I have however always thought you to be the most beautiful woman, not just in this building but the most beautiful I have ever seen.” She stopped typing. “I have wanted to tell you that ever since my first day here but have only recently been in the right place in my life to do so.” Robert paused, expecting the receptionist whose name he did not know but had always wanted to learn to say something in response. She didn’t. “You’re beautiful, this is possibly cheesy and I’m very nervous but is there any chance that you would like to go out with me and get something to eat sometime? Maybe.”
Roberts heart was in his throat. His heart was pumping like made and even though he knew how utterly terrifying this was, he was loving every minute of it. He had never felt so alive. There was a long moment of silence, time seemed to stretch forever for Robert. He stared into her brown eyes, she stared back at his and then, to Roberts relief a smile crept onto her face.
“Well Robert, you don’t say anything to me for all that bloody time and then you dump it all on my desk at once!” she’s Irish! He thought, then Robert smiled, the biggest, most genuine he had ever felt. “Right, where do I start? I’m Erin, receptionist extraordinaire,” she flashed Robert a quick wink and carried on. “I’ve gotta say Robert, you’re not too sore on the eyes yourself darling.”
Robert was embarrassed by her compliment, trying to hide it but fearing that his embarrassment was already showing red-hot on his checks.
“Why didn’t you bloody say something when you started?! Think of the things that we could’ve done in that time!” Another wink, setting Robert’s heart to skip beat.
“Well I eh-“ Robert stuttered, the full effects of his embarrassment washing over him, suppressing his speech.
Erin leant over the desk and put her left index finger on his lips. It felt warm, soft and right on his dry lips and his nerves suddenly washed away, as if, in that moment everything was normal. Robert was smiling again under her finger.
“Don’t get yourself into a worry darling. I’m not free tonight but tomorrow I’m all yours. I only live round the corner so how about I walk down here and you pick me up outside, save me having to move house if you turn out to be a nutter.” Robert laughed, deeply and happily. “Now, shall we say 8, tomorrow night, out front? I trust you can drive and being the gentlemen that you are darling, you will pick me up? That sound good to you?”
Erin moved her index finger that she held on Roberts lip up and down, making him move his head, nodding in agreement, although he would have happily done it himself. What she had said had sounded perfect, even more so coming from her soft lyrical Irish accent.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Robert said with a broad grin, but stood standing in his place starring into the dark brown eyes of Erin.
“Yes you will Mr. Simms. Now get off with ya, some off us have work to do.” She flashed him another wink and he turned and walked towards the door. Just as he pulled back the black door Erin called to him from behind her desk. “Actually darling, I turn that not too bad looking comment from earlier into a very good looking, well done on a fine derrière Simms.”
Robert turned and gave a bow of his head, before leaving the dull grey building. As he walked past the front window he could see Erin chuckling away to herself, then if he wasn’t mistaken, whilst nibbling the end of her pen he thought saw her smile the smile of a person who was charmed.
***
Robert lay in bed that night hands crossed behind his head staring up at the ceiling, his now usual smile settled on his face. He was thinking of Erin. How he loved that name. After all those years of not knowing , then to hear that elegant name fall from her lips. And in that accent! How unexpected that had been. He could picture her now, winking at him, smiling at him, he was certain that they had been flirting and he was pleased that she liked at least the look of him.
Then he worried. What happens if they get on so well tomorrow that it leads to something more. He’d done it before, of course he had but not out of love or even real want but out of normality, he had thought that sex may bring him happiness. It had been pleasant enough but to Robert it had just been a physical act like running and he got no joy or excitement out of it. But he wanted to with Erin, there was something about her that just connected the two of them, from Robert’s point of view anyway.
He saw her in his minds eye again and as he drifted off he pictured her laughing and with that image in his mind, he fell asleep with a smile on his face once more.
***
Robert was nervous as he stood outside the big grey building which housed the office in which he worked. He was more nervous than he could ever remember being.
He had woken up that morning with a smile on his face. He had showered, shaved and driven to work with that same smile on his face, not even the honking horns or the slow movement of the morning rush hour traffic had been able to wipe it off. And why should it of? He had managed, somehow to get a date with the girl he had lusted after for years. And what a girl! Perfect height, slim, brunette, nicer than nice body and Irish! He struggled to believe his luck.
Although she had not been there when Robert arrived at work he had thought about her all day. When his boss came in late it didn’t bother him, when he got everyone else’s busy work off-loaded to him, he was unaffected and when he was screamed at for not finishing it before he left he simply smiled and walked out of the office, and all because he had kept the thought of seeing Erin in his mind.
As Robert entered the reception area he saw her, wonderful Erin with her wonderful smile and beautiful eyes meeting his gaze.
“Hello you, see you tonight still yeah? Don’t be late darling,” she had said. That was when the nerves had hit him like a brick. Robert replied some slurred response which he hoped resembled a ‘yes’ and shakily left the building.
Driving home Robert struggled to focus on the road, his mind on a million other questions barely noticing the red lights in time. How the hell did I manage to get her to go out with me? How am I going to talk to her when I’m like this after a hello? What am I going to wear? Am I going to be sick? Oh god! What if I’m sick on her? Roberts mind was in a battle with itself, desperately trying to calm down.
Home. Robert showered, washed away the nerves and the sweat. Dried and calmer. He had changed into a pair of beige chinos, light blue checker shirt and a black jumper over the top. He stood in front of the mirror, starring at his smug grin which had returned after being washed away by uncontrollable nerves.
He had pulled the jumper back off over his head, readjusted his hair, perfectly messy like in the magazines and grinned. The glint in his eyes brightened up his entire face, not literally but he seemed to be in a better place and he put it down to that.
Now Robert was leaning against the pay and display machine opposite his car trying to look as cool as he possibly could. He had arrived ten minutes early just to make sure he didn’t disappoint Erin.
His stomach was doing flips and his breath was getting faster with every minute that passed. Robert suddenly became away of his sweaty arm pits and desperately tried to calm down, getting like this would do no good and he cursed himself at not bringing a can of deodorant to just have in the car.
Three minutes past eight?! She’s three minutes late! She’s ditched me! No calm down! Its only three minutes, you’re getting yourself worked up for –
A hand tapped on Roberts left shoulder interrupting his train of thought and with a girlish yelp he jumped away and span around to face them, losing his footing in the process and stumbling into the road.
Erin stood next to the pay and display machine, hand covering her mouth. She tried to stifle an obvious laugh with a less than sympathetic “awwwwww” but it ended up being more laughter than pity.
“Robert, it’s me! What are you to run screaming?” She spoke in an over the top posh English accent which would have reminded Robert of an English Duchess if he had not been so angry.
Roberts reply resembled more of an English Pauper than English Duke; “Jesus Christ Erin! You scared the shit out of me!” Then catching his tone he added, “Sorry, you look...” Robert stared at her as if noticing her for the first time. She was wearing black heels, black tights, little make-up and a beautiful red-dress with a plunging neck-line revealing a rather surprising cleavage for a girl of Erin’s size. Despite all of the lovely things he could say to her, all of the adjectives the English language had to use on occasions such as this, all he could managed was a feeble; “wow,” as he picked himself up out of the road.
“Well thank-you, I think,” she smiled and with a wink added; “You’re looking very wow yourself.”
Robert smiled back and despite his nerves, which were quickly returning after his scare, he walked Erin over to his red Suzuki Swift and the date began.
***
Erin shut the door behind her before Robert had completely disappeared from view. Don’t want to seem too desperate. She sighed. What a night! She had never felt so connected to someone in such a short space of time. How she had gone all those years seeing him skulk and in her having to pretend not to notice him staring at her she’ll never know. Bless him.
Erin walked into her bedroom and slipped out of her red dress and wandered into her bathroom in her underwear. She caught sight of herself in the mirror he had said wow to this! She was chuffed with herself and half laughed as she squeezed the toothpaste on to her brush,. Erin was actually considering breaking her most clichéd ‘five dates before sex’ rule that she had been determined to stick to. She hummed to herself ‘Don’t look back in Anger’ as she brushed her teeth.
Spit. Rinse. Strip. Naked. Bed.
As she lay there under her thick duvet, with a pillow between her thighs, the smile that had been plastered on her face since she had parted company from Robert began to fade, a worried crumpling of her beautiful face replaced it and, as she fell asleep, she was not entirely sure as to what was troubling her.
***
This is great Harry - am interested to see where it's going - Robert's an intriguing character and Iablo is very sinister and well described..just enough detail, not too much. Suspect a dark ending is on the way but not sure what form it'll take as there's a genuinely original feel to this. Splendid!
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