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When I next looked up, it was Neil’s gaze that was transfixed on me. My eye contact broke him out of his trance. “Could you stop that?” he said.
“Stop what?”
“Your…” He gestured near his lips.
What on earth?
“My…?”
Then it clicked. I had been poking my tongue out in concentration—an old habit I thought I had grown out of, but apparently not. “Ah. Sorry.” I sealed my mouth into a tight line.
After sorting the documents, I scanned and saved them to the drive, then Neil gave me a fresh batch of instructions. Most of the time, we sat in silence. I heard only his breathing and the scratch of the nib of his ballpoint pen against paper.
The work was taking longer than expected and with no end in sight. A twinge of sharp pain stabbed my stomach. Hunger. I hoped my stomach wasn’t going to growl in front of him again.
“Are you okay?” Neil asked. He must have noticed my discomfort.
“I’m just a bit hungry. I haven’t had dinner. Have you?”
“No.” He looked at the time on his phone and seemed surprised. “Perhaps it would be a good idea to eat.”
“Why don’t I go out and buy something?”
Neil shook his head. “I need you here if we’re going to get through all of this tonight. Let’s get some food delivered.”
“What would you like?”
“It’s your choice.”
“How about Japanese?”
“Okay. You’ve still got the credit card?”
“Yep.”
I organised the delivery. I had forgotten that Neil was a vegetarian, but he reminded me when I showed him the menu. The food arrived in forty minutes. I collected it from the lobby. By the time I brought it up to Neil’s office, I was ravenous. I used a fork instead of chopsticks so I could eat faster. Neil was a dainty eater compared to me. After I filled up on rice, I slowed down to match his unhurried pace.
“How’s your tofu?” I asked.
“Good. And your chicken?”
“It’s delicious.”
I took a sip of miso soup and revelled in its savoury warmth with a sigh of contentment.
Neil stared at me.
“Do I have something in my teeth?” I asked.
“No.” He returned his attention to his meal. “Once you’ve eaten, you can finish up. I should be able to handle the rest of the work.”
I shook my head. “I’m re-energised now. I can keep going. Let’s get this done.”
“If you’re sure.”
I cleaned up after our meal and returned for the next round of work.
“Do you often stay this late?” I asked, signing a document as a witness.
