"A bit rough on the old chap though."
I shrugged.It was Mark who told me more about him. He had gone over to scrounge a cigarette. By the time he came back to the table, I had my head stuck into the news-paper.
"Interesting chap. Sub-editor. Been all over the world," said Mark.
I decided to find the newspaper more interesting and finally Mark shut up and finished smoking.
"Asked your name," he said.
"He what?"
"Yeah."
"What'd you say?"
"Leanna, of course."
I folded the newspaper.
"I've loads of work this afternoon."
"Said you look familiar," said Mark. "Like someone he knew."
"Someone he knew?"
"Yeah. Could be strategy. Maybe he fancies you."
"Fancies me? But he's old."
"Only old enough to be your father."
I grabbed my tray and left the table.
I didn't do much work that afternoon. I kept wishing Mark hadn't said what he had said. Old enough to be your father.The following week I took along a book to read during lunchtime. When I got into the lift on my floor, he was already inside. He greeted me so I had to reply but I didn't smile. We were alone and that worried me. I wondered whether I should get out at the next floor and walk up the stairs to the canteen. Don't panic, I thought. Just because he's stared at you for ages doesn't mean he's going to do anything.
" Well, I suppose one of us should press the button or we'll be here all day, won't we?"
I'd been so busy wondering what he was going to do and expecting him to do something, that I'd completely forgotten to do anything myself. I felt like an idiot and this made me smile and I hadn't wanted to. He smiled back, his blue eyes crinkling right up to the grey hair at his ears and making him look ... nice. Then there was a slap. My book hit the floor. I bent down and so did he, and we bashed heads. At that moment, the lift shuddered to a stop and the doors seemed to fling themselves wide open. I was so embarrassed, I marched out of the lift, straight towards the queue at the counter. I ordered without looking at the menu and took my tray to a table where there was only one empty seat. I breathed a sigh of relief and began to eat. But the salad stuck in my throat when I noticed that everyone else at the table had already finished lunch and they were getting up to go. I glanced over at the counter. He was paying and in a second, his eyes would scan the room to find me. I ducked my head. Waited. Any minute now he'd sit down with his tray.
Short Stories from Australasia. My book appeared in front of my eyes. His fingers were the longest I'd seen and his nails were manicured. I hadn't thought he'd bother.
"You left it in the lift," he said. "May I sit down?"
His voice was soft. Cultivated. What could I say? The tables were all pretty full so I nodded. He said bon app
托盘不只是击中地面。它坠毁,粉碎了午餐成碎片。服务好你该死的权利,我想。你是盯着了。
他站在股票仍然望着食物了。我突然站起来,向他提出。我本来不打算,也没有想帮助他。我打电话到柜台后面的女人。她闭上了嘴,带来了布收拾残局。我拿起餐具,放在托盘。有一个关于他的裤子缠绵染色,并通过它,你可以看到他的膝盖骨是如何进行。像他的其余部分。所有的骨骼,以及摇摇欲坠的夹克和裤子挂。弯腰的肩膀和一英里长的手臂。然后他向我微笑。一个奇妙的微笑,他的穿着creased脸,完全让我吃惊。
“谢谢你。”
我推倒在他托盘,回到我的桌子。
我曾在一家大型出版公司,吃在食堂吃午饭。我也注意到他,因为他在盯着我。他很奇怪的前瞻性。他的头发被严重削减,他的衣服古代和沉闷,太短暂灯芯绒,在膝盖和颜色无毛衣与绒毛点缀,松松垮垮。他常常独自坐着,只是在他的食物中选出的。或者,他阅读和草草记下的down.A几天后坠毁的东西,他停在桌上,我与马克分享校对,并问他是否可以坐下。我说的席位,并继续采取了吃。他道歉,并把他的盘子了别处。
“什么是你的问题,利安娜?”问马克。
“没问题。这只是我喜欢选择谁与我分享我的用餐时间。”
“有点粗糙,但在旧章。”
我shrugged.It是马克谁告诉我更多关于他。他已经到攒够了一支烟。等他回来的表,我有我的头到新闻纸张卡住了。
:“有趣的第一章。小组主编。世界各地了,”马克说。
我决定找报纸更有趣,马克最后闭嘴和成品吸烟。
“问你的名字,”他说。
“他什么?”
“是啊。”
“你说什么?”
“利安娜,当然。”
我折叠的报纸。
“我今天下午的工作负荷。”
“说你看起来很熟悉,”马克说。“喜欢一个人,他知道。”
“有人知道他?”
“是啊。可能的策略。也许他幻想你。”
“意幻想我吗?但他已经老了。”
“只有老得足以做你的父亲。”
我抓起我的托盘,离开了桌子。
我没有做大量的工作,下午。我一直希望马克没有说什么,他说。长大后成为您father.The星期,我一直读了一本书在午餐时间。当我把我的楼电梯时,他已经在里面。他招呼我,使我不得不回答,但我没有笑。我们孤独,担心我。我不知道我是否应该退出在最近的楼层,走楼梯到了食堂。不要惊慌,我想。就因为他的凝视很久并不意味着他会在你做任何事情。
“嗯,我想,我们应该共同按下按钮,否则我们将在这里一整天,将不是吗?”
我一直这么忙,一时不知怎么他会做,希望他做一些事情,我愿意做任何事情完全忘记了自己。我觉得自己像个白痴,这使我微笑,我还没有想。他微笑,他的蓝眼睛起皱直到灰色的头发在他的耳朵,使他看起来...好的。然后是一记耳光。我的书击中了地板上。我弯下身子,他也一样,我们男孩子头。在那一刻,电梯战栗到停止,门似乎甩自己敞开的。我是如此尴尬,我走出了电梯,直走向柜台排队。我命令在菜单上没有的目光,把我的托盘一表,其中只有一个空座位。我吹了一口气,开始吃。但是,沙拉停留在我的喉咙时,我注意到,大家在饭桌其他已经用完午餐,他们都拿到了去。我浏览了柜台。他还支付在第二,他的眼睛会扫描室找我。我躲开了我的头。等待着。现在,任何一分钟,他会坐下来与他的托盘。
来自大洋洲的短篇小说。我的书出现在我眼前。他的手指是我见过和他的指甲被修剪的时间最长。我没有想到他会打扰。
“你留在电梯,”他说。“我可以坐下吗?”
他的声音很柔和。耕地。我能说什么呢?这些表都非常充分,所以我点点头。他说盂兰盆应用