“I have your schedules here and coffees,” I tell them, passing them everything they need before putting my head back down and ignoring them. They must have got the message because after a few tense seconds of feeling their eyes lingering, they both walk away into their offices. I sigh, relieved to be left to go about my work with hopefully no more mention of death and funerals. I shove my problems to the back of my mind. I throw myself into the tasks in front of me, focusing only on them.
When lunch time comes around, I know that means seeing Theo and Tobias, so instead of staying at my desk like I do most of the time, I duck down to my car. Sitting in my passenger seat, I recline my chair all the way. The sun feels nice and warm on my skin. There’s a slight breeze but not too chilly. My lunch break is an hour long.
Rummaging through the bag Sally gave me, I pull out the last protein bar. I quickly unwrap it and take a tiny bite. If I hadn’t been so damn hungry, I would have spat it out. The taste is terrible, like cookie dough but chewy and sugarless. The bar has nuts in it that are rock hard, and I’m surprised I don’t break a tooth. Swallowing the last mouthful down, I try to rid the taste from my mouth by licking the back of my hand. Even that doesn’t help.
My teeth ache from constantly chewing, I have never eaten a protein bar that resembles nutty chewing gum. When I try and fail to remove the taste, I look at the bottle sitting on the floorboard of my car. Smirnoff Vodka, it’s one of the better tasting ones. Will it be inappropriate to have a mouthful while at work? It’s definitely inappropriate, I know that, but the taste is foul, and I also need the liquid courage to go back up there and pretend everything’s peachy.
Reaching over, I grab the bottle and twist the cap off. Bringing the bottle to my lips, I take two big mouthfuls and swallow them down, suddenly feeling the burn all the way to my stomach. Placing the cap back on, I sit back, only to find the watchful eyes of my new stray friend staring at me. He’s sitting directly in front of my car, looking through the windshield. Maybe it’s my imagination, but I swear he looks like he’s scolding me with that glare of his.
For some reason seeing him sends a shiver up my spine. He looks more like a predator now that I can see him in the light. He’s huge. Even sitting down, his head can easily peer through the windows. I wonder what mutated breed he is. I assume it’s a he, I’m not game enough to go check.
And that was the last area I paid attention to last night. I know I wouldn’t want anyone checking between my legs to see what I am, if I were a dog. Cracking my car door open, he walks over to me. I pat his big head and sigh. He’s just as soft as last night. He presses his nose onto my side where the gash is. I hiss a little from the direct pressure on it. I don’t know how but since he touched it, I’m fully aware of the zig zagged cut across my side.
Deciding I should recheck it and be on the lookout for an infection, I lift my shirt. The dog watches, turning his head from side to side like he’s studying it too. I pull the gauze back. It holds together well and isn’t pouring out blood at least. Examining it in the light, I’m pretty confident that across my hip bone, that juts out under my skin, the puncture might have gone down to the bone. I try to pry it open with my fingers a little so I can see layers of tissue outside my skin instead of under it. I have thankfully stopped bleeding, but I need stitches or it will either get infected or leave a terrible scar. That’s the last thing I need.
Placing the gauze back over it, I reach for the bottle of vodka. The stray tilts his head watching me. His eyes look so human-like as he stares at me. Is he still judging me? I turn away from his watchful gaze and take another mouthful. The dog sticks around for a few more minutes before he trots off back down the ramp, leading to the lower levels of the car park. I have only five minutes left of break so I decide to lock my car up and go back inside.
When I reach the office, Theo is perched on the end of my desk like he’s waiting for someone. That someone is me.
“Where did you go?” He asks and sniffs the air for a second. It’s such a strange thing to do. I have caught him doing it multiple times over the last few months, maybe it’s like an involuntary tick or something. But it’s definitely strange. I have even seen his eyes go dark a few times after doing it, like right now when he glances at my face before quickly looking away.
“I had to go get something from my car.” I tell him. He eyes me suspiciously like he doesn’t believe me. I know I don’t smell of vodka. Not with only a couple of mouthfuls and there aren’t any cameras on the top level of the garage, so he couldn’t have seen me either. If there had been, everyone would have been witness to my house by this point.
The way he stares at me gives me goosebumps. His eyes dart down to my injured hip, staring as if he can see through my blazer and peer at it. I shiver but he stands up and walks away without so much as a glance back in my direction. Shaking my head, I walk into the kitchenette. I place the kettle on, needing a caffeine hit.