standing over her, watching as her thin hand shook.
The woman finished her note and sighed, ‘Yes?’ She looked up and did a double take. Lucas knew what it was. The shirt and tie. No one wore a shirt and tie in these places. The woman looked over her shoulder as if dealing with a shirt and tie was something she was incapable of, not in her job description. ‘Can I help?’ she asked, possibly more to herself than him.
‘I’m looking for Ben,’ Lucas said with a smile.
The woman frowned and shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, who?’
‘Ben. Sorry, I can’t remember his surname. He works here.’
The woman looked at him blankly. ‘ I don’t know him,’ she said.
‘Well, it was a while ago. He helped me get my life back on track.’
The woman looked behind her again, starting to get flustered.
‘I just wondered if he was here, or if you knew where I could find him?’
The woman shook her head. ‘I couldn’t tell you that, even if I knew. I could ask and see if anyone knows him. What was it regarding again?’
Lucas smiled. The woman had probably been on a week-long training course in customer care. ‘I just wanted to thank him. He saved my life. I wanted him to see what he did for me.’
The woman nodded slightly. Maybe that was too much. He doubted many of the customers here actually were a success, never mind came back to thank anyone. That wouldn’t have been in the training.
‘I’ll go and have a word with my supervisor,’ she said and opened a door that connected the reception to an office behind. Lucas saw two more members of staff sitting drinking coffee: a young man who looked like he was on something stronger than coffee and was wearing sandals in December, and a blonde woman with tight jeans on. From behind she looked quite fit but as she turned around he could see she must’ve been at least late forties. Either that or the drugs had hit her hard.
The woman from the desk had left the door open. The pair were discussing something that’d been on TV the night before. Something about fat people. The receptionist stood, hovering until they noticed her.
‘What’s up, Catherine?’ the blonde woman asked.
‘Where’s Jessie?’
‘She’s gone out. She won’t be long,’ the blonde replied.
‘Something personal ,’ Jesus-sandals said. ‘Andrea reckons she’s gone to the clap clinic.’
The blonde shoved him. ‘I never said that.’
Catherine stepped forward, interrupting their flirting. ‘Well, there’s a man here who wants to speak to someone called Ben?’ She shrugged. ‘I don’t know who that is.’ Lucas smiled and gave a little wave as they all turned and looked at him. ‘I said I couldn’t give any information anyway,’ Catherine continued. ‘He said Ben got him clean and he wanted to thank him.’
‘Well, Ben doesn’t work here any more,’ Jesus-sandals said. ‘He left ages ago.’
‘Oh, Ben! Ben Swales. I remember him. Aw, he was so lovely. Went back to take care of his mum, didn’t he?’ the blonde one said and received a silencing look from Jesus-sandals, who stood up and walked out to the reception area.
‘Ben doesn’t work here any more,’ he said to Lucas. ‘I’m sure he’d appreciate your coming, though.’
‘Do you know where he went?’ Lucas asked, glancing back at the blonde with the big mouth.
‘I can’t tell you that,’ Jesus-sandals said.
‘I only wanted to thank him,’ Lucas said. ‘Your colleague mentioned his mum.’
‘Yeah, well, Andrea shouldn’t have said anything,’ said Jesus-sandals, and crossed his arms.
Lucas nodded. He knew he wasn’t going to get anything else. ‘Well, thanks anyway,’ he said and turned to leave. As he got to the door he stopped and looked at the blonde, who’d come out of the office. ‘And thank you too, Andrea,’ he said and walked out.
He booted an empty can across the road, thinking about the twat in the sandals. Smug bastard. He shoved his hands into his pockets. He supposed it
The woman finished her note and sighed, ‘Yes?’ She looked up and did a double take. Lucas knew what it was. The shirt and tie. No one wore a shirt and tie in these places. The woman looked over her shoulder as if dealing with a shirt and tie was something she was incapable of, not in her job description. ‘Can I help?’ she asked, possibly more to herself than him.
‘I’m looking for Ben,’ Lucas said with a smile.
The woman frowned and shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, who?’
‘Ben. Sorry, I can’t remember his surname. He works here.’
The woman looked at him blankly. ‘ I don’t know him,’ she said.
‘Well, it was a while ago. He helped me get my life back on track.’
The woman looked behind her again, starting to get flustered.
‘I just wondered if he was here, or if you knew where I could find him?’
The woman shook her head. ‘I couldn’t tell you that, even if I knew. I could ask and see if anyone knows him. What was it regarding again?’
Lucas smiled. The woman had probably been on a week-long training course in customer care. ‘I just wanted to thank him. He saved my life. I wanted him to see what he did for me.’
The woman nodded slightly. Maybe that was too much. He doubted many of the customers here actually were a success, never mind came back to thank anyone. That wouldn’t have been in the training.
‘I’ll go and have a word with my supervisor,’ she said and opened a door that connected the reception to an office behind. Lucas saw two more members of staff sitting drinking coffee: a young man who looked like he was on something stronger than coffee and was wearing sandals in December, and a blonde woman with tight jeans on. From behind she looked quite fit but as she turned around he could see she must’ve been at least late forties. Either that or the drugs had hit her hard.
The woman from the desk had left the door open. The pair were discussing something that’d been on TV the night before. Something about fat people. The receptionist stood, hovering until they noticed her.
‘What’s up, Catherine?’ the blonde woman asked.
‘Where’s Jessie?’
‘She’s gone out. She won’t be long,’ the blonde replied.
‘Something personal ,’ Jesus-sandals said. ‘Andrea reckons she’s gone to the clap clinic.’
The blonde shoved him. ‘I never said that.’
Catherine stepped forward, interrupting their flirting. ‘Well, there’s a man here who wants to speak to someone called Ben?’ She shrugged. ‘I don’t know who that is.’ Lucas smiled and gave a little wave as they all turned and looked at him. ‘I said I couldn’t give any information anyway,’ Catherine continued. ‘He said Ben got him clean and he wanted to thank him.’
‘Well, Ben doesn’t work here any more,’ Jesus-sandals said. ‘He left ages ago.’
‘Oh, Ben! Ben Swales. I remember him. Aw, he was so lovely. Went back to take care of his mum, didn’t he?’ the blonde one said and received a silencing look from Jesus-sandals, who stood up and walked out to the reception area.
‘Ben doesn’t work here any more,’ he said to Lucas. ‘I’m sure he’d appreciate your coming, though.’
‘Do you know where he went?’ Lucas asked, glancing back at the blonde with the big mouth.
‘I can’t tell you that,’ Jesus-sandals said.
‘I only wanted to thank him,’ Lucas said. ‘Your colleague mentioned his mum.’
‘Yeah, well, Andrea shouldn’t have said anything,’ said Jesus-sandals, and crossed his arms.
Lucas nodded. He knew he wasn’t going to get anything else. ‘Well, thanks anyway,’ he said and turned to leave. As he got to the door he stopped and looked at the blonde, who’d come out of the office. ‘And thank you too, Andrea,’ he said and walked out.
He booted an empty can across the road, thinking about the twat in the sandals. Smug bastard. He shoved his hands into his pockets. He supposed it
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