IceBerg - 15. Chapter 15

It was nearly midnight. Three minutes before midnight actually. Three minutes and I could leave this dumpsite of a workplace. My face ached from smiling.

Glancing over, Oli caught my eye. He was stood next to David at the bar and waving over in a frantic manner at me.

Looking around for the boss, I then walked over. Crowds were starting to leave anyway.

‘Two more minutes until leaving!’ exclaimed Oli, patting me on the shoulder. ‘How’s your hangover doing?’

‘I don’t have one,’ I frowned.

Oli stuck his tongue out at me and nudged David, ‘Went out on the town with that Charlie Conray last night.’

‘Charlie Conray,’ smiled David at me. ‘The comedian? What was that like?’

Why did I always forget Charlie was famous?

David was always with Oli now, which wasn’t a bad thing since David was a pretty cool guy and Oli was as happy as I had ever seen.

‘It was okay,’ I shrugged. ‘Watched football, did some dancing, had a few shots, not much really. It was fun, I would do it again.’

‘It was okay, please, it’s Charlie Conray, I bet it was super fun, you are way underplaying it,’ teased Oli.

‘Yes, I would love to have been out with him,’ David agreed.

Why did I always forget how lucky I was with my friendship with Charlie?

‘It’s not luck, it’s a fantasy. You’re a creative liar,’ hissed Jake.

I cleared my throat loudly.

David and Oli gave each other a look and a naughty grin before Oli turned to me and said, ‘I am going to help David finish off here. You mind hanging out before you go? I thought you could give us a ride to the shop.’

I replied, ‘I thought you guys drove too?’

‘Oh, I forgot to say,’ said Oli, clicking his fingers. ‘My car is at the garage. Got here by bus. We won’t be long.’

‘Fine, fine,’ I rolled my eyes.

                                                                       ***

‘We weren’t that long,’ stressed Oli.

‘Twenty minutes,’ I grumped, stopping the car at the red lights.

‘To be fair, the queues were pretty long,’ said David.

‘Sure,’ I rolled my eyes. I clicked my indicator to go right and the light turned green.

‘No!’ said Oli, suddenly.

I almost looked at him sideways. He was sat next to me.

‘Can you drop us off at yours?’ he said. Before I could ask why he said, ‘We want to hang with you for a while before we go.’

‘I am not dropping you back off at yours after that,’ I frowned.

‘You’re so negative today!’ Oli whacked my shoulders in a soft manner. ‘Grumpzilla stomp!’

David laughed while I tried to hide my smile. He then called out from the backseat, ‘Is that Charlie there?’

It was. He was walking along the pathway, hands in pockets, backpack on back, a black hat on. He was listening to music, staring at the ground.

‘Honk him over,’ Oli ordered. Before I could even protest, he reached over and slammed down my horn.

‘Oli!’ I scolded.

He beeped again and Charlie’s head snapped up. He saw us, gave a wave and a little smile, before taking his headphones off.

I snorted at Oli who was sniggering as I pulled over and rolled my window down.

I opened my mouth.

Oli beat me to it, ‘Want a lift there, Charlie boy?’

I closed my mouth and raised an eyebrow at Charlie.

He laughed and asked, ‘You, sure?’

I nodded and he opened the door and climbed into the back seat next to David.

‘Are you going anywhere particular?’ I asked.

‘Well, we are going to Nathanial’s, if you want to come with,’ said Oli.

‘Oli, I wasn’t asking.’

‘Sounds like fun,’ replied Charlie, clicking his seatbelt in.

                                                                              ***

Fumbling with my keys, I was aware of Charlie talking about our night before with Oli and David. We were stood outside the front door and they were still talking about it. He talked about how the football game went, how good the new club was, the music was so exciting, so busy. He didn’t mention how he grabbed my hand to walk through the crowd. But why would he? It was meaningless.

‘I am freezing my nips off, you want to hurry up, man!’ Oli was almost jumping up and down, rubbing his hands together.

I put my key into the door.

‘Alright, guys,’ I said, opening the door wider to get in. I let them in first and followed in. Shrugged my coat off, I walked forward into my small apartment.

‘Surprise!’ an almighty clang of voices stunned me.

My parents were standing with Alex who was grinning and above them all was a large sign, ‘Happy birthday Nathanial!’

‘We made it just in time!’ laughed Oli, putting his arm around my shoulders. He smacked a sloppy kiss on my cheek and rocked my shoulders, ‘Happy birthday, man!’

I was still stunned and shook my head. A baffled smile was slow to rise on my face.

‘Happy birthday son,’ my mum reached forward and wrapped me up in a hug too. I hugged her back, smiling at Alex.

He just gave me a toothy grin and mouthed to me, ‘Happy birthday.’

Charlie stood next to me and blew a party blower near my ear. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a pointed child’s party hat and stuck it on my head. My mum backed away from me, chuckling.

‘Aw, aw, wow, ha, ha,’ I said softly, taking in all around me.

They broke into my flat and really decorated the crap place up. It was so colourful. Actually, it was mostly blue. My favourite color. There were baby pictures of me stuck in zig zag patterns on the wall.

Reaching up to my hat, I said, ‘This is amazing. Wow. I mean. Thank you.’

Walking up to my dad, we had a quick hug while Alex patted me on the back. I turned to Alex and he spun me around. Oli and David were holding up a Victorian Sponge cake with one candle slammed in the middle. My mum was lighting the candle. The cake was on my mum’s traditional red plate. I smiled. She was back to baking again.

‘It’s not real, it’s not real, it’s not real,’ chirped Jake.

‘Fake,’ hissed another voice.

I scratched my ear hard. It was my birthday. It was my birthday. How did I forget about my own birthday?

I was surrounded by the best people. I should have felt lucky. They were celebrating me; they were here for me.

Why wasn’t I happy?
***

‘Bye mum,’ I stood and hugged her tight. She squeezed me more before I patted her on the back. She sneaked in a kiss on my cheek before standing back with my father who was standing smiling at me.

‘Don’t forget this Sunday!’ she wiggled her fingers at me.

‘I know, I know.’

‘Oh, and this Sunday we are having pulled pork.’

‘Alright, mum.’

‘Also, before we go, remember to put that cake in the container I gave Alex.’

‘Come on, Susan,’ my dad murmured, putting his hands inside his pockets. ‘Let the poor boy go back inside. It’s freezing.’

‘Alright, Harry!’ my mum rolled her eyes.

She paused and smiled, reaching over to kiss my cheek again, and called over my shoulder, ‘Bye Alex! You should come by on Sunday too. I always make plenty of food!’

‘Sounds fantastic Mrs Greystone!’ Alex was in the kitchen calling back.

My mum nudged me and whispered, ‘He is a keeper. This whole party was his idea. I absolutely love him!’

She called back over my shoulder, ‘Always so good to see you, Alex! Goodbye, everyone!’

                                                       ***

‘This is where they keep all the camera and sound equipment, although you won’t need to know that.’

I grinned at him, ‘So, why are you showing me?’

Charlie smiled back as we stood in a small dark cornered room, the large equipment hoovering over us like the trees. He was giving me a tour of the building after my interview finished.

‘Come on,’ he tapped the door open, the light from the corridor spilled out to us.

As I walked out the room with him, he gave my arm a light punch and stuck out a tongue.

‘I might not even get the job,’ I tried to point out the pointless tour of the building he was giving me.

‘Please, I gave you all the best tips to get it,’ he rolled his eyes. He pointed forward and went, ‘Aha! If we turn left here, we will get to the best room of all.’

‘Let me guess. Your room?’

He pulled a face as we turned the corner. A white door appeared, gold banner with black letters.

It said ‘Charlie Conray’.

I whistled, ‘Well, damn. Got your own room and everything.’

‘Yeah, ha,’ he said, pausing at the door. ‘When the guys were here, I had to talk Paul out of adding his own graffiti on the wall.’

I shrugged, ‘You missed out.’

He whacked me in the arm again and opened the door. It was actually a small room; little table, mirror, very basic and pale walls. A few posters ripped up from magazines stuck on the walls. Walking over, I ran my finger against the glossy cover of a posing rock band.

‘Have you heard their latest album?’

‘Yeah,’ he called. I looked back to see he was leaning against the open door. ‘I was so disappointed.’

I said, ‘How can you say that, the first song to the last was.’ I couldn’t hold it and I started to chuckle. ‘Sorry, dude. I can’t keep it straight. Yes, it was so bad. It’s been like that since their second album. Just downhill.’

‘Did you hear the song with the violin rip?’

‘Yes! What the hell was that about? I mean I love when they do crazy like that, but it just made no sense to the song.’

‘Wasn’t a good song anyway.’

Tapping the poster, I said, ‘R.I.P old friend.’

‘Yeah, I need to take it down,’ he came over behind me. ‘Nice tie by the way.’

‘Ugh,’ I pulled it a little bit, realising how tight it was. All I did in the interview was pull at it and try to not mumble. Probably talked too loud and now they must have thought I was a loud mouth know-it-all.

A cough pulled us both up from our thoughts. A young woman stood at the door. She gave us a wide beautiful white smile and twirled her long black hair around her finger. In her other hand she was holding a bunch of scattered papers.

‘Claire!’ beamed Charlie. ‘Come over, this is Nathanial, the guy I told you about.’

She came over and shook my hand, ‘He’s not told you about me, has he?’

‘You know him too well,’ I teased.

‘Too right,’ she pulled a face at him. He gave her a goofy grin and put an arm around her waist and pulled her in close. They nuzzled and giggled.

Girlfriend.

This was his girlfriend. Why didn’t I know? He would have brought her up. I was being quiet for too long.

‘Nice to meet you Claire,’ I smiled.

‘Yes, don’t be offended he didn’t mention me, he is a jackass after all,’ she said.

‘Hey!’ he exclaimed.

‘Hey babe, want to get Chinese later? I’m definitely note racist’ she mimicked a macho voice.

‘That’s because I like Chinese food, okay, it wasn’t to do with your ethnicity,’ he said, raising his arms up.

She pretended to punch him in the arm, ‘Yeah. Because you are way too cute to be racist. Idiot.’

‘You didn’t win her over like that, did you?’ I almost groaned to Charlie, shaking my head.

‘For a comedian, he wasn’t that funny,’ she grinned. She looked at him and kissed him on the cheek, ‘Oh, I am only teasing.’

‘I know you are,’ he shrugged. ‘Because I am literally the only reason this place is popular on screens right now.’

‘Sure, babe,’ she rested her head against his shoulder. She turned to me, ‘How did you feel your interview went?’

I waved my hand, ‘As good as it can be. I never can get a perfect interview.’

‘Who did you have?’ she was still resting against him. She cocked an eyebrow and added ‘If you can remember?’

‘Um,’ I rubbed my face. ‘Mr, um, Logan? With an older woman?’

Despite my lack of description, she snapped her fingers and nodded, ‘Logan and Anita.’

‘Them two,’ Charlie twisted his face.

Ah. That sounded bad.

‘Being professional isn’t a bad thing, Charles,’ she rolled her eyes. She patted my arm and smiled, ‘Don’t worry, from what I have heard, it would have been easy for you to impress them.’

‘Apart from the other twenty out of college interns out there. Felt like an old man amongst the youth,’ I stopped and gritted my teeth. I shook my head. ‘I mean. Thank you.’

A bell rang out and Claire looked over her shoulder as did Charlie. They gave each a quick glance before hugging. She tilted her head and gave him a slow kiss, a cheeky grin and patted his arm with her papers, ‘See you later Charlie.’

She grinned at me, ‘Good luck Nathanial. I hope you are on the team soon.’ She waved the papers.

I couldn’t help but laugh at that.

I still felt so stupid.

Charlie closed the door after her.

‘We’ve only been on three dates, Nathanial,’ he turned to me shrugging.

‘You don’t need to explain, man,’ I paused. ‘Claire is actually really awesome and pretty. I can see why you went for her.’

He frowned, ‘But, you are gay.’

I rolled my eyes, ‘I’m gay. Not blind. I have no idea what the hell she sees in you.’

‘I’m glad you like her,’ he gave a weak smile.

He plonked himself into his chair and spun round to his mirror. I leaned against the wall.

‘Your show on soon?’ I asked. ‘Want me to get going?’

‘I haven’t told the guys yet,’ he said, folding his hands in front of him, staring hard at them. ‘I usually have this rule, by the fifth date I tell my friends. I haven’t been getting fifth date lately.’

Fifth date? He had been dating a lot? Was I really that blind?

‘You sound jealous,’ cooed Jake in my ear.

My fist slammed into the wall and he spun around in his chair and stared at me.

‘Sorry,’ I tried to clear my throat. ‘Reflexes lately.’

‘I just thought it was new prayer technique,’ he gave out a slow grin and raised his eyebrow.

There was a knock on the door and a young fresh-faced kid opened it. He barely looked in, he just shouted, ‘Five minutes to make up, Mr. Conray!’

Charlie just waved his hand up and the door closed. Charlie acted like goofball but he had such authority over people. I kept forgetting my place.