Lee Weeks - Cold as Ice

‘Love to. I’m a bit out of practice with socializing. Since I had Archie I haven’t really been out much.’

‘Perfect chance then – nothing too scary, I promise. Follow me. I’ve already been in there with one group for lunch but… what the hell… After all, it’s working in the broad sense of the word.’ He walked back through the office and called across to his colleague on the way. It was the same woman who’d directed Ebony across to Yan in the first place. ‘Just showing a new student where the canteen is and introducing her to the group – okay?’

She looked up from her desk, grinned and rolled her eyes.

‘Go on then.’

She winked at Ebony as if she were used to his liberty-taking. He turned back to Ebony with a smile.

‘Wish it was Christmas every day. It’s a miracle what a couple of lunchtime drinks will do.’

Ebony followed Yan through the office. She caught the buggy on the leg of a chair. He steered it expertly out of the way.

‘I’ll push if you like. I’m used to negotiating buggies through the office.’

‘Thanks. Have you worked here long?’

‘I’ve been here three years. I came here like everyone else to try and catch up on missing qualifications. Which I did, and then I applied for a clerical job here and worked up to being an advisor. I wasn’t expecting to like it that much but I find it a really worthwhile job. It’s nice to help people. I mean, I don’t intend to stay here for ever.

‘What do you want to do?’

‘I don’t have any idea what I want to do long-term. But then hardly anybody does, do they?’

‘No. I don’t.’ Ebony was thinking how strange it must be not to have a twenty-year plan. Her goal was to take her sergeant’s theory exam next year, in March and work in the different departments within MIT, including Organized Crime and Vice. She wanted to learn more about major fraud cases. When she felt ready, she’d take her inspector’s exam. That was her main aim – she wanted to be an inspector in the Murder Squad within ten years. At the end of twenty years she wanted to be a superintendent at least. None of the plan involved a marriage or babies.

‘Do you have a lot of single parents coming through?’ she asked as they walked along.

He turned back to her and smiled, nodding. ‘A lot of people wanting to get off the treadmill they’re on. It’s the nice side of my job, when people come back a couple of years later and their circumstances are really changed – you know? They’re happy. It’s a lot about self-esteem.’

He looked back at her with a quick glance then manoeuvred the buggy effortlessly through the office, out into the corridor, left before the reception desk and down towards the smell of a canteen.

Ebony looked at posters advertising job opportunities on the walls on the way.

‘Yes. Must be satisfying, your job. Helping people change their lives around, learn new skills?’

‘Yes it is. I won’t lie though – I’d rather be lying on the deck of a boat in the sunshine. Or drinking rum in…? Where’s the newest place to go in Kingston?’

‘Oh… there are so many, aren’t there?’ Ebony looked nervously at the people they were approaching. She was hoping she’d managed to cover her tracks a bit and confuse him into thinking she was anxious about something other than remembering all the facts she’d had hardly any time to learn. She’d definitely look them up later and find out what was current in Jamaica.

‘Here they are – meet the rabble.’ In the corner of the canteen a group of mainly women were chatting noisily, with kids running around unchecked. Some were standing, bouncing fractious babies on their hips. He steered Archie’s buggy across to the group and Ebony followed. The canteen looked like it had seen a fair few parties that day. The cleaners were sweeping up party streamers from the floor.

One of the women standing, rocking a buggy whilst holding a glass of wine in her hand, turned and called out to Yan as they approached:

‘You can’t keep away, can you?’

Someone else echoed it with a: ‘What? You back again?’

He gave an exaggerated shrug and rolled his eyes in embarrassment.

‘It’s a dirty job but someone’s got to do it. Meet Ebony.’ He turned and waited for Ebony to come level with him. ‘Hopefully, she’ll be joining the group after Christmas.’ There was a chorus of hellos and the end of the table opened up as people made space for them to sit down. An Asian woman with a gold stud in her ear and enormous beautiful eyes poured a glass of red wine and handed it to Ebony from across the table.

‘Sorry, there’s only red left.’

‘Red’s great, thanks.’ Ebony took it from her and took a sip. ‘Cheers.’ She raised her glass and then put it back on the table. There was shrieking and howls of laughter at the other end of the table.

‘I told you they were a rowdy bunch.’ Yan settled Archie’s buggy next to the table. Archie was sleeping. ‘Let me introduce you…’ He worked his way around the table, calling the women out by name. ‘I’ll leave you to chat now. Call and see me on the way out if you need to, otherwise ring me in a couple of days. I’ll have done most of your paperwork by then. I’m on Facebook if you feel like chatting.’

Ebony smiled and nodded as Yan stood and, amongst a few friendly tipsy attempts at berating him for leaving the table, he went on his good-humoured way.

The woman who had first greeted them sat down next to Ebony. She was young, elfin-featured; her name was Sammy.

‘You joining the group then?’

Ebony nodded. ‘Hopefully.’ She’d watched Yan go, thinking about how he’d be checking out all that she had said. Her existence, national security number, her housing association history. All of it had been set up meticulously by Robbo. Now they would see how well it worked. ‘You all seem to get on well?’

‘Yes. It’s quite a social group as well as hard work,’ answered Selena, a friendly-faced woman with a shock of tumbling curls and a peasant blouse, long silver earrings. She had black kohl eyeliner around her pretty green eyes. ‘We support each other – have to, a lot of us are single parents.’

‘Teaching seems the ideal job.’ Ebony looked around. Down the other end of the table there was one man in the group. He was joining in with the laughter.

‘That’s Christian. He’s the token man on the team. His little girl is so sweet,’ said Selena.

‘Is he the only man on the course?’

‘Yeah. He’s been on it since the beginning. He’s been studying here for years.’

Selena leaned towards Ebony in a stage whisper. ‘Most of the women fancy him; he has a new one every week. The person he’s most in love with is himself.’

Ebony made a face that said ‘Really?’

Selena laughed and nodded. ‘Not me personally but the women who are talking to him now – they really like him.’

Just then the women stopped laughing and looked their way. The man, Christian, had been half eavesdropping into Ebony’s conversation. He excused himself and walked down the outside of the row of chairs, stopped by Ebony and held out his hand.

‘Christian.’

‘Ebony.’

Ebony tried to stand to shake his hand. She got her leg caught in the chair.

‘No, don’t get up; I didn’t mean to interrupt, just came to say hi to the new girl. And to tell her not to believe everything this lot say. This is the naughty end of the table.’

‘Yeah, right.’ Selena laughed.

‘It’s nice to have you on the course. Are you going to do computer skills and word processing?’ Ebony looked unsure. ‘Oh well, I’ll see you in there if you are. Nice to meet you.’

‘You too.’