Page 89 of My Boss

“Why would you think that?”

“It’s just after five o’clock.”

“I always get up at this time.” He leans over his watch again.

“And what are you doing so early?”

“The usual.”

“Meaning?”

He closes his eyes.

“Can we postpone this conversation until later? I’m busy.”

“With a watch?”

“Yes. I want to finish it at two to six.” He leans over the desk again.

“Why exactly at two to six?”

“Because I exercise at six o’clock.”

“And then?”

“I take a shower.”

“You’ve taken one already.”

He looks at me.

“This was an exception. I do not usually have sex in the middle of the night, so I do not usually have to take a shower as soon as I wake up.”

I want to ask him when he does have sex in that case, but I bite my tongue. It’s too early for such questions.

“I understand. And what do you do later, after the shower?”

“I have breakfast.” He returns his gaze to the watch. He is tinkering with the mechanism.

“And after breakfast?”

“I leave for work.”

“Today is a day off.”

“Well, yes. On my days off, I clean the apartment, do laundry, shop, and iron.”

“I see. And when you’re done?”

“I make lunch.”

“And later?”

“I have lunch,” he replies automatically, not even looking at me. He still sits and fiddles with his damn watch.

“And after that?”

“I work with watches.”

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