Page 84 of The Notecard
‘You don’t need to keep talking into the microphone, Nick.’
‘Oh, right, sorry everyone, sorry, sorry,’ I say, and then I put the microphone down.
Meg stands up and she walks around until we’re side by side. She takes me by the hand, and then we walk out of the room. Still no-one says anything. We walk out of the doors and into the hallway. Meg turns to look at me. I have no idea what she’s thinking. I just hope it’s good.
‘I’m sorry about that. I really didn’t know I was going to do that. I was just going to talk to you, and then I saw the microphone and got carried away.’
Meg smiles.
‘It was a bit specialist, even for you,’ says Meg.
‘God, your family is going to think I’m crazy, aren’t they?’
‘They are, but don’t worry, they’re all crazy too. I just, wow, I can’t believe you did that. Aren’t you supposed to be on the way to Nottingham?’
‘I am. I was. Then I was saying goodbye to Dotty, and she convinced me that I needed to do something. If I loved you…’
‘You love me?’ says Meg, her face changing, a shade of seriousness dropping over it.
‘I do. I love you, Meg, and I know we had our one night and it was a disaster, and things between us haven’t worked out, but I feel it.’
‘Fucking hell, Nick,’ says Meg, her head in her hands. She walks around for a moment and then comes back to me. ‘Why are you doing this now? Why today when you’ve had the last month to say something?’
‘The timing isn’t great.’
‘You can say that again.’
‘The timing isn’t great,’ I say, and I laugh, but Meg doesn’t. ‘Sorry, terrible joke. Look, Meg, I know the timing is the worst, but don’t you see, it doesn’t matter. You and I, we’re meant to be.’
I look at Meg, hoping, not praying, but really hoping she just kisses me. Maybe I should kiss her. You say you love her and then you kiss her, and we live happily ever after. I wait for what feels like an hour until finally Meg says.
‘I can’t do this right now, Nick. I can’t. I’m sorry. The truth is, I do feel something for you, but I don’t know what it is. I need to go away,’ says Meg. She has tears in her eyes. The moment is getting away from me and I don’t know what to say. ‘Thank you for saying what you said. I won’t forget it. I won’t forget you, Nick, but I just need to go away and you need to go to Nottingham.’
A silence. It’s deafening. We smile at each other. It’s horrible. It’s the end of the romantic comedy they never show in films because it’s too awful. It’s not romantic or funny. It just hurts. We stand and look at each other for a moment, and then the doors open suddenly, and Meg’s sister Laura comes storming out.
‘What the fuck was that?’ says Laura. ‘You really are trying your best to ruin my day, aren’t you?’ She’s yelling at Meg.
‘It wasn’t her. It was all me. I’m sorry, Laura. I hope the rest of your day goes well, I do, and I’m sorry again.’ I look at Meg. ‘I should go.’
‘You think?’ says Laura, loudly and sarcastically.
‘Okay,’ says Meg quietly.
‘Have a wonderful trip, and a good life,’ I say.
‘You too,’ says Meg.
A tear falls down her cheek.
One last smile.
It’s killing me.
I walk out.
I keep walking until I get outside. I feel like I can’t breathe. I take a moment to compose myself. To get my head together. I’m standing on the gravel when Dotty walks over.
‘Well? How did it go?’ says Dotty with a smile.
