Love to Hate You: Three's a Crowd

Chapter Twenty-Two - Accusations and Recriminations

'I need a few days off work,' Rafe said, with a grim expression.

'Is something wrong?' Chris asked, looking up from his spreadsheets.

'Not really, but I need to take a few days. Probably the rest of this week.'

'Is it Mattie?' Chris pressed, because Rafe was never ill, and he was being evasive. He tended only to be evasive when it came to romantic feelings.

'No. No... I'd rather she didn't know, to be honest.'

'Why?' Chris demanded, sensing that a crisis might be brewing.

'She's allowed her space from me. Am I not allowed my space from her?' came his defensive reply. But Rafe never wanted space from Mattie. Not even when she was being exceedingly annoying. He seemed to enjoy being as close to her as possible – preferably inside her – and it was clear to everyone that knew him, that his exile to his mother's house had taken its toll.

'Of course,' Chris nodded, his cheeks wobbling. There was no point in arguing with the man; not when he very clearly did not want to discuss his feelings.

'Ask Lydia to sit in on the Bradshaw pitch if you need to. Though I dare say you'll be able to reach me by phone if the shit hits the fan.'

'Right...' Chris frowned. 'And when will you be taking this annual leave?'

'Effective from tomorrow.' He had a bag packed and hidden beneath his desk.

'Are you sure there's nothing wrong?' Chris asked, in one final attempt to make his friend confide in him.

'No less sure than I was when you asked me the same thing a minute ago!' Rafe chided, before stalking from the room, preventing Chris from making any further enquiries. Not that he intended to. He had enough low-level crises to deal with, without needing to ferret out a secret one from Rafe!

It was only a short while later that Lucy brought a coffee to Rafe's office. He was nowhere to be seen – on one of his pre-scheduled bathroom breaks, so that Chris knew where he was at all times (in the name of crisis management) – so she decided to put the coffee on his desk. She knew there was a "no liquids" rule when it came to outsiders – outsiders being anyone other than Rafe and Chris, and occasionally Lydia, who tended not to push her luck – but he wasn't there to stop her, and besides, it seemed ridiculous to sit it on the floor, just outside the door. Hell, Chris would probably call it a trip hazard and get one of his reports out; write it up with red pen.

Thus, she set the coffee on his desk. She was far more careful than a grown adult ought to be. It need not have taken so much conscious thought to set the mug upon the table, but she knew of his legendary temper and had no wish to provoke it. It was whilst setting down his coffee that Lucy spied his emails; open on a booking confirmation for a hotel. So, the rumours are true, she said to herself. Mattie has kicked him out. And she felt sorry for him. And a little bit for Mattie, too, because Rafe appeared to be a prime piece of male real estate. What could have gone wrong to make Mattie give him up?

'What are you doing?' Rafe asked, returning from the bathroom.

'Coffee,' she told him, pointing to the mug, and hoping that he hadn't seen her reading his private emails. He scowled; not a good omen.

'You know I don't allow people to bring drinks into my office,' he warned.

'Yes, but you weren't here. Besides, I didn't put it on your drafting table.' She smiled then. Hopefully; as though she'd get off on a technicality. Rafe was not amused. Firstly, because he was in no mood to be smiled at, and secondly, because he could criticise Mattie, but he wouldn't allow anyone else to. Not indirectly or otherwise.