A Dark Fall [ORIGINAL & UNEDITED VERSION]

Eighteen

I make it to The Lancaster just before 1:45pm and sign in at the arrival desk. The badge says "Dr Marlow" and so I write the "e" on with my black pen before making my way to the toilets to fix my hair. It's flat and my up do is in need of a brush through and re-do. It's also a good way of avoiding having to network in the lobby. Or in my case, hang around scrolling through my phone avoiding having to network in the lobby. I'm a terrible networker. Probably because I'm a terrible small talker and talking about how the NHS is going down the drain under the current government is not my idea of polite conversation. I'm always one step away from over sharing or offending someone so I tend to be rather stand-offish at these sorts of things just be on the safe side.

As I'm coming back out of the ladies, and because I'm not looking where I'm going I run smack into a body coming from the opposite direction. I lift my head up to apologise and stop dead. Ben. Oh. Please. No. Or Dr Ben Cooke as the badge reads. Spelt correctly of course. No rubbish handwritten letter "e" for him.

"Hey, you." He says giving me a wide smile. Too wide. In no way does it correlate with my own insides full of eels sensation at staring my ex cheating fiancé in the face after almost six months. He's still handsome. An older, snobbish, arrogant handsomeness that for some bizarre reason I used to be attracted to.

"Ben. How are you?" I ask tightly. I look down, smoothing my skirt inwardly cursing myself for asking how he is. I don't care how he is. I hate my in-bred politeness and good manners sometimes. Sometimes I wish I were a bitch.

"I'm good Lex, You?" he nods. I hate that he still thinks he can shorten my name to Lex. He was the only person who ever shortened it to that. It makes my skin crawl now.

"Really good." I say, and I mean it. I've been having the best sex of my life with a man younger and hotter than you, you arrogant cheating prick. I don't say any of this of course. Ben nods.

"How's Fred? Does he ask about me?" He smiles at his own joke. Well he always did think he was funnier than I did.

"Actually no. He's good too though. Still bringing in the decapitated heads of small winged creatures but it's what he enjoys so..." I shrug and look away from him, wishing I were anywhere but here.

"Well you're not going to believe this, but we happen to be at the same table. I had a quick look at the table plan, as I always do, and Dr Marlowe without an e is at table four with me." He smiles again and my eyes glance toward the conference room for a means of escape. Good god no. Surely not. What are the chances? Twice in one week I have been totally screwed over by the laws of probability. I should probably put the lottery on this week for the first time ever.

"Great..." I mutter and turn away from him. Ben follows behind as I walk towards the conference room with about as much enthusiasm as someone going to their own execution. I think about asking someone to switch tables with me, or about turning around and leaving this thing altogether but of course that would just be immature - and I can't have him thinking that I'm the childish one in this scenario. It's 3 hours of my life. I can get through it like an adult.

As I walk into the room I check the seating plan, just on the off chance he was mistaken. Unfortunately he wasn't. Ben and I are at table four which is near the centre of the room, and without glancing back once, I weave through the other tables to get to my seat.

I sit down and Ben takes the seat directly to my left, as I knew he would, before introducing himself to everyone. He starts with the woman on his left before standing to shake hands with the others at the table. He gives each of them a flash of his perfect (cheating prick) smile before sitting back down, his leg grazing mine under the table as he does so. He doesn't apologise or move it so I move it away from him, shifting in my seat. There's a spare seat across the across the table but I think that actually having to look at him all afternoon would be marginally worse than having him next to me. After introducing myself to an older lady to my right, I get my phone out to send Rob a message telling her of my current predicament. Then I message Jake asking what he's making for dinner, adding that I wished this thing was over already. He responds almost instantly.