When Light Met Dark // Phan

Seven

The woman observed Dan over the top of her horn rimmed reading glasses, having placed Dan's CV down a few moments prior. She seemed to have taken to staring him down instead of interviewing him, which he was sure was supposed to be happening, but instead he was frozen to the spot by her somewhat stony glare, despite the effort she had gone through earlier to make herself seem as approachable as possible.

There was only so much eye contact Dan could maintain before his attention drifted, focussing instead on the now suddenly interesting clock hung up on the ugly beige coloured wall, each tick drilling away at the little patience he had the moment he walked through that door. What was she trying to accomplish by just sitting there? But he didn't say anything, instead dragging his eyes away from the ever so intriguing wall back to her, hoping this will prompt her to continue the meeting.

"You don't seem to have much work experience here, Daniel." She sighed, taking the CV in her hands again to skim over the words Phil had helped him compose a few days ago. Dan slumped in his chair; he was waiting for the routine "we'll get back to you" only to sit waiting for a phone call that would never arrive.

"But," she raised her left eyebrow slightly, "I see potential in you." Dan looked up at her hopefully, though there was a part of him telling him not to get too hopeful. That would only make the inevitable disappointment that much more painful.

"We'll get back to you," Dan smiled, almost laughing innapropriately at the promise that almost surely wouldn't be kept, "have a good day"

"Thank you for your time." Dan reached out for a firm handshake before leaving, something Phil had reminded him to do just before he left the apartment. What he was doing now, Dan didn't know. Probably filming a video or something while Dan was out of the way for a little while.

He sighed forlornly, deciding that he'd wait a couple of days for a potential response before looking for a new job. It was a shame, really. Dan quite liked the look of this place. It was only an office job, but it was a book publishing company, which would seem ironic given that he hadn't read properly in years, but it felt right, like he was honouring his mother's memory.

*

"How did it go?"

Dan only had time to close the front door behind him before being bombarded by Phil, a mix of excitement and anxiety lighting his face as he shifted from foot to foot.

"She said I had potential, but I wouldn't get your hopes up." Dan smiled weakly, throwing his newly bought blazer on the radiator. Well, Phil had bought it, but Dan had promised to pay him back once he got a job, which, at this rate, would not be for a while.

"Have a little optimism."

"What's that?"

Phil rolled his eyes before grabbing Dan's wrist suddenly, dragging him towards the kitchen forcefully, tripping over a pair of his old trainers in the process.

"What's the rush?" Dan laughed, his own movements far more clumsy than the other man's, given that he had significantly less control over where he was headed.

Phil halted suddenly, allowing Dan to crash into him violently, but he didn't apologize, simply turning around with a wide grin on his face.

"I feel like you've murdered someone and need help hiding the body," Dan sighed, a playful grin lighting his face, "there's no other logical explanation for a smile that big."

"No, I made you something, actually."

"Is it a pie made of the person you killed? That's cannibalism, Phil, and I don't know if I can condone that."