Fast Fiction: Emergency
'Where's Ken?' Tom Halliday asked at the morning get-together. 'He's got an emergency,' Greg said.
Tom is amused, but would he still be so if he knew where Ken had gone?
Richard Mallinson tells a tale of tangled lives.
Soon after Tom Halliday, the chief executive, left for work his wife telephoned her lover, who was already at work.
'You shouldn't call me here,' he croaked.
'Well, I need to see you, Ken. I've made a decision. I'm leaving him. I want to be with you all the time and you must tell your wife and -'
'What the hell are you talking about?' he rasped. 'Stop. Wait. Don't move. I'll come round. Has Tom left for work yet? He's not here.'
'Yes, he's just left and I've started to pack my clothes ... you know that little black dress you like me in ... and the tiny - '
He put the receiver down and trembled.
'Emergency,' he said to Greg Parker as he hurried out.
'Christ,' he said to himself in the car, 'I never expected this.'
*
Minutes after Halliday arrived at work, his section managers trooped into his office for the morning get-together.
'Where's Ken?' Halliday asked. 'He's usually first in and last out.'
'He's got an emergency,' Greg said.
This seemed to amuse Halliday. 'Haven't we all?' he guffawed.
Then, after a long stare at the sallow faces, he said, 'Well, what are you all going to be up to today? Let's have your plans . . . you first Greg.'
As they trooped out he yelled after them, 'Hurry along now, time is money.'
'If only,' Greg thought.
*
'Now Kirsty,' said Halliday to his secretary, 'ring Ken's home and find out if there's anything I can do to help.'
'Certainly, Mr Halliday ... Is that all?'
'Probably not,' he said, 'but it'll do for the moment', which is what he always said - just as Kirsty always said 'Is that all?' (including once or twice in bed).
