Starting Over

Chapter 2

Claire unlocked the door to the apartment and flipped the lights on. The furniture was not the best, but it was clean and dry. Tom followed her into the apartment and put his bags down next to the couch looking around.

Tom: Do you always invite people to stay here? You don't even know my name. (Claire cocks an eyebrow at him crossing her arms on her chest) It's Tom.

Claire: I'm Claire. That wasn't so hard now was it?

Tom (rolling his eyes as he takes his wet jacket off): What?

Claire: Not being rude. So what brings you to London? (She goes to the closet to show him the laundry and extra blankets) Are you on the run from the authorities?

Tom (shakes his head): No.

Claire: Family?

Tom (rolls his eyes and answers, annoyed) No!

Claire (hands him a towel): Girlfriend or Boyfriend?

Tom (grabs the towel and yells) No! Jesus Christ!

Claire (looks at him wide eyed, realizing it's obviously a relationship issue): Sorry! I'm just asking. You're welcome to stay here as long as you need, just don't leave a mess please. And if you need any food, there's plenty upstairs in the kitchen for the cafe, help yourself.

Tom (looks around): Don't worry. I won't be here long. I'm hitting the streets to find a job tomorrow.

Claire (nods): Well, let me show you around upstairs then.

Tom followed her up to the cafe from the basement to a little hall area.

Claire: This door stays locked. It's the back door for the building. This door goes to the cafe itself. It's usually open and this door goes upstairs. (She hands him two keys. One labeled BACK and one labeled BASEMENT.) You've got free reign when the cage is closed.

Tom (takes the keys grumbling under his breath)

Claire: I'm sorry. I didn't quite hear that, Tom...

Tom (rolls his eyes and speaks loudly) THANK YOU!

Claire (smirks): So polite! Are you hungry?

Tom (looking at her skeptically): I guess.

Claire motions for him to follow her to the cafe kitchen and shows him where all the food is. She offers him a sandwich and he sits at the bar to eat while she watches him.

Claire: So, where are you from Tom?

Tom (talking between bites) Cornwall.

Claire: And what kind of work did you do in Cornwall?

Tom (shrugs): Maintenance.

Claire: Oh? Is that what you're trying to find again?

Tom (shrugs): Whatever I can find.

Claire: Well, we actually could use a maintenance guy here. You get room and board and £700 a week.

Tom (stops eating): You serious?

Claire (shrugs): I mean, if you can stop being so pissed off all the time, that'd be super awesome. Tom huffs and tools his eyes) Look, you don't have to tell me anything, that's fine. But if you are trying to get a new start, your best bet is to try to accept whatever or whoever fucked you up and realize they can't continue to ruin you. So do you want the job or not?

Tom (nods): Yeah. Do you need to let your boss know?

Claire: Don't worry. He knows I can pick people out. And he only comes to work when I can't work, which is when I am doing classes at the university.

Tom: But there was an older lady here earlier.

Claire: That was Mrs. Beckwith. She helps out too. You'll meet her tomorrow.  She's helping me with learning the pastries. Most of the time it'll be me here though.

Tom (smiles sarcastically as he puts his plate in the sink and washes it) Smashing news.

Claire (rolls her eyes): Yeah. I Can tell you're going to be sure fun to work with.

Tom (dries the dish and hands it to Claire): Look, Claire. I'm just here to work. I'm not here to make fucking friends.

Claire: Great because your attitude really sucks, to be honest.

Tom: Well, I'll just keep my fucking attitude to myself and leave YOU out of it. (He grabs an apple and storms out of the back door and slams the door to the basement behind him.

Claire scoffs and immediately thinks she might have made a huge mistake with this fool.