ephemeral // matty healy

an interruption

After the final movies, Ronan was glad to unveil his prized possession - the first six seasons of Red Dwarf.

"We don't have to go through it all in one night," he joked, "but if you'd like to borrow it, I can leave it here for you." He popped the DVD into his laptop and settled back into the couch beside Blair.

"Oh yeah? We'll have to see if I like it first." Blair laughed.

"Oh my god, it's not even a question. You'll see what I mean - Craig Charles plays a soup machine repairman on a spaceship and is placed in suspended animation during a radiation leak. Plus Chris Barrie is an absolute genius." The title sequence began, with an upbeat song about being - more or less - alone in space.

At the same time the dialogue began, Blair's phone started to ring. An unknown number flashed up on the screen, but she quickly turned the sound off before it could disturb any more of their viewing.

"You can pick it up if you like." Blair thought Ronan was nice, but she urged them to press on.

"If they call back, it's something important," she glanced at the time. Almost ten at night. "If not, it's a spam caller."

Her phone screen dimmed when the other end of the line hung up. Then immediately it rang again. She muttered to herself and took the device into her bedroom.

"Hello?"

"Hi, is this Blair?" She immediately regretted taking the call. And handing him her business card. And taking this project in general.

"Matty," she breathed. "What do you need?"

"I've got an idea about the video." She quickly sat at her desk and got a pen ready to jot down some notes.

"Yes? What are you thinking?" She clicked her pen a few times and scribbled some tight spirals to jump-start the ink flow.

"Actually, I'm lying," he admitted. Blair tossed her pen onto the desk in a fit of exasperation. "I was wondering if we could chat."

"We chatted this afternoon, Matty." Her head hung back in her chair.

"Yes, I know," he started to drag on his words, extending some of his syllables. "But I'd like to chat again."

"Like, right now?"

"Yes! Now," he swallowed and Blair heard him shift around his position on the other end of the call. The urge for her to throw her phone out the window was growing by the second. "Would you mind telling me why you're upset with me?"

"I'm not upset with you," she lied through her teeth. She quickly muted herself and poked her head out the doorway. It's Matty, she mouthed to Ronan, who was now motioning her to sit down and put it on speaker. The two listened keenly while Matty's voice rung between them.

"Love, it's no secret that you haven't been happy about this pairing, so I beg to differ on that one. Was it something I said? I was really quite pleased to see you."

"No, I was pleased to see you, too." Lying again. But he didn't know that and based on the slight inflection in his voice he was surprised to hear that.

"You were?" Ronan was now shooting Blair a look, with his hazel eyes darkening quickly with his concern. He mimed a throat slicing motion with his hand as if to tell her that he would deck her if she wasn't on a call.

"Yes, I-" She glanced a Ronan and then Matty's number. "You know, I actually am not as thrilled about this project as you are, but it's not because of you." Matty seemed to be pouring a glass of something on the other end. "It's about your ideas and direction. I'm having difficulties following sometimes."

Ronan placed his head in his hands as he listened to Blair backpedal and then make a new mistake.

"Okay," Matty said through tight lips.

Ronan mouthed to Blair, truth! He balled up his fists.

"But I'm doing lots of research." She was in unsteady territory but talking about the project and how she was going to give him what he wanted. Blair thought that it would be unwise to divulge too much information without having a steady idea for the video. Matty might be cruel and change his theme.

"That's good," he admitted. 

The pair shared an uneasy bit of eye contact, fearing that Blair has painted them into a corner. Strained, spurting hand gestures and awkward silence caused Matty to speak between them.

"How about I message you again soon, yeah?" His voice was trying to keep composure, but Blair and Ronan could tell that this was not his first glass of whatever he was drinking.

"Good," she nodded. Ronan just stared.

"Good," Matty replied. "Talk to you later, then."

"Um, yes," Blair hung up after a few moments of silence. Then glanced at Ronan with wide eyes. "Can you believe him?"

"I sort of can't believe you, either," he admitted. He toyed with his fingers uneasily. "If I were in your position, I would have told him what was really bugging me. I would have told him what you told Stella and me."

Blair waved a hand at him and got up to get a glass of water. Ronan trailed behind her, still continuing about the call.

"I would have been honest. Like, 'listen, I'm still upset about what you said before I went to New York but I don't want it to get in the way of our work, so let's talk about it.'" Ronan thought about it for a moment as Blair filled up a clean glass. "Hmm, actually you can use that if you like. Word for word. I won't mind."

"Wanna know what's bugging me now?" She said with a smirk, hitting his shoulder on her way out of the kitchen. Ronan raised his arms in surrender.

"Alright, I see I've struck a nerve, so I'm going to head out before I say something stupid." He picked up his laptop and bag. "But I'm going to leave Red Dwarf. It's a classic and I think everyone should watch it."

"Fair enough," Blair said. He started to head toward the door. "I'll bring you a coffee tomorrow!"

"Can you make it a cappuccino?" He yelled back.

"Sure," Blair was examining the DVD cover. "Sleep tight."

He slipped out the front door without saying a word.