Lea had been feeling more than uneasy over dinner, the restaurant had been one of their favourite Asian fusion places but the conversation had been stilted from the start and she could tell that Bill had something on his mind. She also knew him well enough to know that he didn’t quite know how to bring it up.
However, when Bill finally admitted to her that he had demanded the Hanoi posting from John earlier that day and that he had begrudgingly agreed she felt numb. She knew about Hanoi as he’d been going on and on about it, but thought there was no way that John would give one of his junior reporters the desk in Hanoi, even if he was one of the best.
“So what does that mean?” Well, Bill went on somewhat reluctantly, it means that I’m headed to Hanoi in three weeks once the visa and internal papers have been finalized he said smiling. Clearly Bill had missed the subtly of the question, as it wasn’t about him or the posting but about them.
I meant, what does that mean about us? Lea said with tears starting to well in her eyes. Well, I don’t know Bill stammered awkwardly, I never really thought past getting the job in Hanoi. "Well, I suppose you could come with me" he said brightly.
“Fuck you!” she spat, and the look of hurt evident on her face. She pushed her chair back threw down her napkin and said “I never want to see you again — got that?” and grabbing her handbag stormed out of the restaurant. Bill sat there momentarily dumbfounded…wow, that hadn’t gone as expected he bemoaned to himself.
Lea wasn't at work the next morning, nor the morning after that. In fact over the next couple of days Bill had left countless phone messages for her both at work and home, he’d even tried going around to her flat and ringing the doorbell expectantly but with no response.
Even Lea hadn’t realized it at the time but the fight with Bill and his subsequent posting to Hanoi had shattered her emotionally.
She felt adrift…
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