‘I’ve been recommended a very good finance guy. Someone very serious. American.’
It started to sink in. ‘I thought I was your finance guy.’
‘You are. And you’ve been invaluable to our growth. But we’re entering a new phase now … Gone are the days of singing along to music in the accounts room.’
Charlie’s jaw tightened as he listened. ‘What? Has my performance ever slipped? I’ll stop the music if you want but you’ve never had a problem before.’
Wilbur tore his own piece of garlic bread without thinking. ‘We’re going to be doubling our operations within two years. We’re going into a new gear now and we need someone with a moremacroapproach.’
Charlie put down his knife and fork and stared at his old friend. ‘I’m trying to get a grasp on this, Wilbur. I mean, I thought something was a bit off when you said you were taking me out for lunch. When was the last time we had lunch? The seventies? So this was our Last Supper, eh?’
‘It’s not like that, Charlie.’
‘I’ve worked my arse off for you. What have I done wrong? Jesus, Wilbo, when have I been wrong? My projections have been dead-on every quarter. I’ve helped us trim down. I helped get us through the recession and now we’re good to grow and grow. It’s the boom time right now. You can feel it even in here. Growth, growth, growth. So things will be even—’
‘It’s not about anything you’ve done wrong, Charlie … Look, maybe this is a good thing for you. You’ve always been so much more than an accountant. You’re a thinker. You’re a scientist. A philosopher …’
Charlie shook his head and tightened his mouth. ‘We’d have stayed in Yorkshire. You know that? I’d have a job at the university. We’d have paid off a house by now. Do you think we’d have chosen to come down south and have a massive mortgage around our necks? Claudette doesn’t even want to be here. She never did …’
Wilbur raised his eyebrows and stared at his pizza. ‘Well, this could be good then. You could be free to go back up north.’
Charlie grimaced. ‘With all due respect, Wilbo, you are taking the piss. Ten years of my life I’ve devoted to this. Toyou. Because I’m your mate and I believed in you, even when no one else did. Even when you were at your lowest. After Dougie.’
‘You don’t have to bring Dougie into this,’ mumbled Wilbur.
‘But that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? You never stopped running. Always trying to put as much distance between who you are now and who you were then—’
‘Please, Charlie.’
‘Look, I’ve never asked for much. Never pushed for a raise. I’ve been with you all the way.’
‘I gave you a job. I was doing you a favour. I let you play your records—’
‘Name one other employee you’ve had that put in as many unpaid extra hours.’
‘I never asked you to.’
‘You never stopped me either. Jesus, Wilbur. I could be teaching physics somewhere.’
‘You still could.’
‘Not a single word of warning. And then this.’ Charlie took a breath and brought himself back down. ‘I can work even harder. I can be like you. No holidays, no books, no TV, no parties … I just need this job, Wilbur. We’ve got a mortgage … and Sophie to look after …’
Beneath his hair, the Dreamer was frowning with concentration, straining to find his own redemption. Trying to find a justificationfor what he was seeing. ‘I suppose it was just business … I mean, they always say you shouldn’t work with friends and family.’
‘No,’ said the Ghost adamantly. ‘Charlie was literally the most loyal employee you ever had.’
‘So why am I sacking him?’
‘I don’t know. I was told there was better out there. I wanted the best. But I didn’t realise I already had it.’
Talking Heads came on. ‘Once in a Lifetime’.
‘I’m sorry,’ Wilbur told Charlie. ‘It’s not personal. It’s really not.’
Charlie nodded. Then stood up, headed for the door. ‘That’s your whole problem.’
Looking Without Seeing
