Page 21 of Love Unlocked

‘Good morning. What’s wrong? You look like you’re going to combust.’

‘I am, I’m so excited,’ she squeals.

‘You got back with Pedro.’

‘No.’ Her face darkens. ‘But now I know why we broke up thanks to my absolute favourite podcast in the world. Night and Day. Prunella and Melody. You are the reason me and Pedro broke up.’ She can’t continue with the bad vibes, because excitement is clearly bubbling inside her. ‘You got a mention in the podcast. You have been blamed for everyone’s break-ups.’

He shakes his head, confused. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘Melody Yates and Prunella Maguire,’ she says slowly. ‘Night Owl and New Day aka the Night and Day podcast?’

Of course he knows who Prunella Maguire is. Tara is a fan, follows her on Instagram and tries to copy her looks. He’d bought Prunella’s cookbook as a subtle attempt to get Tara cooking but she’d spent more time looking at the photos of Prunella holding dishes that he’d like to eat, and commenting on her clothes, hair, jewellery and cookware and deciding they needed a new kitchen like hers.

‘I know who they are, why did Prunella Maguire mention me? And how did I break you and Pedro up?’

‘Prunella didn’t mention you exactly.’

He’s immediately disappointed; he’d imagined Tara listening to the podcast, and hearing Al’s name from her lips. It would want to make her call him, wouldn’t it? It would at least make her think of him.

‘It was Melody who said your name. In fact she asked everybody to write you a letter.’

They step into the lift.

‘She’s a dead famous dance DJ, and she’s on the TV and radio too. She hosts the summer music festivals? You’d know her voice. She’s massive.’

He understands this to mean that Melody’s not physically huge but that she’s great. He’s slowly but surely starting to understand Natasha’s Dublin lingo after two years working with her.

‘They were talking about the Grace Plunkett Bridge and the love locks that you got rid of. She said your name but you’re mostly referred to as “the bridge guy”. You should listen to it, it’s the latest episode. Do you want to hear?’

She offers him an AirPod.

‘No, thanks,’ he says, moving away though he will listen to it as soon as he’s alone in his office.

‘It’s the most recent episode, you can’t hear it if you don’t subscribe. Otherwise you’ll get it for free next week.’

‘You’re a fan then.’

‘They’re the best. Prunella is so romantic and believes in love and wants the whole nine yards, and the other one, Melody, is kind of cool and hates romance and doesn’t believe in love.’

He’s team Melody.

They’re out of the lift and walking through the office.

‘Is it good or bad?’ he asks, before entering his office. She hadn’t said. ‘Do I need to alert Tony about it?’

She pauses. ‘You listen for yourself. I’ll hold your calls.’

He subscribes to Night and Day. He puts his headphones on and turns his chair to face the River Liffey. He recognises Melody’s voice, it’s husky, as if she has a chest infection, and needs to cough. He finds himself clearing his throat when listening to her. Disappointingly it’s not Prunella who talks about the Grace Plunkett Bridge but Melody and she does mention Al by name, and Bridgespan. He listens intently to see if this is something for him, and Bridgespan, to worry about.

‘Al!’ Someone shouts his name and he jumps with fright, spinning around in his chair.

It’s Walter, and he’s in Al’s office. He looks like crap, his eyes red-rimmed as though he’s been crying. His face is gaunt, with black rings beneath his eyes. Al wonders, with hope, if Walter and Tara had a love lock on the bridge after all and now they’ve split up. Then he realises that’s a ridiculous thought because it’s a ridiculous theory. He removes his headphones, Melody’s husky voice continuing her conspiracy theory.

‘What,’ he says, dully, in a petulant tone, like a sulky teenager who’s being bothered in his cave.

He notices Walter’s wearing a new shirt. Of course he’d have to after Al had cut off every single one of his buttons from his shirts. He remembers helping Walter put a suit together for the job interview, how Al had to tie all of Walter’s new ties and hang them on a hanger for him because he couldn’t figure it out. He recalls how awkward Walter looked and felt wearing a tie; now he’s buying his own big-boy clothes, he wonders if Tara tied his tie for him this morning.

Walter swallows. He looks like he’s going to cry. Al’s heart surges at the hope of the news to come. The meltdown, the apology. She vomited when she saw me naked.