Page 27 of Love Unlocked

‘You know a lot about bridges.’

‘You ask a lot of questions.’

‘I’m a journalist. A music journalist actually but I’ve recently broken out into the bridge industry. Did you love bridges since you were a kid? Did you have a bridge calendar on your bedroom wall?’

‘When I was younger I wanted to be a bridge.’

It’s Melody’s turn to laugh.

‘So what do you do here?’ she asks, looking around his office. ‘Apart from remove love locks from bridges?’

‘Here at Bridgespan,’ he says slickly, as if in an advertisement, ‘we are focused on making informed and effective decisions on the operation, maintenance, preservation, replacement and improvement of bridges, to ensure optimal management of the national road structure.’

‘Nice,’ she smiles and applauds.

‘So, how can I help you, Melody Yates?’ His voice is gentle as he looks down at her, she only reaches to his chest.

‘Oh. My. God.’

Melody turns around to see a fashionable, cool young woman with a blunt bleached bob and pink dungarees at the open door with a coffee in one hand and a pile of envelopes in the other. She grins, revealing pink train tracks. ‘Melody Yates.’

‘Yes,’ Melody says, with a laugh.

‘How about I take that steaming cup of coffee from you so you don’t burn yourself,’ Al says, manoeuvring round the desk to take it from her. She barely blinks. ‘This is Natasha, my office assistant.’

‘Nice to meet you.’

‘I’m a massive fan. Are you here about the love locks? I made him listen to your podcast. He subscribed and everything.’

‘Did he?’ Melody looks at him.

He rolls his eyes dramatically and sips his coffee.

‘Would you like a coffee?’ Natasha asks.

‘I’d love one, thank you. I’ve been up most the night.’

‘Were you gigging?’ Natasha asks, leaning against the doorframe, not getting the coffee.

‘I was in Limerick. Student night at Greedy Guts.’ She feels self-conscious with Al’s eyes on her. From the corner of her eye she feels him do a further sweep of her from head to toe as she focuses on Natasha.

‘I’ve been there. You must meet some madzers with your job.’

‘She sure does,’ Al says, good-naturedly trying to move it on.

‘Are you trying to get the love locks back off him? I already tried that. Me and my fella had a lock on the bridge as well.’ Her voice wobbles, and she fans her eyes so she doesn’t cry. ‘I swear I’m finished crying over that gobshite.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that.’

‘Thanks. I think your theory is right, by the way. Me and Pedro never had a problem until he took the locks off.’ She nods her head in Al’s direction with a scowl on her face.

‘Natasha,’ Al says in a sing-song voice.

‘Right. Coffee. Milk, sugar?’

‘Just black thanks.’

‘Oh, and I almost forgot. More fan mail from the love lock people. Thanks to you for that,’ Natasha says with a wink to Melody while she places the pile of envelopes on Al’s desk. ‘There’s one there from someone in Gotham City.’