11. Technical Difficulties.
"I've changed your sheets and duvet cover and I've ordered some food in." Sarah said, spinning on her heels as I followed her into the house. "I hope you don't have to go anywhere tonight."
Her scrubs were gone, replaced with jeans and T shirt and sneakers.
After hanging my keys on a hook my the door, I threw my laptop onto the bed, noting that the bed looked clean and fresh finally and went into the kitchen.
"I've got wine. You have nothing much in your refrigerator, Peter. How do you survive like this?'
"I get by." I said, head in the refrigerator.
Two glasses and a bottle of wine sat on the coffee table by the TV.
"Oh, no." I said making my way past it to the internet router, I flicked the power switch to off, never checking to see if any of the cameras were on. All the lights on the router went out.
"Have you been using the spray regularly?" Sarah asked as I scouted the room for cameras and microphones. "Can I take a look?"
"Phone." I held out my hand. "Give me your phone."
Sarah frowned and, slowly reaching into her handbag on the coffee table, handed me her cell phone.
"My phone isn't hacked, Peter." She said, shaking her head.
"Everything else in this place is." I gestured to the cameras by the TV. "Even the kitchen has two cameras. I don't know what they want us to do on the kitchen table. The router is off now so as long as they haven't somehow installed a backup. They can't hear us or see us."
"What don't you want them to hear?" Sarah asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Any of this." I replied, waving to the room. "Anything we say."
"You said 'us'." Sarah said.
"What?"
"You said 'us' just now...about what we do on the kitchen table. You said 'us'". She looked at me quizzically.
"Slip of the..." Fuck. Enough mistakes! I thought. She's seeing straight through me!
"Do you want to get changed out of that suit and relax? The food will be here soon, then we can chill out with a glass of wine."
I stopped spinning around the house in the search for bugs and looked at her. Her blond pony tail was gone, her hair a waterfall of gold over her shoulders.
"Can I see your..." She motioned to my nipples.
"They're fine." I replied.
"I'm a doctor, let me..."
"They're fine." I insisted.
"Suit yourself." Sarah gestured to the bedroom. "Get out of that suit and into some casuals. Dinner will be here soon and you don't want to spill it down that lovely waistcoat."
I sighed and headed to the bedroom, closing the door behind me I quickly checked all the cameras I could see, then changed into T shirt and jeans. I was tempted to switch the internet speaker off under the bed and thought again. They can talk all they want. They can't see me or hear me. I'd been in shoes all day so left my feet bare, enjoying the cool of the air conditioning on my stretched toes, before quickly pulling on fresh socks and sneakers.
Ding dong.
"That's the food!" Sarah called. "I've got this."
I took my time, moving my laptop from the bed I unpacked it and set it up on my desk with the monitor attached. Then I unplugged it and took the battery out before putting it back in it's case.
Running again Why am I running? I know why she's here.
The smell of Indian food wafted through the lounge as I made my way to the kitchen, dropping my laptop by the front door to the house. Two plates, cutlery and two glasses of wine, along with an array of curries, rice and side dishes covered the table.
"Looks good." Sarah said with a smile. "Dig in."
Well, if they're still able to see, at least they know we're eating well. I thought, looking around at the camera in the recess over the refrigerator and the one overhead.
We ate in a tension. Neither of us wanting to start the conversation we knew was coming. Neither of us knowing what we knew, or what we were prepared for.
I wonder what she knows. I thought to myself, looking askance at Sarah as she sipped her wine. I wonder if they've told her, or if Rebecca has revealed anything. I hated going into meetings, not knowing what the other people were thinking.
"Go and relax." Sarah said, as she made herself busy filling the dishwasher and I moved the glasses and wine bottle to the lounge.
"There's another bottle in the fridge if you need more."
I need a fucking vat, not a bottle. I thought, turning on the TV I switched to the news headlines, hoping for a distraction from what was about to happen. The news headlines didn't register with me. Nervously, I fumbled with the control, switching between channels for anything that would take me somewhere else before turning the TV off just as she sat down at the end of the sofa.
"I'm sorry if I hurt you." She said eventually as she sat on the sofa. "You really should let me take a look."
"They're fine. Really. Just a little...obvious."
Sarah blushed.
"Why are you here really, Sarah." I asked. "You've never come around without being asked before. It's not to look at my wounds, is it?"
"I think we should talk." She looked serious.
I know we need to talk. I thought. Stop fucking fishing for what I know.
"You have my attention." I said, dancing around her lure.
"OK, this is going to be hard." She winced and looked at my phone which had just buzzed. I picked it up.
Turn the router back on!
I ignored the SMS from Catherine. A few seconds later, Sarah's phone buzzed.
"They...want to listen." She said.
"I know. I'm not letting them. I'm not ready." I replied defiantly. "They can fuck right off. This is between me and you."
"I'm glad they didn't hear that." Sarah said.
"Are you afraid of them already? Do they already..."
"It involves them." Sarah insisted.
"How?" Again, I threw her a lure.
"Please, Peter. Just turn the fucking thing on." She said, a slight tremor in her voice.
"Who sent you the SMS?" I asked.
