"Hey Charlie, can we go for coffee after work?" At lunch, Nick and I were sat together in the staffroom, and he looked up at me.
"Uh, I have to get Nathaniel to an appointment, but I can meet you later if you really want to talk about something." I felt bad because, from the look on his face, something was up.
"Please? I need to talk to someone about this and it's driving me crazy."
"You can't tell me now? We could go into an empty classroom."
"No. I don't want to talk about it at work."
"Okay. I'll be done with Nathaniel's appointment about five so by five-thirty, I can meet you at that coffee place around the corner from yours."
"I'll be there. Thanks, Charlie."
"Of course."
For the rest of the day, my mind went over what Nick could possibly want to talk about. I wondered if he'd changed his mind about not being concerned about my feelings for him. My heart sped up a little at that idea and I really hoped I was wrong.
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It was just after five-thirty when I walked through the front door of the little coffee shop that Nick had introduced me to a few months ago. I quickly spotted him sitting in a little corner booth at the back of the shop and made my way over to him. He was already nursing a cup of coffee in his hands, staring blankly at the foam on top.
"Hey. You mind if I just quickly order something? Then I'm all yours."
"Sure." He mumbled, barely looking up. I frowned and hurried to order.
"What can I get for you today?" The young girl behind the counter asked cheerily.
"A regular caramel latte, thanks. And a slice of that fudge there." I pointed to the one I wanted, and she nodded, writing down the order.
"That's £6.80 please." I handed over the cash and told her to keep the change before heading over to the table where Nick was still staring at his coffee.
"You okay?" I asked when he didn't look up as I slid into the seat opposite him.
"..." He mumbled something I couldn't make out, so I leaned closer.
"What was that?"
"Imogen's leaving."
"Huh? What do you mean she's leaving? I didn't realise you guys were arguing. I thought you were okay, I mean, the way she was protective of you the other day, I..."
"No, we're not splitting up. Not really."
"I don't understand."
"She's been offered a job in New York."
"New York?"
"Yeah. The magazine's new office needs her there."
"So, I guess she's taking the job?"
"She is. We're trying long-distance for now until we have to make a decision on whether we live here or in America."
"Oh, wow. Nick, that's a big decision to make."
"I know. I don't know what to do, Charlie."
"I thought you said you've already decided to try long-distance for a while."
"We have. But I don't want to leave here. My whole life is here. There's nothing for me in New York."
"Imogen would be there." I countered and he finally looked up at me, a torn look in his eye.
"But would that be enough?"
"Nick, Imogen is your wife. The love of your life. If she's not enough, I don't think anything would be."
"What I mean is, I love my job here. I don't think I'd ever find something that I love doing more than I love teaching at Pinewood." He sighed. "Would my love for Imogen be enough to keep me happy if I don't find a job that I love?"
"I don't think I can answer that, Nick. That's something you'll have to figure out for yourself."
"I want it to be enough. I really do. I just don't know if it would be."
"Nick, I don't know what you want me to say here. I can't change the fact that Imogen's job is moving her overseas. I can't do much of anything except saying that I'll be here for you, just like I was last time."
"That's all I need. I need to know I have someone I can rely on."
"What about your mum? Or Imogen's parents?"
"I don't want to bother them. My mum has been so good for us, taking Abby at the drop of a hat for the night and doing a lot for us when we got married. And Imogen's parents live over an hour away. It's harder for them to be as supportive but they try."
"Your mum sounds amazing."
"Yeah, she is. You should meet her one day." He frowned, clearly confused as to why I'd changed the subject.
"I'd love to."
"Oh, and Henry, mum's dog. He's so cute." He seemed excited and looked like he wanted to totally change topics. I wasn't going to complain since our previous conversation wasn't getting anywhere fast.
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As I drove home, I thought about everything Nick and I had talked about. Not so much the trivial stuff about our families but the fact that he and Imogen were considering a long-distance relationship. From what I'd seen last time Imogen was away, it couldn't end well. I figured it probably wouldn't hurt to give Imogen a call, make sure she was on the same page as Nick about all this.
"Hello?"
"Imogen, it's Charlie." When Imogen answered, I spoke quickly, most of my attention on the road in front of me.
"Charlie? What's up? Is everything okay?"
"I'm not sure. I just finished having coffee with Nick. He told me about what's happening with you two."
"Oh. The long-distance stuff. Is he really okay with it? He keeps telling me he is, but I don't know if I believe him."
"He's definitely not okay. He doesn't want to leave England."
"This is what I was dreading. I hope you understand, I'm not trying to force him to do anything."
"I get it. We all have a job that we dream of. Just usually they're a little closer to home."
"I know, I know. But I'm not likely to get another opportunity to basically run an entire magazine. Currently, the magazine here is being run by someone ten years younger than me. I can't compete with that."
"Imogen, look, Nick is a great guy. I'm sure you know that. The only thing he's really worried about is you, feeling guilty if he can't find a good job there. It's you he's thinking about."
"Oh god. I guess we've got a lot to talk about before I go."
"You really do. But I want to say something first. Whatever you two decide to do, make sure you're both okay with it. You don't want to make a huge decision only to end up hating each other for it in the future."
"Thanks, Charlie. I know that you're looking out for Nick but you're helping me too."
"I'm here if either of you wants to talk, okay?"
"Okay. I'd better get going. My boss is giving me death glares."
"Bye Imogen. Good luck."
"Bye Charlie." I hung up just as I pulled into my driveway. The lights were on in the front rooms, and I could see some shadows moving in the upstairs windows, meaning Nathaniel and Alexis were home and waiting for me. I sighed and sat in the car for the moment, just thinking.
I think everything is about to change. A lot.
