Nocturnal by Nathan Field Read Free Book Online Page B

under her spell. Or maybe she was acutely aware of the effect she had on men, taking pleasure in reeling them in before ruthlessly shattering their egos, like a suburban siren.
    Where the hell did she get off?
    But the surges of anger were fleeting. For the most part, I was stuck on miserable. Miserable and utterly humiliated.
    After my third successive sick day, Izzy came to check on me. I knew it was Izzy from the way he held his finger on the buzzer. He’d been calling my cell non-stop, leaving messages I didn’t want to hear – like my editor was losing patience with me, and the other cub reporters could smell blood. I reluctantly buzzed him in, realizing it was the only way to shut him up.    
    “Fuck me,” Izzy said when I opened the door. “Has Charlie Sheen been crashing with you?”
    I glanced behind me. Pizza boxes, fried rice cartons and crushed beer cans covered the carpet. I started kicking a path to the sofa. “Drink?” I offered.
    “No thanks,” Izzy said, following me in. He swept the sofa clear of crumbs before sitting down. I went to the fridge to grab another beer.
    “What the fuck’s going on, Pete?” Izzy said. “You call in sick three days running, you don’t answer your phone, and now it looks like you’ve turned your place into a crack den. It’s that woman, isn’t it? The one on your computer.”
    I snorted. “Nah, she’s history”
    “Oh yeah? You sure about that?”
    “Positive,” I said, popping the tab on my beer. I took a long gulp before setting the can on the kitchen bench. “Look, I appreciate your concern, but I’m doing fine, really.” I caught Izzy’s expression of disbelief. “Okay, maybe not dancing on the ceiling fine. She fucked me over, and I’m taking a few days to wallow in self pity. But it’s a temporary thing. I’ll be back at work tomorrow.”
    “I’ll believe that when I see it.”
    I realized how I must’ve looked to Izzy. I hadn’t showered in three days, and I’d been drinking so much it was starting to feel like a permanent state. I asked, “You want to stay for dinner? I’ve got some leftover pizza.”
    “You’re joking,” Izzy laughed. “It’s not fit to serve food in here. Even breathing the air feels like a health risk. I’m taking a shower as soon as I get home.”
    “So why’d you come over?”
    “To check you hadn’t stuck your head in the oven.”
    “Well, you can see I’m alright.”
    “You’re still breathing, but you’re a long way from alright. C’mon Pete, this is crazy. You’re losing the plot over a woman you only met a few days ago. At a chili cook-off, for fuck’s sake.” 
    My eyes narrowed. I may have been drunk, but where she was concerned, I was still on red alert. “How do you know we met at a chili cook-off?”
    “You must’ve told me,” Izzy shrugged, scratching his nose.
    I moved around the kitchen bench. “No, I didn’t. I definitely fucking didn’t.”
    Izzy stood up, showing his palms in defense. “Okay Pete, don’t get your panties in a bunch. I was in two minds whether to pass it on. I knew she was the reason you went underground.”
    “What are you talking about?”
    “She rang this afternoon, looking for you. She wouldn’t leave a name, but she said you’d met at a chili-cook-off, and you’d know who she was. Obviously I couldn’t give out your contact details, so I took a message. And can I just add, even from her voice I could tell that…”
    “–Just give me the message, Izzy.”
    “Yeah, I’m getting to it. She wants to see you, okay? She says she’s sorry, and she’ll be in touch soon.”
    “She doesn’t want me to call?”
    “No, she was adamant about that. Wait for her to contact you. Don’t call her at home.”
    I nodded, and then stepped around Izzy to open the front door. He expelled a deep, disapproving breath. “You’re going to call her, aren’t you?”
    I didn’t answer.
    “You’re making a big mistake,” he said.
    “Thanks for your