Unknown - A life most ordinary
Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2022 11:58 pm
L’inconnu
Q&A leveled a gaze at the unassuming young man before her. She was feeling mildly perturbed.
“This is the fifth time I have seen you.” She felt ridiculous saying that, but there it was in her notes.
The young man nodded, agreeably. “I think so too. I didn’t want to mention it but you were quite insistent that we meet that I didn’t want to impose. I’m very unknown around here.”
Q&A tapped her pen against the young agent’s file. The name at the top said Adrian Everard. “My notes were started four times previously.”
The young man gave the impression of being attentive. He was dressed in a fine wool suit in a dark blue, paired with a foppish pink pocket square, and he had opted for the trinity knot in his tie.
In Q&A’s humble opinion, he looked about as deadly as a wet candy-floss.
Adrian nodded. “That makes sense. We met four times previously.”
“But they were never completed.”
“Oh dear.” Adrian continued to look like he hadn’t had a thought beyond the need to dress well in his entire life.
“Nevertheless.” Q&A set the pen down. She then looked at the pen with mild confusion. “We have all the answers,” she said.
“I’m sure that you do,” said Adrian. “I’m still not sure why I’m here. I’m quite unknown.”
“We have all the answers, and you don’t need to be here.”
“Ah, can you write that down in your notes? I quite enjoy our talks but I must draw the line at five interviews.”
“Of course.” Q&A held her pen over her notes then paused, the tip poised. She made no other move to jot her conclusions.
“Ah right, damn, sorry.” Adrian shrugged, apologetically. “We went straight to that too soon. Let’s talk about me, right?”
“We have all the answers,” said Q&A.
“Yes, then you know that I am completely average.”
Q&A nodded. That sounded about right.
“You know that I don’t excel at anything in particular. I’m not the strongest or the fastest. I am completely unassuming and the most ordinary person you’ve ever met.”
Q&A nodded again. She felt her eyes glaze over.
“One cog in the system, no different from anyone else. One mask among many. In fact you are bored to death speaking with me.”
“Complete waste of time,” said Q&A in a crisp tone.
“That’s hurtful but I’ll let it pass.” Adrian smiled. “I’m unknown.”
Q&A stared at him, at his neat blond hair, and his pleasant but forgettable face, and his ordinary blue suit.
“I’ll note that down in your file.” And this time, she did.
“You don’t need to know about my husband either.”
Q&A frowned. “We have all the answers.”
“That’s completely correct.” The young agent stood, straightening his suit jacket. “It’s so pleasant speaking with you, we must have lunch one day. Ciao!”
Q&A shook her head as the young man left the room, clearly at her dismissal. She straightened her notes and looked at the manila file before her. She snorted and closed the file. “Another of Geary’s cannon fodder. Completely un-noteworthy.”
Q&A leveled a gaze at the unassuming young man before her. She was feeling mildly perturbed.
“This is the fifth time I have seen you.” She felt ridiculous saying that, but there it was in her notes.
The young man nodded, agreeably. “I think so too. I didn’t want to mention it but you were quite insistent that we meet that I didn’t want to impose. I’m very unknown around here.”
Q&A tapped her pen against the young agent’s file. The name at the top said Adrian Everard. “My notes were started four times previously.”
The young man gave the impression of being attentive. He was dressed in a fine wool suit in a dark blue, paired with a foppish pink pocket square, and he had opted for the trinity knot in his tie.
In Q&A’s humble opinion, he looked about as deadly as a wet candy-floss.
Adrian nodded. “That makes sense. We met four times previously.”
“But they were never completed.”
“Oh dear.” Adrian continued to look like he hadn’t had a thought beyond the need to dress well in his entire life.
“Nevertheless.” Q&A set the pen down. She then looked at the pen with mild confusion. “We have all the answers,” she said.
“I’m sure that you do,” said Adrian. “I’m still not sure why I’m here. I’m quite unknown.”
“We have all the answers, and you don’t need to be here.”
“Ah, can you write that down in your notes? I quite enjoy our talks but I must draw the line at five interviews.”
“Of course.” Q&A held her pen over her notes then paused, the tip poised. She made no other move to jot her conclusions.
“Ah right, damn, sorry.” Adrian shrugged, apologetically. “We went straight to that too soon. Let’s talk about me, right?”
“We have all the answers,” said Q&A.
“Yes, then you know that I am completely average.”
Q&A nodded. That sounded about right.
“You know that I don’t excel at anything in particular. I’m not the strongest or the fastest. I am completely unassuming and the most ordinary person you’ve ever met.”
Q&A nodded again. She felt her eyes glaze over.
“One cog in the system, no different from anyone else. One mask among many. In fact you are bored to death speaking with me.”
“Complete waste of time,” said Q&A in a crisp tone.
“That’s hurtful but I’ll let it pass.” Adrian smiled. “I’m unknown.”
Q&A stared at him, at his neat blond hair, and his pleasant but forgettable face, and his ordinary blue suit.
“I’ll note that down in your file.” And this time, she did.
“You don’t need to know about my husband either.”
Q&A frowned. “We have all the answers.”
“That’s completely correct.” The young agent stood, straightening his suit jacket. “It’s so pleasant speaking with you, we must have lunch one day. Ciao!”
Q&A shook her head as the young man left the room, clearly at her dismissal. She straightened her notes and looked at the manila file before her. She snorted and closed the file. “Another of Geary’s cannon fodder. Completely un-noteworthy.”
! Very entertaining, and a delightful exposition of the plot, little touch by little touch, through the dialogue. It reminds me both of British humour and novels dealing with the vanity of life))