——– THE ARTICLE was about him, of course it was. The magazine had sought him out, requested an interview, offered him some modest compensation, and he’d obliged. With what little he knew about business, he knew publicity was relevant.
“ Yes. ”
He replies simply, and honestly.
“ ‘Ave had a few hard knocks to the head, yeah. Bit of a scatterbrain. As for where I write my stuff… Well, it happens where it happens. ”
Upon addressing her former question, he took a final drag on his cigarette and surrendered it to the ashtray between them.
‘ what kind of knocks? ’ joan’s hand rests languidly on the tabletop, pen laying beside it, a half-formed sentence on her lips. nearby, agitated fingers thrum through a notebook, and she can’t help but feel something similar to annoyance at the jittery, repetitive noise.
‘ here, ’ she reaches across the table, slender fingers offering the man another cigarette, a meaningless gesture. ‘ lucky strike, if you’re wondering. ’