Pip

He began with “Excuse me, but are you Pip so and so,”

I looked at him, not shocked but thrown off and suspicious because I have intentionally not exposed my last name, for my own reasons.

I answered him ‘Who wants to know and why?'.

“I'm sorry, I'm Connor and I believe I knew your father.”

‘You do, do you?  Well, Connor, do you believe you knew my father or do you believe you know him?'

“Well, I’m quite certain that he was or is - your call Pip -a colleague of a gentleman with whom I have worked for a few years now.”

‘Worked where?’

In a split second he turned to Santa whose eyes were glued on the scene and said, “May I have the pleasure of meeting this lovely lady.”

Without waiting for an introduction she rose, extended her hand leaving us with a beaming smile and an, “I’m Santa and I’m off to mingle. J’adore.”

Alone, he took a drink of his lager and began with “Your father would come over to our offices when he would be visiting the U.K.”

‘Scotland Yard, MI 5 or GCHQ?’

“Me? Try door number two.”

‘Ah, so that’s how you tracked me down so easily.’

“Your father mentioned you on an occasion when he was dining with the gentleman with whom I work.”

‘Mentioned?’

He laughed, “He actually told us an engaging story about you and him and the kinds of things you two would get up to just to baffle Kelly.”

‘Kelly?’

“Your mother, Kelly, Pip.”

‘Yes I understand the relationship.’

“I don’t expect you to trust me. Not this early.”

‘Then I won’t have disappointed your expectations. Contrary to popular opinion, trust doesn't come from time.  It comes from demonstrated mutual actions. So why have you tracked me down then Connor?’

“Nothing formal really, I thought I would give you my 24/7 private numbers in case you wanted to contact me.”

‘That’s a bit forward for a Brit isn’t it?’

“I’m not proposing that you run away with me and have a mad affair. Not yet.”

‘Cheeky bastard.’

“In all seriousness Pip, store this in your classified section under Cheeky Bastard preferably.”

‘I have my own coding system Connor, but thank you for the coaching.’

“Expect to hear from me once you’re in Deutschland.”

‘Is that all you’re going to say?’

“Um, I hope to catch a show… And you will hear from me in a few days. Oh, one last thing- if there’s anything that your father may have left with you verbal or otherwise, anything, anything at all that you think would be important, or that you might be curious about, contact me will you.”

Clyde walked up, smiled shyly and politely asked, “Are you a friend of Pip’s?”

“Indirectly, yes, I'm her 'Secret Pal'” he said, as he introduced himself to Clyde and quickly finished his lager.

We didn’t say goodbye, he gave me a final stare and left with a final, “See you soon, Luv.”