DON’T

Waiting for the lift when JJ came out his flat carrying a rubbish bag he put down the rubbish chute. Out of the chute room I said to him, ‘You been using my laundry time?’
‘What?’
‘You been using my laundry time?’
‘Why?’ he said, defensive.
‘No problem,’ I said, ‘just I know you’ve used it in the past…’
‘…no I haven’t.’
‘I know you did and I got pissed off with you, remember?’ I said. ‘I was stood outside round the corner and you walked up the street and we had a discussion about it and I said I was pissed off.’
His face was red and looking up at me.
‘Anyway,’ I said not wanting to dwell on the conflict past. ‘Why I’m saying is I’ve changed my time so that time, the time you used…okay, the time you say you didn’t, it’s free now and I thought you might be interested.’
‘My time’s at eight,’ he said. ‘When’s yours?’
‘Ten,’ I said. ‘You might want it is all, is what I thought.’
‘Even if I did,’ he said, ‘you’re bigger than me,’ backing off, smiling at last.
‘Oh,’ I said, gesturing with my hand as I made my way into the lift had arrived, ‘Don’t.’