So Late in the Day: Stories of Women and Men

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of sexual content, gender discrimination, and emotional abuse.

One Friday in July, Cathal sits at his desk and stares out the office window at the city scenes below. At just 2:30 pm, he feels restless and wishes he’d left the office for lunch. He feels suddenly irritated reviewing the budget report and gets up for a coffee. At the coffee machine, he runs into Cynthia from accounts. She’s talking and laughing on the phone but hangs up when she sees him. Afterward, he returns to his desk and starts reviewing the budget again when his boss shows up. Sympathetic to Cathal’s situation, his boss suggests he take the rest of the day off. Cathal insists he’s fine. He spends a while longer sipping his coffee and staring at his work before leaving at five.

On his way out, Cathal bumps into the woman who cleans the offices. He gets outside and removes his tie and jacket and waits for the bus. On the bus, he sits near a woman who chats to him about her weekend plans and grandchildren. Cathal tries to ignore her, hoping she’ll stop engaging him. Eventually, she turns away to read.