On the project grounds

"We are all ready and willing, so how about we cut on the small talk and just get going?" Too tired to give any damn about etiquette or the ceremony of the moment, something all the more important given not only the presence of the city's mayor but also a whole slew of his retainers… I just cut to the chase and said the words everyone was secretly hoping to hear. 

"Wait, Tim, are you alright?" Clayton suddenly broke his majestic persona and stepped closer, clearly noticing the signs of exhaustion all over my face. 

Actually, it would be hard for someone NOT to notice the bags under my eyes, the unfocused look in my eyes, or how I constantly had to combat my eyelids to stop them from closing down and thus luring me into standing slumber.