that?’
Something about her expression unnerved me a little. ‘No reason. I was just wondering, that’s all.’
Marnie leaned forward and lowered her voice, as if the other customers may suddenly take an unwelcome interest in her next comment. ‘Do you like him, Rosie?’
‘Of course I like him, mate. He’s one of my best friends.’
Marnie gave my hand a playful tap. ‘I don’t mean it like that. You know what I mean.’
‘Don’t be silly. I was just wondering how he was going to cope with so many dates with the same woman. You have to admit, it would be a first for him.’
Marnie nodded. ‘That guy has almost more dates than me. I don’t know where he meets them all.’
‘Wherever he goes, apparently. He even got a date when he called an emergency plumber last year.’
‘He dated the plumber?’
‘No, the plumber’s sister, who was along for the ride.’
‘I don’t know why he spends so long chasing women he’s no intention of settling down with,’ Marnie said, turning the menu card over.
‘He likes the chase, I think.’
‘Hmm. I reckon you and he should get together.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘Seriously, Rosie, I mean it! Think about it: you spend loads of time together already, you like the same places in New York, you’re both crazy about old movies and eating out—’
‘Stop right there, please. You’re scaring me.’
‘Oh, come on, you mean to tell me that you don’t find Ed in the least bit attractive?’
‘Well, I…’
‘Exactly! He’s gorgeous, Rosie! That guy could charm pollen from a bee. I tell you, if I wasn’t his friend and he didn’t bug the hell out of me like some annoying older brother, I would —’
‘Marnie!’
‘OK, right, so when he comes into the store the morning after a rough night, and he’s all ruffled and unshaven, you haven’t once considered…?’
Just as this conversation was veering wildly towards the point of no return, a waiter appeared by our table to spare my blushes.
‘Hi, ladies, welcome to Ellen’s. Our special tonight is Pancetta Mac Cheese and… wow —uh—hi, Marnie.’
Marnie looked slightly flushed but pleased. ‘Hey, Todd.’
Todd’s eyes appeared transfixed by the vision in orange and purple sitting before him. ‘It’s really good to see you.’
‘You too. Oh, this is my boss, Rosie.’
Todd wrenched his gaze away from Marnie long enough to shake my hand. ‘The florist, right? Hey.’
‘Nice to meet you,’ I replied, noting the chemistry between them.
‘So—we’ll have the specials, please, if that’s OK with you, Rosie?’
I nodded. ‘I’ll go with your recommendation.’
‘Great,’ Todd replied, scribbling the order on his pad. Tearing off a strip, he placed it carefully in front of Marnie. ‘Call me,’ he smiled shyly before disappearing into the dimly lit depths of the restaurant.
‘Well, he was nice,’ I said, full of curiosity.
Marnie shrugged and played with a napkin. ‘He’s OK, I guess. We dated a little last year.’
‘Looks like he’s keen to see you again,’ I smiled, indicating the strip of paper laid lovingly on the table. ‘He’s a nice-looking guy too.’
‘Too restrained for me,’ Marnie replied coolly. I couldn’t help but think this probably could apply to most of Manhattan’s single male population when compared to Marnie’s vivid personality and appearance. She beamed cheekily. ‘Not as fine as Ed though, hey?’
Although I would never dream of admitting it to Marnie, I had to privately concede that Ed did have an alarming skill for looking great when most men would just have looked rough. Of course, I could understand how he managed to find so many women eager to go out with him; it was that legendary Steinmann twinkle that rescued him from so many otherwise tricky situations with devastating effect. Even when we have had the biggest rows at Kowalski’s, I’ve never managed to stay angry at him for long. Which is frustrating in the extreme, but
Something about her expression unnerved me a little. ‘No reason. I was just wondering, that’s all.’
Marnie leaned forward and lowered her voice, as if the other customers may suddenly take an unwelcome interest in her next comment. ‘Do you like him, Rosie?’
‘Of course I like him, mate. He’s one of my best friends.’
Marnie gave my hand a playful tap. ‘I don’t mean it like that. You know what I mean.’
‘Don’t be silly. I was just wondering how he was going to cope with so many dates with the same woman. You have to admit, it would be a first for him.’
Marnie nodded. ‘That guy has almost more dates than me. I don’t know where he meets them all.’
‘Wherever he goes, apparently. He even got a date when he called an emergency plumber last year.’
‘He dated the plumber?’
‘No, the plumber’s sister, who was along for the ride.’
‘I don’t know why he spends so long chasing women he’s no intention of settling down with,’ Marnie said, turning the menu card over.
‘He likes the chase, I think.’
‘Hmm. I reckon you and he should get together.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘Seriously, Rosie, I mean it! Think about it: you spend loads of time together already, you like the same places in New York, you’re both crazy about old movies and eating out—’
‘Stop right there, please. You’re scaring me.’
‘Oh, come on, you mean to tell me that you don’t find Ed in the least bit attractive?’
‘Well, I…’
‘Exactly! He’s gorgeous, Rosie! That guy could charm pollen from a bee. I tell you, if I wasn’t his friend and he didn’t bug the hell out of me like some annoying older brother, I would —’
‘Marnie!’
‘OK, right, so when he comes into the store the morning after a rough night, and he’s all ruffled and unshaven, you haven’t once considered…?’
Just as this conversation was veering wildly towards the point of no return, a waiter appeared by our table to spare my blushes.
‘Hi, ladies, welcome to Ellen’s. Our special tonight is Pancetta Mac Cheese and… wow —uh—hi, Marnie.’
Marnie looked slightly flushed but pleased. ‘Hey, Todd.’
Todd’s eyes appeared transfixed by the vision in orange and purple sitting before him. ‘It’s really good to see you.’
‘You too. Oh, this is my boss, Rosie.’
Todd wrenched his gaze away from Marnie long enough to shake my hand. ‘The florist, right? Hey.’
‘Nice to meet you,’ I replied, noting the chemistry between them.
‘So—we’ll have the specials, please, if that’s OK with you, Rosie?’
I nodded. ‘I’ll go with your recommendation.’
‘Great,’ Todd replied, scribbling the order on his pad. Tearing off a strip, he placed it carefully in front of Marnie. ‘Call me,’ he smiled shyly before disappearing into the dimly lit depths of the restaurant.
‘Well, he was nice,’ I said, full of curiosity.
Marnie shrugged and played with a napkin. ‘He’s OK, I guess. We dated a little last year.’
‘Looks like he’s keen to see you again,’ I smiled, indicating the strip of paper laid lovingly on the table. ‘He’s a nice-looking guy too.’
‘Too restrained for me,’ Marnie replied coolly. I couldn’t help but think this probably could apply to most of Manhattan’s single male population when compared to Marnie’s vivid personality and appearance. She beamed cheekily. ‘Not as fine as Ed though, hey?’
Although I would never dream of admitting it to Marnie, I had to privately concede that Ed did have an alarming skill for looking great when most men would just have looked rough. Of course, I could understand how he managed to find so many women eager to go out with him; it was that legendary Steinmann twinkle that rescued him from so many otherwise tricky situations with devastating effect. Even when we have had the biggest rows at Kowalski’s, I’ve never managed to stay angry at him for long. Which is frustrating in the extreme, but
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