king?’ April said, trying to keep up.
‘Yep,’ Louise said with satisfaction. She eyed me sideways. ‘Watch this, Emma, this is really good.’ She turned back to April. ‘I’m marrying an Arab sheik. A king. Filthy rich. I’ll be moving to the Middle East at the end of the month. Say ta-ta.’
‘You’re marrying one of them ? You have to wear those veils and things, you know,’ April said, explaining. ‘You can’t go out in public. And they sometimes have more than one wife. If he’s really rich it might be worth it, but if he’s not then it’s a waste of time.’
‘Oh my God, you are so mercenary sometimes, April.’ I leaned forward to speak intensely to Louise. ‘This is such a bad idea. You do know how many wives he has already?’
‘They’re great. I’ve met some of them,’ Louise said. ‘They came with him to explain. They all help each other, look after each other, great friends. Can’t wait.’
‘Don’t let his…’ I hesitated. I chose my words. ‘His prowess cloud your judgement, Louise. Once you’re over the novelty, you have to live with him, and share him.’
‘You know him too, Emma?’ April said. ‘He has wives already?’
‘Prowess?’ Louise said still grinning. ‘Wouldn’t know, the guy hasn’t touched me.’ The grin widened. ‘He is a perfect gentleman; you have to marry him and go with him before he’ll do anything. Like I said, can’t wait.’
I put my head in my hands. ‘Oh God .’ Louise dropped her voice to a low purr. ‘Soft white fur.’
I folded my arms on the table and dropped my head on them. I wanted to bang my head on the table. ‘Oh God! I am going to kill that bastard when I see him!’ I glared up at her. ‘He promised me he’d stay away from you!’
‘Oh, that explains it,’ Louise said. ‘I had to chase him around for ages. Took a long time to finally make him give in.’
I buried my head in my arms. ‘I am going to kill him.’
The waiter came back and I lifted my head. He placed four jelly coconut milk drinks and a pineapple rice on the table, and turned away.
I stopped him. ‘We didn’t order this.’
He froze, then his face stiffened. He picked up the drinks and the rice with disdain and stomped away.
‘What did your family say when you told them?’ I said.
‘They’re not speaking to me.’ She changed her voice so that she sounded very stern and spoke down hernose. ‘I cannot tell you how disappointed I am.’ She grinned. ‘Makes it easier, really.’
‘You’re throwing your whole life away to be one of a hundred,’ I said.
‘One hundred and seventeen. But the first fifty or so are really old and ugly. No competition. He just keeps them around ‘cause he has to.’ Her eyes sparkled. ‘Like you can talk, anyway. I hear yours has scales. Yuck.’
‘What are you talking about?’ April said, completely bewildered.
The waiter came and plonked some dishes onto the table. He glared at me. ‘We ordered some drinks too,’ I said. He stomped off.
‘Scales?’ April said softly. ‘You have a man, Emma? Not this Chen man, is it?’
‘Yep,’ Louise said with satisfaction. ‘Engaged to him.’
‘You going to marry John Chen ?’ April turned away. ‘Lucky you. When’s the wedding?’
‘Not for a long time, April. A lot of problems. May never happen at all.’
‘Lighten up, Emma,’ Louise said. ‘The Tiger says it’ll happen.’
I didn’t say anything.
‘Why did you say he has scales?’ April said. ‘He’s a turtle ,’ Louise said with relish. I glanced up quickly. April inhaled sharply, her eyes very wide.
‘You say that about Emma’s man? You insult Emma too? What a horrible thing to say!’
‘What?’ Louise said, not understanding. ‘What did I say?’
April leaned across the table towards Louise. ‘You said he’s a turtle ,’ she hissed.
‘That’s a shocking insult, Louise,’ I said.
‘Is it? No wonder the Tiger says it all the time.’ Louise grinned. ‘What does
‘Yep,’ Louise said with satisfaction. She eyed me sideways. ‘Watch this, Emma, this is really good.’ She turned back to April. ‘I’m marrying an Arab sheik. A king. Filthy rich. I’ll be moving to the Middle East at the end of the month. Say ta-ta.’
‘You’re marrying one of them ? You have to wear those veils and things, you know,’ April said, explaining. ‘You can’t go out in public. And they sometimes have more than one wife. If he’s really rich it might be worth it, but if he’s not then it’s a waste of time.’
‘Oh my God, you are so mercenary sometimes, April.’ I leaned forward to speak intensely to Louise. ‘This is such a bad idea. You do know how many wives he has already?’
‘They’re great. I’ve met some of them,’ Louise said. ‘They came with him to explain. They all help each other, look after each other, great friends. Can’t wait.’
‘Don’t let his…’ I hesitated. I chose my words. ‘His prowess cloud your judgement, Louise. Once you’re over the novelty, you have to live with him, and share him.’
‘You know him too, Emma?’ April said. ‘He has wives already?’
‘Prowess?’ Louise said still grinning. ‘Wouldn’t know, the guy hasn’t touched me.’ The grin widened. ‘He is a perfect gentleman; you have to marry him and go with him before he’ll do anything. Like I said, can’t wait.’
I put my head in my hands. ‘Oh God .’ Louise dropped her voice to a low purr. ‘Soft white fur.’
I folded my arms on the table and dropped my head on them. I wanted to bang my head on the table. ‘Oh God! I am going to kill that bastard when I see him!’ I glared up at her. ‘He promised me he’d stay away from you!’
‘Oh, that explains it,’ Louise said. ‘I had to chase him around for ages. Took a long time to finally make him give in.’
I buried my head in my arms. ‘I am going to kill him.’
The waiter came back and I lifted my head. He placed four jelly coconut milk drinks and a pineapple rice on the table, and turned away.
I stopped him. ‘We didn’t order this.’
He froze, then his face stiffened. He picked up the drinks and the rice with disdain and stomped away.
‘What did your family say when you told them?’ I said.
‘They’re not speaking to me.’ She changed her voice so that she sounded very stern and spoke down hernose. ‘I cannot tell you how disappointed I am.’ She grinned. ‘Makes it easier, really.’
‘You’re throwing your whole life away to be one of a hundred,’ I said.
‘One hundred and seventeen. But the first fifty or so are really old and ugly. No competition. He just keeps them around ‘cause he has to.’ Her eyes sparkled. ‘Like you can talk, anyway. I hear yours has scales. Yuck.’
‘What are you talking about?’ April said, completely bewildered.
The waiter came and plonked some dishes onto the table. He glared at me. ‘We ordered some drinks too,’ I said. He stomped off.
‘Scales?’ April said softly. ‘You have a man, Emma? Not this Chen man, is it?’
‘Yep,’ Louise said with satisfaction. ‘Engaged to him.’
‘You going to marry John Chen ?’ April turned away. ‘Lucky you. When’s the wedding?’
‘Not for a long time, April. A lot of problems. May never happen at all.’
‘Lighten up, Emma,’ Louise said. ‘The Tiger says it’ll happen.’
I didn’t say anything.
‘Why did you say he has scales?’ April said. ‘He’s a turtle ,’ Louise said with relish. I glanced up quickly. April inhaled sharply, her eyes very wide.
‘You say that about Emma’s man? You insult Emma too? What a horrible thing to say!’
‘What?’ Louise said, not understanding. ‘What did I say?’
April leaned across the table towards Louise. ‘You said he’s a turtle ,’ she hissed.
‘That’s a shocking insult, Louise,’ I said.
‘Is it? No wonder the Tiger says it all the time.’ Louise grinned. ‘What does
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