celebrate the new contract.’
‘Where are you taking them?’
‘This place in Soho Gerry wanted to go to: the Social Eating House.’
‘Mind if I join you?’
I was surprised at this.
‘Really?’
‘Yes. Gerry’s a lot of fun and the food there is sensational.’
‘I heard he did your chart for you,’ I said, arching my eyebrows.
He gave me a surprisingly sweet smile. I reached for my phone and called the restaurant and changed the booking from three people to four. I knew Gerry would be flattered that Julius was joining our dinner.
‘What’s his partner called?’ Julius asked as we drew up outside the restaurant in a taxi.
‘Anwar, he’s an actor.’
From the street the restaurant looked more like a commercial building and its name was a battered street sign. Inside it was all warm reds and browns with banquette seating and subdued lighting. There was a separate cocktail bar on the first floor, The Blind Pig, and Julius took over and insisted we have pre-dinner cocktails. I hadn’t met Anwar before. He has beautiful dark eyes, is well-toned and expensively dressed and he must be at least twenty years younger than Gerry. He’s not had much acting work from what I can tell. His last job was a walk-on in Casualty two seasons ago.
We went downstairs and Julius was charm itself as we ordered our dishes, and he couldn’t have been more different from the man who had bawled me out about Sal earlier that day. He ordered an expensive red wine, more than I would have gone for. Julius signs off my expenses so I didn’t worry about that. The food was outstanding. Gerry chose the five course sampler menu which had a procession of dishes: prawns, foie gras, hake, duck and chocolate. He must have decided to ditch his diet for one night and he can’t have any scruples about eating foie gras either!
As the night wore on and we had started on our third bottle of wine it was clear to me how much more in love Gerry is with Anwar than vice versa. I’m sure Gerry bankrolls the relationship and the way he looked at Anwar all evening made me feel a bit sad. There is often this inequality in love relations. And then Gerry asked me about my love life. It was an awkward moment as I didn’t want to talk about it in front of Julius.
‘Forget love life, Flo is my priority,’ I said.
Julius’s interest was piqued and he pressed me.
‘Oh, come on, Liz. You’re an attractive woman. Who’s the fella?’
I took a sip of the red wine.
‘Why should there be a fella?’
‘Stop holding out on us,’ he said.
‘Well, sometimes, when Flo is in Portsmouth with her dad, I see Todd. He’s a director.’
‘Todd Fisher?’
‘Yes.’
‘He works for us, doesn’t he?’ Julius said.
‘Not on a regular basis; he’s a freelancer.’
‘But you met him at the station?’ he persisted.
I was finding this more and more embarrassing.
‘Yes.’
Julius was not going to let it go.
‘And how does your daughter feel about him?’
‘I don’t invite him back to my flat when Florence is there.’
‘Ahh, he’s your fuck buddy, is he?’ Julius had emphasised his words.
‘I hate that phrase!’
‘I think I know who you mean. He’s the guy who did last year’s outside broadcast? He’s Australian, isn’t he?’ Gerry asked.
‘Yes, he’s directed several OBs for us,’ I said.
‘He’s quite a hunk,’ Gerry said, grinning at me.
‘Let’s leave it please,’ I snapped at Gerry.
There was a moment of strained silence.
‘And what about you, Julius?’ Gerry asked.
‘I’m on my own; Amber and I parted company six months ago.’
Amber was a fashion stylist he had been dating for a few years. She was a high gloss, high fashion woman and I hadn’t seen her smile once. Simon and I had nicknamed her The Pouter. So he was on his own again and this would explain his appearance at our dinner tonight. He is forty-five years old, has never married, has no children and StoryWorld is his life.
Chalk Farm flat,
‘Where are you taking them?’
‘This place in Soho Gerry wanted to go to: the Social Eating House.’
‘Mind if I join you?’
I was surprised at this.
‘Really?’
‘Yes. Gerry’s a lot of fun and the food there is sensational.’
‘I heard he did your chart for you,’ I said, arching my eyebrows.
He gave me a surprisingly sweet smile. I reached for my phone and called the restaurant and changed the booking from three people to four. I knew Gerry would be flattered that Julius was joining our dinner.
‘What’s his partner called?’ Julius asked as we drew up outside the restaurant in a taxi.
‘Anwar, he’s an actor.’
From the street the restaurant looked more like a commercial building and its name was a battered street sign. Inside it was all warm reds and browns with banquette seating and subdued lighting. There was a separate cocktail bar on the first floor, The Blind Pig, and Julius took over and insisted we have pre-dinner cocktails. I hadn’t met Anwar before. He has beautiful dark eyes, is well-toned and expensively dressed and he must be at least twenty years younger than Gerry. He’s not had much acting work from what I can tell. His last job was a walk-on in Casualty two seasons ago.
We went downstairs and Julius was charm itself as we ordered our dishes, and he couldn’t have been more different from the man who had bawled me out about Sal earlier that day. He ordered an expensive red wine, more than I would have gone for. Julius signs off my expenses so I didn’t worry about that. The food was outstanding. Gerry chose the five course sampler menu which had a procession of dishes: prawns, foie gras, hake, duck and chocolate. He must have decided to ditch his diet for one night and he can’t have any scruples about eating foie gras either!
As the night wore on and we had started on our third bottle of wine it was clear to me how much more in love Gerry is with Anwar than vice versa. I’m sure Gerry bankrolls the relationship and the way he looked at Anwar all evening made me feel a bit sad. There is often this inequality in love relations. And then Gerry asked me about my love life. It was an awkward moment as I didn’t want to talk about it in front of Julius.
‘Forget love life, Flo is my priority,’ I said.
Julius’s interest was piqued and he pressed me.
‘Oh, come on, Liz. You’re an attractive woman. Who’s the fella?’
I took a sip of the red wine.
‘Why should there be a fella?’
‘Stop holding out on us,’ he said.
‘Well, sometimes, when Flo is in Portsmouth with her dad, I see Todd. He’s a director.’
‘Todd Fisher?’
‘Yes.’
‘He works for us, doesn’t he?’ Julius said.
‘Not on a regular basis; he’s a freelancer.’
‘But you met him at the station?’ he persisted.
I was finding this more and more embarrassing.
‘Yes.’
Julius was not going to let it go.
‘And how does your daughter feel about him?’
‘I don’t invite him back to my flat when Florence is there.’
‘Ahh, he’s your fuck buddy, is he?’ Julius had emphasised his words.
‘I hate that phrase!’
‘I think I know who you mean. He’s the guy who did last year’s outside broadcast? He’s Australian, isn’t he?’ Gerry asked.
‘Yes, he’s directed several OBs for us,’ I said.
‘He’s quite a hunk,’ Gerry said, grinning at me.
‘Let’s leave it please,’ I snapped at Gerry.
There was a moment of strained silence.
‘And what about you, Julius?’ Gerry asked.
‘I’m on my own; Amber and I parted company six months ago.’
Amber was a fashion stylist he had been dating for a few years. She was a high gloss, high fashion woman and I hadn’t seen her smile once. Simon and I had nicknamed her The Pouter. So he was on his own again and this would explain his appearance at our dinner tonight. He is forty-five years old, has never married, has no children and StoryWorld is his life.
Chalk Farm flat,
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