I want to steal him off you?”
“Absolutely,” Soph said, laughing. “He’s tall, with the most beautiful brown eyes. If I had to describe him, I’d say he’s a mixture of Wesley Snipes and David Duchovny.”
Abby and Martin frowned in unison and exchanged glances. “Hang on…” Martin said, “if he’s a mixture of Wesley Snipes and David Duchovny, that means …”
Abby’s eyes widened. “… that the half of Lamar that isn’t Jewish is … black. … Lamar Silverman is black?”
“Yes. He’s half Jewish, half Jamaican.”
“Blimey!”
“Oh, come on, Abby, surely you of all people don’t have a problem with me going out with a black guy?”
“Me? Don’t be daft. Of course I don’t have a problem. I’m just trying to get my head round the fact that he’s black and he’s called Silverman. You know, it’s like Whoopi Goldberg being called Goldberg.”
“I’m more interested in why she’s called Whoopi,” Martin mused. “I mean, what kind of parents name their kid after a farting cushion?”
“So, if this relationship is serious,” Abby said, “why hasn’t Lamar met your parents?”
Soph was shifting uncomfortably on the stool. “I don’t want to rush things. I’m thinking sometime in 2020 would be good.”
“Oh, come on, Soph, you know full well that your parents aren’t racists. They both lost family in the Holocaust. I’ve heard your dad going on about how he loathes all forms of racism.”
Soph was nodding. “I know. They also have nothing against gays, but if they found out I was a lesbian I know they’d struggle with it. On the face of it, they’re as liberal as they come, but I might be about to put their views to the test. Suppose they let me down?”
Abby took her friend’s hand. “They won’t let you down. I promise. I know your mum and dad. They’re crazy, they bicker, but they’re good people. They are not the types who simply talk the talk.”
Soph nodded. “I’ve always believed that, but a bit of meis still petrified of bringing Lamar home. Can you understand that?”
“I can,” Abby said, “but I really think you’re worrying about nothing.” She paused. “So, is it OK for us to meet him?”
“Absolutely. I can’t wait.”
She said that Lamar was taking her to the theater on Friday. She suggested, and it was agreed, that the four of them plus Toby would meet up afterward for a late dinner at Tarantino’s in Camden Town.
Just then the shop phone rang and Martin disappeared into the back room to get it. He returned a minute or so later.
“Who was it?” Abby asked.
“That location-finder woman. She wanted to know if it would be OK for her and the film director to come over this afternoon. I said yes. Hope that’s OK.”
“Sure. No probs.” A week or so ago, Abby had received a phone call out of the blue from a woman named Katie Shaw. Katie explained that she was a film location finder and that she was looking for a trendy London florist to feature in a romantic comedy. Apparently she’d walked past Fabulous Flowers a few times and thought it would be perfect. She explained that it was a low-budget movie and that the film company could only pay a minimal fee. On the plus side, though, the shop would appear several times in the film and the makers would retain its name. Even though Abby knew filming would cause an enormous amount of disruption, she thought the end result would be great publicity for her business. She had agreed to the proposition at once, and Katie Shaw promised to ring back to arrange atime when she and the director could come and look at the shop.
As Soph got up to leave, she made Abby promise to call her to let her know how the meeting went. “Oh, by the way, talking of business propositions,” Soph went on, “I’ve just taken on this Japanese client. His name is Takahashi. You probably haven’t heard of him, but he’s one of these software billionaires. Anyway, his daughter is planning an engagement
“Absolutely,” Soph said, laughing. “He’s tall, with the most beautiful brown eyes. If I had to describe him, I’d say he’s a mixture of Wesley Snipes and David Duchovny.”
Abby and Martin frowned in unison and exchanged glances. “Hang on…” Martin said, “if he’s a mixture of Wesley Snipes and David Duchovny, that means …”
Abby’s eyes widened. “… that the half of Lamar that isn’t Jewish is … black. … Lamar Silverman is black?”
“Yes. He’s half Jewish, half Jamaican.”
“Blimey!”
“Oh, come on, Abby, surely you of all people don’t have a problem with me going out with a black guy?”
“Me? Don’t be daft. Of course I don’t have a problem. I’m just trying to get my head round the fact that he’s black and he’s called Silverman. You know, it’s like Whoopi Goldberg being called Goldberg.”
“I’m more interested in why she’s called Whoopi,” Martin mused. “I mean, what kind of parents name their kid after a farting cushion?”
“So, if this relationship is serious,” Abby said, “why hasn’t Lamar met your parents?”
Soph was shifting uncomfortably on the stool. “I don’t want to rush things. I’m thinking sometime in 2020 would be good.”
“Oh, come on, Soph, you know full well that your parents aren’t racists. They both lost family in the Holocaust. I’ve heard your dad going on about how he loathes all forms of racism.”
Soph was nodding. “I know. They also have nothing against gays, but if they found out I was a lesbian I know they’d struggle with it. On the face of it, they’re as liberal as they come, but I might be about to put their views to the test. Suppose they let me down?”
Abby took her friend’s hand. “They won’t let you down. I promise. I know your mum and dad. They’re crazy, they bicker, but they’re good people. They are not the types who simply talk the talk.”
Soph nodded. “I’ve always believed that, but a bit of meis still petrified of bringing Lamar home. Can you understand that?”
“I can,” Abby said, “but I really think you’re worrying about nothing.” She paused. “So, is it OK for us to meet him?”
“Absolutely. I can’t wait.”
She said that Lamar was taking her to the theater on Friday. She suggested, and it was agreed, that the four of them plus Toby would meet up afterward for a late dinner at Tarantino’s in Camden Town.
Just then the shop phone rang and Martin disappeared into the back room to get it. He returned a minute or so later.
“Who was it?” Abby asked.
“That location-finder woman. She wanted to know if it would be OK for her and the film director to come over this afternoon. I said yes. Hope that’s OK.”
“Sure. No probs.” A week or so ago, Abby had received a phone call out of the blue from a woman named Katie Shaw. Katie explained that she was a film location finder and that she was looking for a trendy London florist to feature in a romantic comedy. Apparently she’d walked past Fabulous Flowers a few times and thought it would be perfect. She explained that it was a low-budget movie and that the film company could only pay a minimal fee. On the plus side, though, the shop would appear several times in the film and the makers would retain its name. Even though Abby knew filming would cause an enormous amount of disruption, she thought the end result would be great publicity for her business. She had agreed to the proposition at once, and Katie Shaw promised to ring back to arrange atime when she and the director could come and look at the shop.
As Soph got up to leave, she made Abby promise to call her to let her know how the meeting went. “Oh, by the way, talking of business propositions,” Soph went on, “I’ve just taken on this Japanese client. His name is Takahashi. You probably haven’t heard of him, but he’s one of these software billionaires. Anyway, his daughter is planning an engagement
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