family.
Turning to Granger he said, ‘I’m almost afraid to ask, but where is my son?’
Granger’s large, bearded face broke into a smile. ‘Don’t worry, he’s done you proud this afternoon, he was right on it with the National Trust gits – guys – and he didn’t mention a word to me about being paid.’
Not entirely reassured, Russ said, ‘But you told him he will be, and how much?’
‘Sure and he fell silent.’
After waiting for the laughter to die down, Russ said, ‘So, he knows he’s not going to get rich any time soon. Did he come back with you?’
‘Yep, but he’s gone over to the house. He wants to check his email, he said, in case some proper jobs have come up.’
Russ’s face darkened. ‘Tell me he didn’t use those words.’
‘He didn’t use those words.’
Knowing Oliver almost certainly had, Russ decided not to spoil the celebration by leaving right now, but his son had better still be in the house when he got there because grown man or not, he clearly still had a few lessons to learn.
‘No, Jerome, I haven’t worked out who the ruddy pussy belongs to yet,’ Oliver was saying into his mobile, as he opened the fridge door to take out a Coke. ‘Will you cut me a break for five minutes and stop going on about it?’
‘It’s all right for you, man, you’ve got Thea and all those other babes ...’
‘Jerome, Thea and I are not an item ... Oh, shit!’ he cried as a spray of Coke cascaded over the kitchen that had probably just been cleaned, and had supposedly wonawards when it was first designed, thanks to its shape and glossy black units and surfaces.
‘Are you still there?’ Jerome demanded.
‘Course I am, but listen ...’
‘I am. I thought Thea was interested in your dad?’
‘You are such an asshole at times, do you know that? Don’t you get anything?’
‘That’s my point, man, I’m getting none, so if you can tell me who she is, the one who had the Brazilian ...’
‘I have to ring off now ...’
‘Don’t do that. I need to win this ...’
‘For Christ’s sake, Jerome, no one’s ever going to work out who the pussy belongs to, it’s all a great big tease, you’ve got to see that.’
‘But they made a promise, and you’ve seen more of them than I have, so who would you reasonably match that one up with?’
Laughing, in spite of himself, Oliver said, ‘I’ll look at it again, OK, and if I come up with anything ...’
‘Tell me you didn’t just say that. How can anything not come up ?’
Laughing again, Oliver said, ‘Mate, I’ve got your best interests at heart. I just want you to remember me when you’re down there in Durban raking in the mega-millions and looking for the best ad agency in the world, because that’s where I’ll be.’
‘You so have my business,’ Jerome assured him. ‘Now, getting back to ...’
‘Jerome, I have to go. My dad’s just come in,’ and without giving his friend a chance to speak again he clicked off the line and quickly scooped a cloth from the sink to start cleaning up the Coke.
‘What’s happened here?’ Russ wanted to know as he realised what Oliver was doing.
‘It was an accident, OK? I flipped the tab and it went everywhere. Now I’m cleaning it up. No need to get in a sweat.’
Not rising to the belligerence, Russ went to pull a stool from under the breakfast bar and sat down heavily. This room with its octagonal shape and wall of windowslooking out over the garden and acres of billowing countryside beyond was, quite literally, the very heart of the house. The entrance hall seemed to embrace it with huge double doors – never closed – opening into it, and the sitting room, grand as it was, couldn’t quite muster the same comfort or space.
‘So what happened with Paul this afternoon?’ Russ asked, starting to peel a clementine.
Oliver shrugged. ‘I think it all went well,’ he answered, still sponging down the American fridge.
‘I’m not talking about the meeting,
Turning to Granger he said, ‘I’m almost afraid to ask, but where is my son?’
Granger’s large, bearded face broke into a smile. ‘Don’t worry, he’s done you proud this afternoon, he was right on it with the National Trust gits – guys – and he didn’t mention a word to me about being paid.’
Not entirely reassured, Russ said, ‘But you told him he will be, and how much?’
‘Sure and he fell silent.’
After waiting for the laughter to die down, Russ said, ‘So, he knows he’s not going to get rich any time soon. Did he come back with you?’
‘Yep, but he’s gone over to the house. He wants to check his email, he said, in case some proper jobs have come up.’
Russ’s face darkened. ‘Tell me he didn’t use those words.’
‘He didn’t use those words.’
Knowing Oliver almost certainly had, Russ decided not to spoil the celebration by leaving right now, but his son had better still be in the house when he got there because grown man or not, he clearly still had a few lessons to learn.
‘No, Jerome, I haven’t worked out who the ruddy pussy belongs to yet,’ Oliver was saying into his mobile, as he opened the fridge door to take out a Coke. ‘Will you cut me a break for five minutes and stop going on about it?’
‘It’s all right for you, man, you’ve got Thea and all those other babes ...’
‘Jerome, Thea and I are not an item ... Oh, shit!’ he cried as a spray of Coke cascaded over the kitchen that had probably just been cleaned, and had supposedly wonawards when it was first designed, thanks to its shape and glossy black units and surfaces.
‘Are you still there?’ Jerome demanded.
‘Course I am, but listen ...’
‘I am. I thought Thea was interested in your dad?’
‘You are such an asshole at times, do you know that? Don’t you get anything?’
‘That’s my point, man, I’m getting none, so if you can tell me who she is, the one who had the Brazilian ...’
‘I have to ring off now ...’
‘Don’t do that. I need to win this ...’
‘For Christ’s sake, Jerome, no one’s ever going to work out who the pussy belongs to, it’s all a great big tease, you’ve got to see that.’
‘But they made a promise, and you’ve seen more of them than I have, so who would you reasonably match that one up with?’
Laughing, in spite of himself, Oliver said, ‘I’ll look at it again, OK, and if I come up with anything ...’
‘Tell me you didn’t just say that. How can anything not come up ?’
Laughing again, Oliver said, ‘Mate, I’ve got your best interests at heart. I just want you to remember me when you’re down there in Durban raking in the mega-millions and looking for the best ad agency in the world, because that’s where I’ll be.’
‘You so have my business,’ Jerome assured him. ‘Now, getting back to ...’
‘Jerome, I have to go. My dad’s just come in,’ and without giving his friend a chance to speak again he clicked off the line and quickly scooped a cloth from the sink to start cleaning up the Coke.
‘What’s happened here?’ Russ wanted to know as he realised what Oliver was doing.
‘It was an accident, OK? I flipped the tab and it went everywhere. Now I’m cleaning it up. No need to get in a sweat.’
Not rising to the belligerence, Russ went to pull a stool from under the breakfast bar and sat down heavily. This room with its octagonal shape and wall of windowslooking out over the garden and acres of billowing countryside beyond was, quite literally, the very heart of the house. The entrance hall seemed to embrace it with huge double doors – never closed – opening into it, and the sitting room, grand as it was, couldn’t quite muster the same comfort or space.
‘So what happened with Paul this afternoon?’ Russ asked, starting to peel a clementine.
Oliver shrugged. ‘I think it all went well,’ he answered, still sponging down the American fridge.
‘I’m not talking about the meeting,
Similar Books
