cooking spicy shrimp pad thai and he does brilliant, dead-on
Monty Python
impressions.’
‘It was Mum that liked
Monty Python
, not me,’ I said, absentmindedly, and then I immediately regretted sounding so bratty.
‘He sounds really nice,’ I added quickly.
That made her happy.
‘He is,’ she gushed. ‘He doesn’t have a hair on his head, but he’s gorgeous. He’s completely different to anyone I have ever gone out with before.’
‘That can only be good,’ I answered. ‘I like him already.’
Janet giggled.
‘Not long now, darling, you’ll be back home in just under five weeks.’
Why didn’t that make me feel excited? Maybe I was coming down with something, like heatstroke.
‘Gotta run, miss you loads. Tell David I was asking for him and tell Brendan I look forward to meeting him, bye!’ I said, and hung up.
Chapter 16
I t has become our ritual to have break fast on Friday mornings at Pier 72, a diner on the corner of West 72 nd Street and West End Avenue. It’s a real old-fashioned New York City diner with doughnuts under glass and egg-stained menus and an ancient, grumpy waitress, Velda, who barks at the customers and at the Ecuadorean busboys. They ignore her.
Scott always orders the same thing, two eggs over easy with an English muffin on the side. I alternate between pancakes and a Belgian waffle, which Scott refers to as ‘syrup with a side of pancakes or waffles’.
‘How can you eat that corn syrup?’ he wondered.
‘Very easily,’ I responded, liberally drowning my pancakes.
He turned his attention to Joanna, who had joined us this morning. She also ordered what she always orders, Greek yoghurt with honey and fruit with a side of bacon and toast.
Joanna seemed distracted and fidgety.
‘What’s up?’ Scott asked her.
‘Do you know the charity group I volunteer with?’ she asked.
‘Yes, the children’s literacy project – helping the kids in the projects in the Bronx learn to read.’
She nodded.
‘I got railroaded into giving a talk to some of the high school kids next month about what my job is like –
What it Takes To Be A Vet
. I don’t have a clue what to say. I would rather do fifty consecutive surgeries spaying cats, and with a cheap red wine hangover, than do this presentation.’
Scott grinned.
‘Say that.’
‘What?’
‘There is your opening line. Just be yourself and be honest. Walk them through it.’
Joanna looked dubious.
Scott warmed to this theme.
‘Tell them some of your funny stories about some of the incidents with the animals and the clients.’
‘Like the time Herman, the white bulldog with the farting problem, kept doing nasty silent ones, and Eliot, the cute Asian guy who came in with Charley, his pet iguana, thought it was coming from you,’ I interjected helpfully.
‘You can talk about how, a lot of times, the patient we are really treating is the owner, not the pet,’ added Scott. ‘Tell them why you became a vet. Tell them that becoming a vet involves a lifetime of studying, hard work, late nights and lousy pay, but it’s never dull and the patients make up for all the headaches.’
‘Ok,’ said Joanna. ‘I’m starting to feel inspired.’
‘Why don’t you take Ben with you?’ I suggested.
Joanna took off her glasses and cleaned them as she thought about that one.
‘I could use Ben as a hypothetical patient, do a practical demonstration,’ she said.
I felt a pang of guilt for volunteering Ben. He wasn’t going to like this at all, but he had a tolerant nature. I resolved to make it up to him by putting some of Joanna’s bacon in my napkin to treat him later.
‘I could come with you for moral support,’ Scott suggested.
Joanna waved him away.
‘That’s ok, Stefan already volunteered,’ she said airily.
‘The kids will really be able to relate to Stefan,’ said Scott innocently.
‘Maybe I should ask Leela instead – I’m sure taking time off work to interact with underprivileged kids
Monty Python
impressions.’
‘It was Mum that liked
Monty Python
, not me,’ I said, absentmindedly, and then I immediately regretted sounding so bratty.
‘He sounds really nice,’ I added quickly.
That made her happy.
‘He is,’ she gushed. ‘He doesn’t have a hair on his head, but he’s gorgeous. He’s completely different to anyone I have ever gone out with before.’
‘That can only be good,’ I answered. ‘I like him already.’
Janet giggled.
‘Not long now, darling, you’ll be back home in just under five weeks.’
Why didn’t that make me feel excited? Maybe I was coming down with something, like heatstroke.
‘Gotta run, miss you loads. Tell David I was asking for him and tell Brendan I look forward to meeting him, bye!’ I said, and hung up.
Chapter 16
I t has become our ritual to have break fast on Friday mornings at Pier 72, a diner on the corner of West 72 nd Street and West End Avenue. It’s a real old-fashioned New York City diner with doughnuts under glass and egg-stained menus and an ancient, grumpy waitress, Velda, who barks at the customers and at the Ecuadorean busboys. They ignore her.
Scott always orders the same thing, two eggs over easy with an English muffin on the side. I alternate between pancakes and a Belgian waffle, which Scott refers to as ‘syrup with a side of pancakes or waffles’.
‘How can you eat that corn syrup?’ he wondered.
‘Very easily,’ I responded, liberally drowning my pancakes.
He turned his attention to Joanna, who had joined us this morning. She also ordered what she always orders, Greek yoghurt with honey and fruit with a side of bacon and toast.
Joanna seemed distracted and fidgety.
‘What’s up?’ Scott asked her.
‘Do you know the charity group I volunteer with?’ she asked.
‘Yes, the children’s literacy project – helping the kids in the projects in the Bronx learn to read.’
She nodded.
‘I got railroaded into giving a talk to some of the high school kids next month about what my job is like –
What it Takes To Be A Vet
. I don’t have a clue what to say. I would rather do fifty consecutive surgeries spaying cats, and with a cheap red wine hangover, than do this presentation.’
Scott grinned.
‘Say that.’
‘What?’
‘There is your opening line. Just be yourself and be honest. Walk them through it.’
Joanna looked dubious.
Scott warmed to this theme.
‘Tell them some of your funny stories about some of the incidents with the animals and the clients.’
‘Like the time Herman, the white bulldog with the farting problem, kept doing nasty silent ones, and Eliot, the cute Asian guy who came in with Charley, his pet iguana, thought it was coming from you,’ I interjected helpfully.
‘You can talk about how, a lot of times, the patient we are really treating is the owner, not the pet,’ added Scott. ‘Tell them why you became a vet. Tell them that becoming a vet involves a lifetime of studying, hard work, late nights and lousy pay, but it’s never dull and the patients make up for all the headaches.’
‘Ok,’ said Joanna. ‘I’m starting to feel inspired.’
‘Why don’t you take Ben with you?’ I suggested.
Joanna took off her glasses and cleaned them as she thought about that one.
‘I could use Ben as a hypothetical patient, do a practical demonstration,’ she said.
I felt a pang of guilt for volunteering Ben. He wasn’t going to like this at all, but he had a tolerant nature. I resolved to make it up to him by putting some of Joanna’s bacon in my napkin to treat him later.
‘I could come with you for moral support,’ Scott suggested.
Joanna waved him away.
‘That’s ok, Stefan already volunteered,’ she said airily.
‘The kids will really be able to relate to Stefan,’ said Scott innocently.
‘Maybe I should ask Leela instead – I’m sure taking time off work to interact with underprivileged kids
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