adamant about their living arrangements. He said that she was lovely, the loveliest thing that had ever happened to him. If this was so, why would he not let her come to live with him?
He had these endless excuses: it was a lads’ place—he just had aroom there, he didn’t pay for it, instead he cooked for the lads once a week and that was his rent, he couldn’t abuse their hospitality by bringing in someone else. Anyway, it would change the whole atmosphere of the place if a woman were to come into it.
He had sounded a little impatient. Lisa didn’t mention it again. There was no way she could afford a place to live. There were new clothes, picnic meals and the two occasions she pretended to have got hotel vouchers in order to spirit him off for a night of luxury. All this had cost money.
Once or twice she wondered whether Anton might possibly be cheap? A bit
careful
with money, anyway? But no, he was endearingly honest.
“Lisa, my love, I’m a total parasite at the moment. Every euro I earn doing shifts I have to put away towards the cost of setting the place up. I’m a professional beggar just now, but in time I’ll make it up to you. When you and I are sitting in the restaurant toasting our first Michelin star,
then
you’ll think it was all worthwhile.”
They sat together in the new kitchen, which was coming to life under their eyes. Ovens, refrigerators and hot plates were springing up around them. Soon the work would begin on the dining room. They had agreed on the logo and it was being worked into the rugs that would be scattered around the wooden floors. The place was going to be a dream, and Lisa was part of it.
Anton was only mildly surprised that she had left Kevin. He had always assumed that she would one day. He was less enthusiastic, however, about the notion that she might move into one of the spare rooms in the new building.
“I could make a bed-sitter out of
this
room and my office out of
that
one.” Lisa pointed out two rooms down the corridor off the new kitchen.
“This one’s the cold room and that’s for linen and china,” he said impatiently.
“Well, eventually, but I have to have
somewhere
to work and we agreed that I should help with the marketing as well …,” she began, but he started to look cross again so she dropped it.
It had to be home.
The reception was more glacial than she had expected.
“Lisa, you are twenty-five years of age. You have been well educated—expensively educated. Why can’t you find a place to live and work like other girls do? Girls with none of your advantages and privileges …” Her father spoke to her as if she were a vagrant who had come into his bank and asked to sleep behind the counter.
“Even poor Katie, and Lord knows she never achieved much, she’s at least able to look after herself,” Lisa’s mother said witheringly of her other daughter.
“I thought you’d be pleased that I was going out on my own,” Lisa said. “I’m even thinking of taking some classes, on starting your own business and the like. I’m showing initiative.”
“Mad is more like it. These days anyone who has a job holds on to it instead of throwing it up on a whim,” her father said.
“And no rent for the foreseeable future,” her mother sighed. “
And
you’ll want the heating on during the day when there’s no one else at home.
And
you want businesspeople filing in and out of this house. No, Lisa, it’s not on.”
“If we were to let your room to a stranger, we could get a proper rent for it,” her father added.
“What about the dining room? I could put shelves and a filing system into it …,” Lisa began.
“And ruin the lovely dining room? I think not,” her mother said.
“Why don’t you forget the whole idea and stay where you are … in the agency,” her father suggested, his tone slightly kinder as he saw her distressed face. “Do that, like a good girl, and we’ll say no more about any of this.”
Lisa didn’t
He had these endless excuses: it was a lads’ place—he just had aroom there, he didn’t pay for it, instead he cooked for the lads once a week and that was his rent, he couldn’t abuse their hospitality by bringing in someone else. Anyway, it would change the whole atmosphere of the place if a woman were to come into it.
He had sounded a little impatient. Lisa didn’t mention it again. There was no way she could afford a place to live. There were new clothes, picnic meals and the two occasions she pretended to have got hotel vouchers in order to spirit him off for a night of luxury. All this had cost money.
Once or twice she wondered whether Anton might possibly be cheap? A bit
careful
with money, anyway? But no, he was endearingly honest.
“Lisa, my love, I’m a total parasite at the moment. Every euro I earn doing shifts I have to put away towards the cost of setting the place up. I’m a professional beggar just now, but in time I’ll make it up to you. When you and I are sitting in the restaurant toasting our first Michelin star,
then
you’ll think it was all worthwhile.”
They sat together in the new kitchen, which was coming to life under their eyes. Ovens, refrigerators and hot plates were springing up around them. Soon the work would begin on the dining room. They had agreed on the logo and it was being worked into the rugs that would be scattered around the wooden floors. The place was going to be a dream, and Lisa was part of it.
Anton was only mildly surprised that she had left Kevin. He had always assumed that she would one day. He was less enthusiastic, however, about the notion that she might move into one of the spare rooms in the new building.
“I could make a bed-sitter out of
this
room and my office out of
that
one.” Lisa pointed out two rooms down the corridor off the new kitchen.
“This one’s the cold room and that’s for linen and china,” he said impatiently.
“Well, eventually, but I have to have
somewhere
to work and we agreed that I should help with the marketing as well …,” she began, but he started to look cross again so she dropped it.
It had to be home.
The reception was more glacial than she had expected.
“Lisa, you are twenty-five years of age. You have been well educated—expensively educated. Why can’t you find a place to live and work like other girls do? Girls with none of your advantages and privileges …” Her father spoke to her as if she were a vagrant who had come into his bank and asked to sleep behind the counter.
“Even poor Katie, and Lord knows she never achieved much, she’s at least able to look after herself,” Lisa’s mother said witheringly of her other daughter.
“I thought you’d be pleased that I was going out on my own,” Lisa said. “I’m even thinking of taking some classes, on starting your own business and the like. I’m showing initiative.”
“Mad is more like it. These days anyone who has a job holds on to it instead of throwing it up on a whim,” her father said.
“And no rent for the foreseeable future,” her mother sighed. “
And
you’ll want the heating on during the day when there’s no one else at home.
And
you want businesspeople filing in and out of this house. No, Lisa, it’s not on.”
“If we were to let your room to a stranger, we could get a proper rent for it,” her father added.
“What about the dining room? I could put shelves and a filing system into it …,” Lisa began.
“And ruin the lovely dining room? I think not,” her mother said.
“Why don’t you forget the whole idea and stay where you are … in the agency,” her father suggested, his tone slightly kinder as he saw her distressed face. “Do that, like a good girl, and we’ll say no more about any of this.”
Lisa didn’t
Similar Books
