you, which isn’t surprising. How long have you had it? Almost a month?” She began unpacking the food. “Let’s get you something to eat.”
“Actually, I think I look rather well,” he said, striking a pose. “I tried a pair of trousers on the other day I haven’t been able to wear since 1983. They looked fabulous! Perry Ellis gray flannel with pleats like you wouldn’t believe! Of course you won’t remember Perry Ellis; you’re too young.” He sat down. “Did you get the fish fingers? And the pickles?”
“Yes. Since when do you eat fish fingers? Or pickles?” She opened the fridge. “Tell me straight, are you pregnant?”
He laughed. “Not this month. Juan likes them. He thinks they’re exotic. They don’t have fish fingers in Brazil. But the sweet things are all for me. Ahh! You genius!” He pulled out a tub of Belgian chocolate ice cream. “Pass me a spoon, will you? It’s at the ideal level of softness!”
She searched the draining board and handed him a teaspoon.
He took a bite. “Heaven! There go those Perry Ellis trousers for another twenty years!”
“Juan, eh?” Leticia shook her head. “You do realize you’re seventy? Thirty-five-year-old male nurses are dangerous for your health. Or has no one told you?”
“Stay near the young and a little rubs off. Are you staying for lunch?”
“What are we having? Pickles and fish fingers?”
“Well, I’m having ice cream. But we could ring Bartolli’s around the corner and pick up an order of minestrone if you like. Or spaghetti.”
Leticia filled the sugar bowl. “That’s OK. It’s a little late forlunch; it’s gone three. God, Leo, when was the last time this floor was washed? That’s not like you.” She peeled off her coat, throwing it on top of the radiator. “Where do you keep a bucket and some bleach?”
“Under the sink, O She of the Hardened Heart.” He spooned in another mouthful of chocolate ice cream. “I adore Juan for his mind. Which reminds me, how is your young man?”
“Hughie?” Leticia filled the bucket with hot water and detergent. The smell of lemons filled the kitchen.
“Yes, Hughie.”
She smiled. “Oh, he’s all right.”
“You’re blushing!”
“No, I’m not!”
“Yes, you are! Bright red!”
She pressed her hands to her cheeks. “It’s the steam from the water!”
“Steam, my arse!” Leo waved his spoon triumphantly. “You like him!”
“Do not!”
“Do too, you great big nanna! All I have to do is mention the boy’s name and you turn into a beetroot!” He began to cough, then to choke, clutching the side of the table.
Leticia thumped him on the back.
“Pardon me!” he gasped.
“Serves you right! Now out!” She ushered him into the living room, ice cream in hand. “Feet up, on sofa while I scrub this floor, understand? And if that cough isn’t better by tomorrow, I think we should call the doctor. You could have a chest infection.”
“Bollocks! This isn’t the last act of La Traviata . You’re changing the subject and you know it!”
“So what if I am?” She piled cushions at one end for him to lie down on and turned on the television. “What do you want towatch?” She flicked through the channels. “ Richard and Judy ? Through the Keyhole ?”
“Why are you so afraid to admit it?”
“Because there’s nothing to admit. I have a system in place, Leo. Hughie’s lovely; he’s fresh, keen, delightful. But just like milk, men go off. Of course I like him; he’s charming. But what I don’t like is sour milk.” She checked the date setting on her wristwatch. “I give him another two weeks, tops. Then I’m afraid he’s going to have to go.”
She winked at Leo.
But Leo wasn’t smiling back. “This isn’t a good look, darling.”
“Isn’t it?” She pretended to concentrate on the television. “What’s this? Reruns of ER ?”
He sat down, took her free hand. “It wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t anybody’s fault. You know that,
“Actually, I think I look rather well,” he said, striking a pose. “I tried a pair of trousers on the other day I haven’t been able to wear since 1983. They looked fabulous! Perry Ellis gray flannel with pleats like you wouldn’t believe! Of course you won’t remember Perry Ellis; you’re too young.” He sat down. “Did you get the fish fingers? And the pickles?”
“Yes. Since when do you eat fish fingers? Or pickles?” She opened the fridge. “Tell me straight, are you pregnant?”
He laughed. “Not this month. Juan likes them. He thinks they’re exotic. They don’t have fish fingers in Brazil. But the sweet things are all for me. Ahh! You genius!” He pulled out a tub of Belgian chocolate ice cream. “Pass me a spoon, will you? It’s at the ideal level of softness!”
She searched the draining board and handed him a teaspoon.
He took a bite. “Heaven! There go those Perry Ellis trousers for another twenty years!”
“Juan, eh?” Leticia shook her head. “You do realize you’re seventy? Thirty-five-year-old male nurses are dangerous for your health. Or has no one told you?”
“Stay near the young and a little rubs off. Are you staying for lunch?”
“What are we having? Pickles and fish fingers?”
“Well, I’m having ice cream. But we could ring Bartolli’s around the corner and pick up an order of minestrone if you like. Or spaghetti.”
Leticia filled the sugar bowl. “That’s OK. It’s a little late forlunch; it’s gone three. God, Leo, when was the last time this floor was washed? That’s not like you.” She peeled off her coat, throwing it on top of the radiator. “Where do you keep a bucket and some bleach?”
“Under the sink, O She of the Hardened Heart.” He spooned in another mouthful of chocolate ice cream. “I adore Juan for his mind. Which reminds me, how is your young man?”
“Hughie?” Leticia filled the bucket with hot water and detergent. The smell of lemons filled the kitchen.
“Yes, Hughie.”
She smiled. “Oh, he’s all right.”
“You’re blushing!”
“No, I’m not!”
“Yes, you are! Bright red!”
She pressed her hands to her cheeks. “It’s the steam from the water!”
“Steam, my arse!” Leo waved his spoon triumphantly. “You like him!”
“Do not!”
“Do too, you great big nanna! All I have to do is mention the boy’s name and you turn into a beetroot!” He began to cough, then to choke, clutching the side of the table.
Leticia thumped him on the back.
“Pardon me!” he gasped.
“Serves you right! Now out!” She ushered him into the living room, ice cream in hand. “Feet up, on sofa while I scrub this floor, understand? And if that cough isn’t better by tomorrow, I think we should call the doctor. You could have a chest infection.”
“Bollocks! This isn’t the last act of La Traviata . You’re changing the subject and you know it!”
“So what if I am?” She piled cushions at one end for him to lie down on and turned on the television. “What do you want towatch?” She flicked through the channels. “ Richard and Judy ? Through the Keyhole ?”
“Why are you so afraid to admit it?”
“Because there’s nothing to admit. I have a system in place, Leo. Hughie’s lovely; he’s fresh, keen, delightful. But just like milk, men go off. Of course I like him; he’s charming. But what I don’t like is sour milk.” She checked the date setting on her wristwatch. “I give him another two weeks, tops. Then I’m afraid he’s going to have to go.”
She winked at Leo.
But Leo wasn’t smiling back. “This isn’t a good look, darling.”
“Isn’t it?” She pretended to concentrate on the television. “What’s this? Reruns of ER ?”
He sat down, took her free hand. “It wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t anybody’s fault. You know that,
Similar Books
