And Baby Makes Two - Dyan Sheldon [47]
Not quickly enough, if you asked me.
We were late, but Les was later. I reckoned he must’ve been held up in traffic.
Shinola and I stood in the doorway, waiting. The traffic was really noisy because it was standing still, and the rain was still falling by the bathfull, so naturally Shinola fell asleep. I pictured Les running down the street to us, trying to get through the shoppers with their umbrellas and trolleys as quickly as he could. He was worried that we’d been waiting so long. He was anxious to see us. And then, from the end of the road, he would see us. That song from the BT ad started playing in the background, “Oh, What a Perfect Day”, or something like that. His face lit up. “Lana!” he shouted. “Lana! I’m here!” He practically scooped the two of us up in his arms, buggy and all…
After a while, I thought maybe we’d be better off inside. Shinola was all right because she was under the plastic bubble, but I was getting soaked. I felt like I was wearing sponges on my feet.
Les was sitting in a corner. I spotted him straight away. He’d already started eating.
“Les!” I waved. “Les!”
He looked up and shook his burger in our direction.
“I thought you weren’t coming,” he said when we finally made it to his table. He nodded at the window. “Because of the weather.” He wasn’t going to stand outside waiting in the rain. That’s how you caught cold.
Shinola woke up while Les was getting me my lunch. She blinked at the lights and stuck a fist in her mouth, which pretty much amounted to Shinola’s party trick.
I took her out of the buggy and laid her on my lap. She was being really good. She was awake, but she was gurgling.
Les looked over at her as he sat back down. He reached out a finger and kind of rubbed her chin. I’m sure he didn’t say “Gicheegicheegoo”, but he said something that sounded a lot like “Gicheegicheegoo”. Shinola showed him her gums.
“She really does look like you,” said Les. He said whatever it was he was saying to her again. Shinola bubbled. At least she was bonding all right.
Les started telling me what was happening at work.
It was spite, I knew it was. She couldn’t stand not having everybody’s attention, all the time.
Shinola started to howl.
Les glanced nervously around us.
“Can’t you shut her up?” he hissed. “Everybody’s looking at us like we’re trying to murder her.”
As far as one of us was concerned, Shinola was lucky someone wasn’t trying to murder her.
I smiled, calm and controlled, a proper mother.
“She must be hungry. I’ve got a bottle in her bag.”
“Thank God for that,” breathed Les.
But I didn’t have her bag.
I looked under the table three times, but it wasn’t there.
I groaned. “I must’ve left it on the bus.”
“You should’ve left her on the bus,” joked Les.
People really were looking at us like we were sticking hot knives in her.
“Can’t you take her to the ladies and feed her?” he pleaded.
I always tried not to tell Les the same thing twice, so I didn’t bore him, but I forgot about that rule now.
“I don’t have a bottle,” I said again. “I left her bag on the bus.”
Les looked at his watch. “I’m going to have to go. I’ve got to get to work.”
“But I thought you didn’t have to be there till four.”
“Albie called in sick,” said Les. “I’ve got to be in by two.”
He already had his jacket on.
I knew it wasn’t cool, but I couldn’t help it.
“But when am I going to see you properly? I miss you, Les. It’s been so long.”
His eyes sort of shuffled. “I’ll stop by when I can, Lana, but I can’t do more than that right now.” He snapped his fingers. “Hey, what about your birthday? Isn’t that coming up? See if you can get someone to look after her, and we’ll go out. See a film or something. Have a meal.” He winked. “Celebrate.”
Happiness flooded through me. He’d remembered my birthday. And he wanted to have a proper date. Everything was all right.
“That’d be great. I haven’t been to the cinema in ages. I’ll tell the Spiggs I’m going with Shanee.”
“I’ll ring you,” said Les. “You pick the day.”
You never think about it when you watch a film, but most of the time the characters