Minding Frankie - Maeve Binchy [29]
But Lisa knew that he had meant it. He wanted to see her again.
“I work in a graphic design studio,” Lisa said suddenly, “in case you ever need a logo or any designs?”
“I’m sure I will,” Anton said. “I’m certain I will, actually.” And then he was gone.
Lisa remembered nothing about the rest of the meal. She yearned to go to Miranda’s flat and talk about him all night, check that he wasn’t married, that he didn’t have a partner. But Lisa had survived life so far by remaining a little aloof. She didn’t go to stay with friends, as she didn’t want to invite them home to her house. She didn’t want to wear her heart on her sleeve and confide to someone gossipy like Miranda about Anton. She would get to know him herself in her own time. She would design him a logo that would be the talk of the town.
The important thing was not to rush it, not to make any sudden moves.
She thought about him way into the night. He wasn’t conventionally handsome but he had a face that you wouldn’t forget. Intense dark eyes and a marvelous smile. He had a grace like you’d expect in an athlete or a dancer.
He must be spoken for. A man like that wouldn’t be available. Surely?
She was taken aback when he telephoned her the next day.
“Good. I found you,” he said, sounding pleased to hear her voice.
“How many places did you try?”
“This is the third. Will you have lunch with me?”
“Today?”
“Well, yes, if you’re free.…” And he named Quentins, one of the most highly regarded restaurants in Dublin.
Lisa had been going to have lunch with Katie. “I’m free,” she said simply. Katie would understand. Eventually.
Lisa went to her boss, Kevin.
“I’m going to have lunch with a very good contact. A man who is about to open his own business and I was wondering …”
“… if you can take him to an expensive restaurant—is that it?” Kevin had seen it all, heard it all.
“No. Certainly not. He’s paying. I thought I might offer him a glass of champagne and that I might go an hour early so that I can get my hair done and present a good image of the agency.”
“Nothing wrong with your hair,” Kevin grumbled.
“No, but better to make a good impression than a sort of halfhearted one.”
“All right—do we have to pay for the hairdo as well?”
“No way, Kevin. I’m not greedy!” Lisa said and ran off before he could think about this.
She raced out to buy a large potted plant for Katie and turned up at the salon.
“So this is a consolation prize. You’re canceling lunch!”
“Katie, please understand.”
“Is it a man?” Katie asked.
“A man? No, of course not. Well, he is a man, but it’s a business lunch and I can’t get out of it. Kevin is on his knees to me. He even let me have time off so that I could have my hair done.”
“What do you want done? Apart from bypassing the line of people who actually made bookings?”
“I beg you, Katie …”
Katie called to an assistant. “Could you take Madam to a basin and use our special shampoo? I’ll be with you in a moment.”
“You’re too good …,” Lisa began.
“I know I am. It’s always been my little weakness, being too good for this world. I wish it were for a man, you know, Lisa. I’d have done something special.”
“Let’s pretend it is for a man,” Lisa begged.
“If it was a man who would get you out of that house, I’d do it for nothing!” Katie said, and Lisa smiled to herself. She yearned to tell her sister, but a lifetime of keeping her own counsel intervened.
“You look very elegant,” Anton said as he stood up to greet Lisa at Quentins.
“Thank you, Anton. You don’t look as if you made too late a night of it yourself.”
“No, indeed. I just gave my phone number to everyone in the restaurant and then went home to my cup of cocoa and my narrow little bed.” He smiled his infectious smile, which would always manage to get a return smile. Lisa didn’t know what she was smiling at—cocoa, a narrow little bed, an early night … But it must mean that he was giving her signals that he was available.
Should she send back a similar signal