Minding Frankie - Maeve Binchy [30]
“I told my boss I was coming here for lunch with a man who was going into business on his own and he said that I should offer you a glass of champagne on the company.”
“What a civilized boss,” Anton said admiringly as Brenda Brennan, the proprietor, came over. She knew Anton Moran already. He had worked in her restaurant a while ago. He introduced Lisa to Brenda. “Lisa’s company is buying us a glass of champagne each, Brenda, so could we have your delightful house sparkling to start us off, with a receipt for that to Lisa, and the rest of the meal is on me.”
Brenda smiled. Her look said she had seen Anton here with several ladies before.
Lisa felt a stab of hurt, which surprised her. In twenty-five years she had never known such a feeling. It was envy, jealousy and resentment all rolled into one. This was completely ludicrous.
It wasn’t as if she were a starry-eyed teenager. Lisa had had many boyfriends, and some of them had been lovers. She had never felt a really strong attraction to any of these men. But Anton was different.
His hair looked soft and silky, and she longed to reach across the table and run her hands through it. She had the most absurd wish to have his head on her shoulder while she stroked his face. She must shake herself out of this pretty sharpish and get back to the business of designing a look and styling a logo for his new company.
“What will you call the new place?” she asked, surprised that she could keep so calm.
“Well, I know it’s a bit of an ego trip, but I was thinking of calling it Anton’s,” he said. “But let’s order first. They have a really good cheese soufflé here. I should know—I made enough of them in my time!”
“That would be perfect,” Lisa said. This could not be happening. She was falling in love for the very first time.
Back at the office Kevin asked her, “Any luck with Golden Boy?”
“He’s very personable, certainly.”
“Did you give him any outline and our rates?” Kevin was anxious there would be no gray areas.
“No—that will come later.” Lisa was almost dreamy as she thought of Anton and how he had kissed her cheek when they parted.
“Yeah, well, as long as he understands it doesn’t come free because he’s a pretty boy,” Kevin said.
“How do you know that he’s a pretty boy?” Lisa asked.
“You just said that he was personable and I think he was the same guy that my niece had a nervous breakdown over.”
“Your niece?”
“Yes. My brother’s daughter. She went out with a chef called Anton Moran once. Nothing but tears and tantrums, then she drops out of college, then she goes to face him down about it all and he’s gone off cooking on a cruise ship.”
Lisa’s heart felt like lead. Anton had told her of his wonderful year onboard a luxury liner.
“I don’t think it could have been the same person.” Lisa’s tone was cold.
“No, maybe not … probably not …” Kevin was anxious for the least trouble possible. “Just as long as he knows he’s getting nothing for free from us.”
Lisa knew with a terrible certainty that there would be a lot of trouble ahead. Anton had barely the money to cover the deposit on his premises. He was relying on outstanding restaurant reviews to meet the mortgage payments and the expenses of doing the place up. He had given no thought whatsoever to the cost of a graphic artist and a campaign.
The site for the restaurant was perfect: it was in a small lane just a few yards off a main road, near to the railway station, a tram route and a taxi rank. He had suggested a picnic. Lisa brought cheese and grapes, Anton brought a bottle of wine.
They sat on packing cases and he described his great plans. She hardly took in any of them as she watched his face. His sense of excitement was contagious.
By the time they had finished the cheese and grapes she knew that she would leave Kevin and set up on her own. Perhaps she could move in with Anton, work with him—they could build the place together—but she must not rush her fences. However hard it was, she mustn’t look overeager.
Anton had mentioned very little about his private life.