Minding Frankie - Maeve Binchy [37]
Just silence.
Next morning, she got a text from Anton: WHERE ARE YOU? I AM LOST WITHOUT YOU TO ADVISE ME AND SET ME ON TARGET AGAIN. I’M LIKE A JELLYFISH WITH NO BACKBONE. WHERE DID YOU GO, LOVELY LISA? A TOTALLY ABANDONED ANTON
She forced herself to wait two hours before replying, then she wrote: I WENT NOWHERE. I AM ALWAYS HERE. LOVE LISA
Then he wrote: DINNER HERE? 8PM? DO SAY YES.
Again, she forced herself not to reply at once. It was so silly, all this game playing, yet it appeared to work. Eventually she texted: DINNER AT 8 SOUNDS LOVELY.
She made no offer to bring cheese or salmon or artichoke hearts. She couldn’t afford them, for one thing, and for another he was inviting her—he must remember that.
He had, of course, expected she would bring something to eat. She realized that when he went to the freezer to thaw out some frozen Mexican dishes, but she sat and sipped her wine, smiling, and asked him all about the business. She didn’t mention the reception that April had invited him to. She only asked had he made any new contacts to help him with the launch.
He seemed slightly distracted as he prepared the meal. He was his usual efficient self, expertly slicing avocado, deseeding chilies and squeezing limes over prawns as a starter, but his mind was somewhere else. Eventually he got around to what he wanted to say.
“Have I annoyed you, Lisa?” he asked.
“No, of course not.”
“Are you sure?”
“Well, obviously I am. Why do you think you did?”
“I don’t know. You’re different. You don’t call me. You didn’t bring anything for dinner. I didn’t know if you were trying to say something to me …”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re pissed off with me or something?”
“But why should I be? You invited me to dinner and I’m here. I’m having a lovely time.”
“Oh, good. It’s just a feeling I had.…” He seemed totally satisfied.
“Fine. So that’s out of the way,” she said cheerfully.
“I mean I value you, Lisa. We’re not joined at the hip or anything, but I really do appreciate all you’ve done to help me get started.…” He paused.
She looked at him expectantly, not helping him out.
“So, I suppose I was afraid that there had been a misunderstanding between us, you know.”
“No, I don’t know. What kind of a misunderstanding?”
“Well, that you might be reading more into it than there is.”
“Into what, Anton? You’re talking in code.”
“Into … well, into our relationship,” he said eventually.
She felt the ground slip away from her and had to struggle hard to sound normal.
“It’s fine, isn’t it?” Lisa said, hearing her own voice as if from very far away.
“Sure. It’s just me being silly. I mean it’s not a commitment or anything … exclusive like that.”
“We sleep together,” Lisa said bluntly.
“Yes, we have, of course, and will again, but I don’t ask you about who you meet after the lectures at your college.…”
“No, of course not.”
“And you don’t ask me about where I go and who I meet.…”
“Not if you don’t want me to.”
“Oh, Lisa, don’t take an attitude.” He was definitely frowning now.
The food tasted like lumps of cardboard. Lisa could barely swallow it.
“Will I make you a margarita? You’re only nibbling at your food.” Anton feigned concern.
Lisa shook her head.
“So cheer up then, and let’s talk about the launch. April has all her people working on it.”
“So what’s left to talk about, then?” She knew she sounded childish and mutinous but she couldn’t help it.
“Oh, Lisa, don’t turn into one of those whining women. Please, Lisa …”
“Does this relationship, as you call it, mean anything to you? Anything at all?”
“Of course it does. It’s just that I’ve taken a huge risk, I’m scared shitless that I’m going to fall on my face in this new venture,