Sushi for Beginners - Marian Keyes [153]
She couldn’t exactly identify the emotions generated by his actions, they shot away when she tried to put names on them. But they were good ones: she felt safe, special, in a circle of belonging. Watched by the rest of the office. Lisa and Jack ate their sushi, like grown-ups.
Ashling, in particular, was appalled, but couldn’t keep away. She kept sneaking looks at them, the way you would at a terrible road accident, then wincing as she saw something she wished she hadn’t.
From what she could see, it wasn’t just raw fish. There were tiny parcels of rice with the raw fish in the middle, accompanied by an elaborate ritual. A green paste was dissolved into what must be soy sauce, into which the underside of the sushi was dipped. Ashling watched fascinated as, with his chopsticks, Jack delicately lifted a pink see-through sliver and laid it expertly along the shiny rice-and-fish package.
The words were out before she could stop herself. ‘What’s that?’
‘Pickled ginger.’
‘Why?’
‘Because it’s nice.’
Ashling watched for a few more intrigued seconds, before blurting out, ‘What’s it like? All of it?’
‘Delicious. You have the piquancy of the ginger, the heat of the wasabi – that’s the green stuff – and the sweetness of the fish,’ Jack explained. ‘It’s a taste like no other, but it’s addictive.’
Curiosity stirred Ashling’s soul. A part of her yearned to taste it, to try it, but, honestly, raw fish… I mean, raw. Fish!
‘Try this.’ Jack extended his chopsticks towards her, the sushi he’d prepared balanced between them.
An immediate body-swerve from Ashling and hot, high colour spilled across her face. ‘Urn, no. No thanks.’
‘Why not?’ His dark eyes were laughing at her. Again.
‘Because it’s raw.’
‘But you eat smoked salmon?’ Jack enquired, unable to hide his amusement.
‘I don’t,’ Trix interrupted mulishly, from the safety of the far side of the office. ‘I’d rather stick needles in my eyes.’
‘Going for the last time. Sure you don’t want to try some?’ Jack softly probed Ashling, his eyes refusing to relinquish hers. Stiffly, Ashling shook her head, and returned to her ham and cheese sandwich, feeling relieved, yet curiously deprived.
Lisa was pleased when Ashling pushed off. She was enormously enjoying this intimacy with Jack, not to mention impressed with the way he used his chopsticks. Expertly, stylishly, as though he was born to do it. You could take him to Nobu and he wouldn’t embarrass you by asking for a knife and fork. She was quite good at wielding chopsticks herself. She should be. She’d spent many evenings in training in the privacy of her own home, with Oliver laughing at her. ‘Who are you trying to impress, babes?’
Thinking of Oliver squeezed her with pain, but it would pass. Jack would help.
‘I’ll trade you my eel sushi for a California maki,’ Lisa offered.
‘The eel too gross for you?’ Jack enquired.
Lisa began to protest, then admitted with a smile, ‘Yeah.’
As predicted, Jack was happy to eat her piece of raw-eel sushi. Raw eel was going too far, even for a sophisticate like her. But men – they’d eat anything, the more revolting the better. Rabbit, emu, alligator, kangaroo…
‘We must do this again,’ Lisa suggested.
‘Yeah.’ Jack leant back in his chair and nodded thoughtfully at her. ‘We must.’
45
‘You’ll never believe it!’ It was Thursday night and Marcus had just arrived at Ashling’s, a video under his arm. His eyes were ablaze with excitement. ‘I’m supporting Eddie Izzard on Saturday night.’
‘H– how?’
‘Steve Brennan was meant to be doing it, but he’s gone into hospital with suspected CJD. What a result! It’ll be a huge gig.’
Ashling’s face darkened with disappointment. ‘I can’t go.’
‘What?’ Marcus said sharply.
‘Remember, I told you, I’ve to visit