Fifteen

'…hang on a second……Simon, how many red roses do you want?'
'I don't know….ten?'
'Ten. What? Yes, long stemmed will be fine. Are they better than ordinary?….OK yes, that's fine. They're for Lisa……wait a minute…. Simon I don't know Lisa's surname'.
'Gibson'.
'It's Gibson. To her work address which is….what? The postcode is W1. It's Soho…….'


'For 7.30 this evening. For two. You can't do 7.30? OK well…eight o'clock then? You can do eight? OK. That's fine. The name is Simon Lewis. Good. Thank you. Bye'.


'So what do you think?'
'It's really nice.'
'It was between this or a sort of mustard coloured one. You don't think I should have gone for the mustard do you?’
'No, definitely not. A mustard bag wouldn't go with anything'.
'That's why I went for this one. They call this colour aubergine. She'd better like it. It cost a bloody fortune. OK I'm off or I'll be late. Have you got a date for tonight?
‘Yes’.
‘Really? It's not the sickbag is it?'
'No. It's not George, no'.


'You're very gorgeous Philippa. You really are. You look fantastic tonight'.
'Thank you'.
'You are also the most interesting person I've met in ages. You're bright, unusual, charming, funny/'
Phone Pips! The phone is ringing.
'What George? Oh God the phone. …….. Hello? Oh hi Laura. Nothing much. I was just daydreaming that someone was interested in me. What do people say when they really like someone? I mean what sort of vocabulary do they use?……. Who? Simon? He doesn't say much……. Oh no, he dumped her a while ago. He's seeing a girl called Lisa now. She's all right but they all merge into one after a while. He did buy her a bag from Mandarina Duck though so……'
Not the Mandarina Duck bag again Pips.
‘Anyway what about you?’
That’s the fifth time you’ve mentioned it.
‘Quiet George. Sorry, what did you say Laura?….. You should have told me. You could have come over here and shared a date with my disinterested dog. Is that pathetic enough?! ……. No. He bit the head off a narcissus I bought for myself then slobbered all over the chocolates and now he’s lying on the bed watching the ice skating at the Winter Olympics. Dogs aren't romantic'.