Fifty Seven

‘He just wants ‘To my darling with lots of love from Simon’…… and it’ll be attached to the roses will it? OK….. and they’ll be delivered before the end of the morning?....... Her surname? Yes it’s Powell. P-O-W-E-L-L. OK. So that’s it is it? Good. Well thanks. Bye’.


… and while I was in there Nadine I couldn’t help but notice that we are running short of certain things. We need to order some post-it notes – both small and large, several rolls of magic tape, paperclips, clear A4 plastic pockets, some A4 multi-coloured dividers, bic biros in blue and red and……. there was something else. What was it? What was it what was it what was it what was it….?


‘Hello. Do you have a table for two at 7.30 this eve/… you’re fully booked. OK. Thank you’.


Tippex. That was it Nadine. We need some more Tippex as we only have one bottle left in the cupboard. Thank you so much for letting me know George, what would I do without you? You’re welcome Nadine. I am a natural when it comes to inventories and stock-takes and…. Nadine? Are you listening to me?


‘Not at 7.30. How about 8.30 then?........ You don’t. OK well…… Nine?
You’ve got a table at nine? OK, well we’ll go for nine then……. Yes, it’s for Lewis. Simon Lewis….’


‘George! Get off the reception desk! What are you doing? You’ll get us both into trouble’.
I do not like being ignored Nadine. Not when I have been doing your job for you.
‘Get down’.
I don’t know why you complain about stationery. I think it is terrific.
‘I said get down George’.


‘That is the sixth time I’ve organised a bloody Valentine’s evening for Simon, George’.
And while I was up there I couldn’t help but notice that she was surfing the web…
‘And now look at everyone rushing home with their bunches of flowers. I can’t stand it. I feel like I’m having my nose rubbed in it’.
And Nadine told me to promise I wouldn’t tell anyone but she has joined a dating website.
‘When we get home I’m going straight to bed’.
But I thought I would tell you Pips because perhaps you should try internet dating. After all, you can’t complain about being single if you do not help yourself.
‘Next year I think I’ll just stay in bed all day’.
Nadine told Michelle, who only rang her up four times this afternoon, that she has got a date tomorrow with a guy called Gary from Luton who has an Alfa Romeo. But that’s a secret.
‘It makes me sick. The whole thing’.
Look Pips! There’s Freddie in that restaurant! FREDDIE!
‘What’s the matter George?’
FREDDIE! FREDDIE!
‘That looks like Freddie in the window of that restaurant. Oh it is! I can see Terry and Will behind him’.
TERRY! TERRY IT’S ME, GEORGE!
‘George sssh. They’re having a quiet dinner. Let’s not disturb them’.
They’ve seen us Pips. Look! Terry is getting up and coming out to see us.
‘Oh no. They’ve seen us. Why did you have to make such a racquet George?’
‘Hi Philippa’.
‘Hiya Terry. Sorry, we didn’t mean to disrupt your dinner. George saw Freddie in the window and/’
‘Don’t worry. Freddie saw George too. Hey do you want to come in and join us?’
‘Oh no no. You’re probably having a romantic dinner/’
‘No we’re not. We don’t do all that Valentine’s crap. We’re having a quick pizza that’s all and we haven’t even ordered yet so come on in’.
‘Are you sure? But George isn’t really restaurant-trained….’
‘It’s OK, we know the owners of this place. We come in here with Freddie all the time. We’ll pull up a chair for George next to him. The more the merrier’.
That would be wonderful Terry. A pizza would be terrific. I think I will have a quattro staggioni if you don’t mind.