‘Let’s see what you’re working on,’ she said, darting over to the canvas propped up on an easel by the window. ‘Luca, you shameless hussy! You’re doing a rude painting of your girlfriend!’
‘She’s not my girlfriend. And it’s not rude.’ He frowned. Claire was obviously naked in the painting, but her shoulders were hunched, her arms held straight in front of her covering her breasts, and her head hung shyly, her dark curtain of hair completely shielding her body from the viewer’s gaze. He had wanted to capture the private nature of her sexuality – the ‘for your eyes only’ aspect of it that he found so tantalising. Except it wasn’t for his eyes only any more…
‘Does Claire know you’re putting nudie pictures of her on display?’
‘I’m not. This isn’t going in my show.’ It begged the question why he was working on it now when he should be concentrating on pieces for his exhibition.
‘So, how is Claire?’ Ali asked, as he began putting awaybrushes and paint. He could hear the forced casualness in her tone.
‘She’s fine – I think.’
‘Is she around? We could ask her to join us for dinner!’ Ali said, as if the idea had just occurred to her. But he knew her too well. He could tell this was what she had been thinking of all along. ‘Why don’t you give her a call, see if she’s free?’
‘Can’t – she’s in London for the weekend.’
‘Oh, pity. Well, never mind,’ she said brightly. ‘And put on something respectable,’ she called after him, as he went to get cleaned up.
Luca started scrubbing his face and hands to remove the worst of the paint, then changed his mind. ‘I’m just going to have a quick shower,’ he called to Ali, as he stripped off. It would wake him up and make him feel more human.
‘Okay. I’ll be out here nosing through your stuff.’
When he had dried himself, he pulled on a T-shirt and a pair of black jeans that were a bit scruffy, but clean. ‘I hope we’re not going anywhere too poncy,’ he said, as he rejoined Ali in the main room.
‘No, definitely not. You need feeding up, and you don’t get big enough portions in poncy restaurants. You need steak and lots of vegetables. I’m taking you to Roly’s.’
‘Do I look respectable enough for that?’ he asked, spreading his arms.
Ali surveyed him. ‘You look very rock and roll. I don’t know how you manage it, but somehow you manage to make your scruff look like a deliberate fashion choice.’
‘How do you know it’s not deliberate?’
‘I’ve seen behind the curtain. Come on. Let’s get some potatoes into you quick.’
In the restaurant, Ali told Luca what to order, and he let her boss him around, knowing it would make her happy. When the waiter came, he followed instructions and asked for vegetable soup, followed by steak with mashed potatoes. Ali then proceeded to order every vegetable side dish on the menu.
‘We don’t want you getting scurvy,’ she said, smiling at him over her menu as he looked at her in alarm. ‘And anything we don’t finish you can bring home in a doggy bag.’
‘Where it will meet the same fate as that cheese,’ he said, smiling fondly at her.
‘How long is Claire in London for?’ she asked.
‘Just the weekend,’ he said.
‘You must miss her a lot,’ Ali said, clearly fishing.
‘Ali,’ he said gently, ‘it’s not what you think – me and Claire. We’re just friends.’
‘Since when do you have women friends?’
‘I have plenty of women friends.’
‘Women friends you sleep with on a regular basis?’
‘There’s a first time for everything. Anyway, you don’t know what we do.’
‘You’re not seriously trying to tell me you’re not sleeping with Claire?’
‘I’m trying to tell you that it’s none of your business.’
