“Where do you think Lauren gets her talent from?”
She tipped her head back and laughed, the first genuine laugh I’d ever heard from her. I needed that sound, my boss, the talented business woman and chef, laughing loudly and without giving a shit.
“You’re joking. You look more like a bodybuilder than a dancer.”
She had a point. “I’m not body builder standards, but I can still move. I never did it as seriously as Lolly, more Latin American than anything.”
“Lolly? Is that her nickname?”
“Amongst others. That’s the only one she currently responds to. I’m serious. We should go to La Cabana or somewhere. It’s ages since I’ve danced.” If she said no I could pick her up and carry her anyway. I was pretty sure once she got there, she’d change her mind and the stiffness I saw in her spine would melt away.
“Maybe.”
I’d take that. “We should choose what dishes to share. We haven’t even looked at the menu.” I kept hold of her hand as we both started to check the lists of what Buckley was offering.
Patatas mojo piconandcroquetas de bacalao y patatawith the standard chorizo were my choices to begin with. Simone was a little more adventurous, choosing the more unique dishes whereas I wanted to see what Buckley was doing with the basics.
“I never had a nickname,” she said when the first couple of dishes arrived. “I’ve always been just Simone.”
“No one’s ever gone for Si, or Mo? How about ‘hot stuff’ or ‘babe’?” She was the most relaxed I’d ever seen her, which wasn’t saying much, so I figured I’d try my luck.
“No. Just Simone. And can you imagine anyone calling me ‘hot stuff’? They wouldn’t have the balls.”
“You’ve never had an ex nickname you anything?” Even Rebecca had managed a few pet names.
“No. Even when I was married I was just Simone.” She shrugged, nabbing the last piece of chorizo; it was good but missing something.
I didn’t like the way she saidjustSimone. No one wasjustanything. I also didn’t know she’d been married. “When did you separate?”
The napkin was used with some force to wipe her hands, probably more from nerves.
“I divorced my first husband when I was twenty-one. We were married when I was nineteen. I divorced my second when I was twenty-seven. We’d been married five weeks. People say that something was the biggest mistake they’d ever made, but I can categorically say that I’ll never make a bigger one.”
I was going to ask why but Buckley chose that moment to interrupt, his face plastered with a smile that was as fake as the Edward Munch picture in Lauren’s room.
“How’s the food? We had an amazing review the other week. I think we’re onto a real winner here. Clapham’s definitely the place to be so I’m so glad we got this building; it’s just fantastic. Where’s your next place? I heard it was slow going.” Buckley looked as if his hair had been dipped in the fat from the chorizo.
If I had been here without Simone, I’d have had a fair bit to say. The fact he was meant to be one of the up-and-coming chefs in London didn’t mean he wasn’t a cock and telling him something along that sentiment would’ve tasted better than the food he’d served.
“Borough. I’m renovating one of the old banks. We’re about four months off opening.”
“Your sugar daddy still investing then? That must be costing a dime to rent.”
I nudged her leg with my foot under the table, keeping it soft, trying to tell her that he was making me ready to fucking use him as stock for a soup. I also wanted to know about the sugar daddy, if Buckley wasn’t bull-shitting.
“No. This is the profits from Blue that I’m re-investing.”
Buckley’s expression suggested he didn’t believe her.
“Out of interest, Nick, who’s your meat supplier for here?” It was time to change the subject.
“Why?” His head snapped towards me quick enough to cause injury.
“Because on your menu you’ve described serrano ham – this isn’t serrano.” I went on to blind him with the science that working in Spain had taught me. “It’s something you’ll want to rectify.”
“I’m pretty sure you’re wrong.” His skin was turning the colour of rare steak.
“Whatever. Can you get us a couple of coffees? And then the bill.”
