"What?" I ask.
"You've never arrived together before," says Elly.
"And?"
"Well," says Jeanette, "we were just discussing how dreamy you were at work today, Bess."
"And now you two walk in together," adds Elly.
"You didn't even tell me to put the effing muffler on the bean grinder," says Lutek.
"Or me to wear a hair cap," says Elly.
"Or me to do some serious hauling of arse. Not even once," says Jeanette. "Not even when we had eight tables that needed clearing and a queue at the coffee machine."
I look across at Ed who's doing an exceptional cat and cream impression.
Elly wags a finger at me. "You behaved very a-typically today – suspiciously happy for someone who's facing a massive business upheaval."
Carlos says, "You had the same look in your eye as Gorbachev the day he ceded power to Yeltsin and dealt the death blow to the Soviet Union. He seemed positively skunked. Not because he was partial to a bit of the old cheeky green, but because it was Christmas Day and Reagan had given him the baby to complete his Walnut Squirrel Sylvanian Family set."
With an "Oh. My. God", Elly throws her head back and jerks her hands up towards the ceiling to appeal to the judiciousness of whatever's up there.
"Ah," says Ed. "Would he have celebrated Christmas?"
"Officially? No. Unofficially? The jury's still out on that one. Russia's best kept state secret. Not even the informers on the pay roll are willing to divulge it."
"Can we please get back to the fact there's a great big suss bucket in need of spilling?" says Elly.
Ed edges in a little closer to me. We haven't discussed telling the others about the change in our relationship status, but as it seems the moment is imminent, his gesture feels like solidarity. Or comfort if I needed it. Which I absolutely don't.
"And?" I ask.
Elly steps up to Ed and runs a finger over the inside-out seam of his T-shirt with a "Hmm."
He winces and looks at me apologetically.
Then she inspects my face.
I eye her defiantly.
"Is that stubble rash on your chin, Bess?"
Behind her, Jeanette winds up a squeal and flaps her hands, a grin on her face.
Elly turns and walks back to her station. "You're right, Lutek. He's definitely boned her."
As Jeanette's squeal opens to a full-throated "Yes!" and Lutek says through a down-turned mouth, "I didn't say 'boned'," Ed reaches for my hand and squeezes it. The smile he slides my way is amused and happy. Contented even.
I return it.
"Jolly well done, old boy," says Carlos.
"Yeah, respect, Ed," says Elly. "I honestly didn't think you had it in you."
"Neither did I, to be fair," Ed replies.
"We need to drink to it." Jeanette rushes around gathering mugs. "You two are something we have to celebrate."
