‘Well, teaching, like a lot of things, isn’t the charmed life you might imagine.’ That’s right, Esther. Focus on the professional. Keep it surface. ‘People think all you have to do is talk for a few hours and revel in the long holidays but there’s a lot of pressure. At least there was back in England.’
‘So you left to be a waitress?’
I gave Mona a playful push. ‘I left to become something I wasn’t.’ That was the most truthful thing I’d said to anyone for years. ‘For the first time in my life I didn’t know what I’d be, and that was exciting.’
‘Waitressin’ excitin’?’ Mona shook her head in disbelief.
‘In a city like New York? Yes it is, to me,’ I said.
‘Well I ain’t never heard nothing like it. All that studyin’ of books, years it must’ve took, and you travel halfway around the world to serve people eggs and toast. Can barely pay your rent,’ said Mona.
‘I don’t expect you to understand –’ I started pulling pots out of the dishwasher ‘– but to me it’s liberating. I don’t have the weight of children’s futures on my shoulders. Leaves room in my head for other things. Each day I wake up knowing the worst thing I can do is take the wrong order to a table.’
Or lie to everyone. About everything.
‘Actually,’ Angela said, speaking for the first time that morning, ‘I think we learnt yesterday that’s not entirely the worst you could do…’
‘Angela.’ Jack shook his head.
‘Oh, I was just joking, Esther…’ she began to backtrack.
‘It’s fine.’ I laughed. ‘I took it as it was meant.’ She smiled a radiant smile. Her lip gloss glimmered even in the faint, yellowing light of the diner, and she wore an acid green shift dress patterned with tiny triangles that brought out the earthier tones of her rich, brown hair. It was conclusive: she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen in real life. Eat your heart out Yasmin Le Bon.
‘So that’s it?’ Mona turned her head sideways.
‘That’s it.’
‘Oh, and there’s just that little matter ’bout you bein’ a Mrs?’
‘Yes.’ I bristled. Mona didn’t miss a thing. ‘I had a husband. And I don’t like to talk about it. And that’s definitely enough fodder for you lot for one day. I’ve got to get on.’
‘You sure do,’ said Bernie, ‘and you too.’ He glared at Mona who would stand and gossip all day if it weren’t for the distraction of serving customers.
‘Before you do, I’ve got a clue for ya.’ Walt sat armed with a black biro and a crumpled copy of The Times.
‘Hasn’t the fun being taken out of it now you know the source of all my powers?’ I asked.
‘No. Not all the fun.’ He chuckled.
‘Alright.’ I shook my head stacking the next load of cups and plates in the dishwasher. ‘I’m listening.’
‘Famous poet who wrote “Beauty is truth” –’
‘Keats,’ said Jack and I, our voices falling on top of one another. I stared into his face. He stared into mine. An idiotic, dreamy smile crept across my lips. Handsome and familiar with the poetry of John Keats, how was I supposed to resist that combination long-term? Angela looked between us, one to the other.
‘How’d you guys know that?’ she asked, the wounded note in her voice snapped me out of my trance. Jack must have noticed it too. He ran reassuring fingers through her hair and kissed the top of her head.
‘Well, it used to be my job to know things like that. I don’t know what his story is. Old age, probably.’
Angela twittered.
‘Actually, Keats is one of my favourite poets,’ said Jack. ‘You’re not the only person around here to have read a few books.’ He narrowed his eyes in jest.
‘Well,’ Angela said, draping her arms around Jack’s neck, then turning his chin to face her and looking deep into his eyes, ‘I’ve never heard anything by Keats. Maybe you could read me some later tonight?’
‘I’d love to.’ He smiled and rested his hands on her hips. ‘I’ve got to go now though, got a read-through to get to.’
‘Jack’s first movie is doing so well at the box office, he’s landed a role in a new action movie.’ Angela bragged to the small crowd of regulars. ‘It’s called Nowhere Left to Hide.’
‘I can just imagine him comin’ to the rescue.’ Mona smiled, looking at me out of the corner of her eye. I glowered even though I didn’t know whether she could see my expression. Her little dig confirmed my suspicions that yesterday’s incident would become part of the diner’s mythology – a story that would never die. I sighed at the thought of my future notoriety and started cleaning down the counter top for something to do.
‘See you at your place?’ Angela asked Jack.
‘Yeah. I’ll see you.’ Angela leaned in to kiss Jack but he made what seemed like an awkward swerve and she missed. He kissed her on the forehead instead and left the money for his breakfast on the saucer with his cheque. Angela watched after him and then turned back to her apricot smoothie. Stirring the pulp with her straw.
‘You sure got a catch there, honey,’ said Mona.
‘Yeah.’ She looked down at her drink. ‘I’m not sure it’s gonna work out though.’
‘What?’ My voice was shriller than I’d have liked. ‘Why not? You two just got together,’ I said, adjusting to a more casual register.
‘I know. It’s complicated.’
‘It’s complicated already? What’ve you had, like four dates?’ asked Mona, leaning closer.
‘Six, if you count the day we met.’ Angela smiled. ‘It’s weird. I don’t really know how to explain it.’ She paused for a moment. Looked at me, then down at the counter. ‘On one level I know I should be ecstatic Jack wants to take me out. When he gave me his number I was like that, but you know when someone is just not who you thought they’d be?’
‘Huh,’ Mona grunted, ‘just about every man I ever dated, except Alan of course, but even he has his moments.’
‘I think he’s gorgeous obviously. But I thought… Something’s just not right,’ she said.
‘Well, maybe you should give it a bit more time?’ I suggested. ‘You probably haven’t known him long enough to make an in-depth assessment of your relationship potential. It’s very early days.’ Then I stopped talking and began thinking about how sick it was to play relationship counsellor with a woman I’d just met and a man I was struggling to resist. It was insane that the only way I could be close to Jack was to keep my distance. In what universe did that make sense? And much, much worse, I was advising Angela through the sour fog of a hidden agenda. She deserved better than that, and I knew it.
‘You’re probably right.’ Angela shrugged. ‘He just seems…’
‘What?’ asked Mona.
‘Distant. Like he’s not really there.’ Mona and I looked at each other, then back at Angela.
‘That’s men, honey,’ said Mona.
Angela nodded. ‘Maybe. He’s reluctant to talk about his past, that’s for sure. You know how it is on the first few dates. Past relationships are bound to come up but whenever I asked about his, he’d