in before the two girls ended up in a cat fight. “Then maybe it was a cleaner?”
“Nope,” Izzy replied. “There's no other cleaner. I'm here almost every day. Mam and me do all the cleaning, but neither of us have been upstairs tonight. We have a schedule. And besides, we only arrived about fifteen minutes ago. Machen didn't want us in until dinner time today, 'cos it's so quiet.” She finished pouring the drinks and set them on the bar. Dale paid for them, thanked her, then picked them up and followed Lucy who was already on her way to a secluded little table at the far window.
By the time he got there she was already perusing the laminated menu. “I forgot how hungry I was,” she said. “There are only three choices of main meal, but they all sound gorgeous.”
Food. The great leveller. It didn't matter what else was going on, or what differences people had, everyone had to eat eventually. Dale snatched the menu out of Lucy's hands, who slumped back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest in a show of petulance. “You know, it's no wonder you're single. You have the manners of a Gorilla.”
“It's better than having the ass of a Gorilla.”
“Are you saying I have a big bum? Or that it's hairy or what? Anyway, how would you know?”
Despite his best efforts, Dale felt his face reddened. Damn it, she always knew exactly what buttons to press. He decided to give up on that particular verbal exchange and change the subject. He would live to fight another day. “So... anyway, I'm thinking steak and ale pie, chips and garden peas. What about you, Madam?”
“Oh, so I'm Madam now am I? In that case, Madam will have the vegetarian option. Home-made cheese and potato pie with baked beans. And bread and butter.”
Dale was certain there was a joke there somewhere involving the vegetarian option, Lucy, and a lack of meat, but he didn't try too hard to think of it. He couldn't handle another put-down. Maybe later. Rather than potentially evoking Izzy's wrath by asking her to come over, Dale went back to the bar to place their order. When he got there, the barmaid seemed to have had a personality check and was the picture of pleasantness. She took Dale's credit card with a polite smile, then as they waited for the transaction to go through the system said, “On which floor did you see someone at the window?”
The question took Dale by surprise. He thought that matter had been settled, or at least swept under a metaphorical carpet. He shot a glance back at Lucy, but she was too far away to hear. “Er... I'd have to check with my friend but it was the fourth floor, I think.”
“The fourth floor you say?”
“Yep. Think so,” repeated Dale with as much conviction as he could muster.
“Well, that's impossible. The fourth floor is closed for refurbishments, and not open to staff or the public.”
“You mean the renovation work isn't finished yet? I thought it was.”
“Well, it would've been finished by now except there were issues with the builders.”
Once again, Dale's journalistic instinct kicked into high gear. Machen hadn't mentioned anything about that. “What kind of issues?”
Izzy turned away and began cleaning a glass that was already clean with a length of blue kitchen roll. “Oh, you know. Boring legal stuff mostly, I think. Better ask Mach about it.” She looked almost relieved when the hand-held credit card machine gave a little electronic burp to denote that it had finished devouring Dale's card. “Sign here, please.... thank you... I'll bring your meals over when they're ready. Was there anything else, sir?”
“Er, no, nothing else. Thanks, Izzy.” Dale made his way back to their table wondering why Machen hadn't mentioned the fact that the building work wasn't finished. But then again, why would he?
“Befriending the locals, I see? How did it go?” Lucy asked.
“Ooh, catty. Are you getting jealous?”
“Yeah, yeah. As we speak I'm consumed with burning envy.
“Nope,” Izzy replied. “There's no other cleaner. I'm here almost every day. Mam and me do all the cleaning, but neither of us have been upstairs tonight. We have a schedule. And besides, we only arrived about fifteen minutes ago. Machen didn't want us in until dinner time today, 'cos it's so quiet.” She finished pouring the drinks and set them on the bar. Dale paid for them, thanked her, then picked them up and followed Lucy who was already on her way to a secluded little table at the far window.
By the time he got there she was already perusing the laminated menu. “I forgot how hungry I was,” she said. “There are only three choices of main meal, but they all sound gorgeous.”
Food. The great leveller. It didn't matter what else was going on, or what differences people had, everyone had to eat eventually. Dale snatched the menu out of Lucy's hands, who slumped back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest in a show of petulance. “You know, it's no wonder you're single. You have the manners of a Gorilla.”
“It's better than having the ass of a Gorilla.”
“Are you saying I have a big bum? Or that it's hairy or what? Anyway, how would you know?”
Despite his best efforts, Dale felt his face reddened. Damn it, she always knew exactly what buttons to press. He decided to give up on that particular verbal exchange and change the subject. He would live to fight another day. “So... anyway, I'm thinking steak and ale pie, chips and garden peas. What about you, Madam?”
“Oh, so I'm Madam now am I? In that case, Madam will have the vegetarian option. Home-made cheese and potato pie with baked beans. And bread and butter.”
Dale was certain there was a joke there somewhere involving the vegetarian option, Lucy, and a lack of meat, but he didn't try too hard to think of it. He couldn't handle another put-down. Maybe later. Rather than potentially evoking Izzy's wrath by asking her to come over, Dale went back to the bar to place their order. When he got there, the barmaid seemed to have had a personality check and was the picture of pleasantness. She took Dale's credit card with a polite smile, then as they waited for the transaction to go through the system said, “On which floor did you see someone at the window?”
The question took Dale by surprise. He thought that matter had been settled, or at least swept under a metaphorical carpet. He shot a glance back at Lucy, but she was too far away to hear. “Er... I'd have to check with my friend but it was the fourth floor, I think.”
“The fourth floor you say?”
“Yep. Think so,” repeated Dale with as much conviction as he could muster.
“Well, that's impossible. The fourth floor is closed for refurbishments, and not open to staff or the public.”
“You mean the renovation work isn't finished yet? I thought it was.”
“Well, it would've been finished by now except there were issues with the builders.”
Once again, Dale's journalistic instinct kicked into high gear. Machen hadn't mentioned anything about that. “What kind of issues?”
Izzy turned away and began cleaning a glass that was already clean with a length of blue kitchen roll. “Oh, you know. Boring legal stuff mostly, I think. Better ask Mach about it.” She looked almost relieved when the hand-held credit card machine gave a little electronic burp to denote that it had finished devouring Dale's card. “Sign here, please.... thank you... I'll bring your meals over when they're ready. Was there anything else, sir?”
“Er, no, nothing else. Thanks, Izzy.” Dale made his way back to their table wondering why Machen hadn't mentioned the fact that the building work wasn't finished. But then again, why would he?
“Befriending the locals, I see? How did it go?” Lucy asked.
“Ooh, catty. Are you getting jealous?”
“Yeah, yeah. As we speak I'm consumed with burning envy.
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