Think Yourself Lucky Read Online Free PDF Page B

as if she was forgiving him.
    "I'm saying nothing," Helen declared, "since she's your mother."
    As the unspoken comment lingered Andrea gave a pointed cough and tapped on the window of the currency desk with the back of her engagement ring. "You could make that the last word on the subject, David."
    At least nobody had asked him about the writers' group. He was happy to forget the dilapidated room full of chairs that looked homeless, the battered shaky table piled with books their authors hoped to sell, Darius Hall assuring questioners that grammar and spelling were forms of oppression—ways of denying the downtrodden a voice—while publishers and booksellers were involved in a capitalist conspiracy... He might have amused his colleagues with some of the titles on sale— The Yodelling Killer , No Ham for Mohammed , a book of science fiction tales called Stories Set to Stun —but that seemed more mean-spirited than he liked to think he was. He turned away from Andrea and saw Stephanie watching him.
    She would be on her way to work. She waved at him over a poster for a fortnight in Tunisia and then, having hesitated, came into the shop. On her way to the counter she put a finger to her lip as if enjoining silence or thinking how little to say. She leaned towards David to murmur "Can I just have a word?"
    "He's already had quite a few," Andrea wanted her to know. "Stephanie, isn't it? Aren't you the cook?"
    "I'm in charge of the kitchen, that's right. And you're, don't tell me." When Andrea didn't Stephanie said "I expect you have to be Andrea. Has David been talking about me?"
    "I've heard him talking, yes." Not quite so haughtily Andrea said "The only reason I asked about your job was that I wondered if you have promotions where you are."
    "Promotions?" 'This seemed to antagonise Stephanie. "How do you think I'd get one of those where I work?"
    "Promotions." When repeating the word in a patient tone failed to render it more eloquent Andrea said "I'm asking do you take advertising."
    "I don't think the management can expect me to deal with that as well."
    "I'm sure they make the important choices. Do you know them well enough to say if they'd go for it?"
    "I know him better than I want to. Go for what exactly? You aren't very clear."
    "I don't believe David and the rest of my team would say that. You don't get to my position by not being clear." As David and his colleagues stayed quiet Andrea said "I've decided we should print out our offers every week. Perhaps you can ask your manager if the restaurant will take them."
    "I don't know how much longer I'll be there."
    "If you're moving on I hope you'll still be able to help us."
    "I'm waiting to see what the manager's planning. He seems to think I can handle the kitchen all by myself."
    "Can't you? Some cooks manage. We're quite a large family, and our grandmother always did at Christmas."
    As Bill risked a muffled chortle and a wink at Stephanie, she told David "Mick keeps threatening to let someone go."
    "These decisions have to be made," Andrea seemed to feel provoked to say. "I'm having to consider some reduction in the personnel myself. Now please do have the word you came in for."
    "I've had a lot more than I meant to," Stephanie said with a wide-eyed highbrowed look, though not at her. "You've heard what I came to say, David."
    "Give me a call whenever you need to," David said and reached across the counter for her hand, which was soft and chill. "Who's where tonight?"
    "I'll make my way to yours if we close early enough."
    He shouldn't hope the restaurant was sufficiently unsuccessful to give her time to catch the last train, though he wouldn't mind her working for somebody other than Mick, He kept hold of her hand long enough to let Andrea see that he hadn't let go because she was watching. As the door closed behind Stephanie, Helen asked the question that the silence seemed to consist of. "What were you saying about personnel, Andrea?"
    "I shouldn't have let myself