You Can't Hurry Love

Chapter Four

'You're never going to believe what happened to me today!'

'Oh, I like these, gimme a second.' Ben throws down his polishing cloth and leans forward on the bar, examining my face for any clues I might be giving away. 'You slipped on your way to work, hit your head and when you woke you were getting resuscitated by Richard Madden.'

'Who?' I pause with my drink halfway to my lips and look at him quizzically.

I'd gone straight to Angelo's as soon as I'd stepped off the tube, not able to wait for Ben to finish work and was currently sat on my favourite stool, tucked away at the end of the bar, just buzzing to tell him my news.

'Richard Madden. You know . . . the Scottish actor. He played Robb Stark in The Game of Thrones. No?' I must look non-plussed because he rolls his eyes in annoyance at my lack of knowledge on anything to do with modern culture. 'The lead guy in The Bodyguard? He was in Rocketman!'

'I haven't watched any of those. And no, guess again!'

I'm now perched on the edge of my seat and his grievance is swiftly forgotten, the suspense too much to bear for my very nosey friend.

'You gave your last fiver to a homeless man who turned out not to be homeless after all, but a secret millionaire doing a test to see how the British public reacts to hardship and destitution, and now he wants to buy you a mansion and give us all the life of luxury.'

'What? No. Just be quiet!'

The door opens behind me bringing in new customers, but Ben was too engrossed in what I had to say to notice. Luckily, they were greeted quickly by another waiter so I could resume my speech with glee.

'So, you know I've been working for ages now on that article for the December issue?'

'Uh-huh,' he nods back at me.

'Well . . . I pitched it, and Diane loved it. She came up to me afterwards and said it was innovative and forward-thinking, blah blah blah. Basically, I think she just liked the idea of saving money for our readers at Christmas. Anyway, guess who now gets the entire month paid to travel around London sourcing ideas for the article with, may I add, a company credit card?'

'Hmm. Who could it be? Maybe . . . Lauren?'

I shoot him a scathing look and he returns it with a teasing wink.

Ben was well aware of my hatred for Lauren, it runs far back. Ever since she asked me to get her a coffee when she was talking to some bigwigs that had come to check us out back in the first month of us starting the magazine. Not only did she have the nerve to undermine me but worst of all, I'd actually got it for her. I think I was in too much shock to question it but now she thinks she has authority over me and is forever belittling me in front of our boss.

'You may joke, but the cheeky cow tried to steal my idea today. She presented it before I had a chance to and then had the audacity to claim I was the one imitating her.'

I slam my drink a little too hard on the counter in frustration and a man I've not seen before looks up from behind the till to frown at us, disapprovingly.

'I mean, who does she think she is to continuously-'

'Ben.' A warning voice cuts me off in my stride as he appears before us, making a point of peering around the room slowly and deliberately. 'I was under the impression that this was a business, not a gossip circle. And as far as I'm concerned you still have another,' he checks his watch and I catch Ben rolling his eyes again, 'three hours and forty-eight minutes. Were you planning on serving any other customers tonight or just your girlfriend?'