Page 13 of From Notting Hill with Love…Actually
“It’s different with David,” I padded, as I desperately tried to explain how I felt. “He…he requires more from a wife.”
“Like?” Maddie’s face looked blank for a moment, and then her eyes suddenly opened wide. “Oh my, are you saying you’ve just found out he’s into something really kinky in the bedroom? Golly, after all this time too, it’s always the quiet ones, isn’t it? What is it? Rubber? Chains? You know I once knew this chap that liked this weird thing with a banana and an Angel Delight…”
“No, Maddie,” I shushed her. “No, it’s nothing like that.” I sighed. “I guess I should have realized it before, I mean it’s nothing new, well it is to me, so I suppose that’s why it seems weird.”
“What is it, Scarlett?” Maddie demanded. “Come on, spit it out—I have to know.”
“OK, OK,” I said, wishing I’d never started this now. “Apparently as David’s wife I’ll be expected to help him entertain people. You know, future clients and the like.”
Maddie nodded. “Yes, and…?”
“Andthat’s it.”
Maddie stared at me again and I saw the corners of her mouth twitch. “That’s it? That’s why you’re having doubts about marrying him? Because you might have to cook for a few dinner parties?”
I flushed; it did sound a bit lame now I’d come out with it, but the business dinner excuse wasn’t completely untrue. It just wasn’t thewholetruth. “Youknow how bad I am at cooking, Maddie. Plus you weren’t there last night when we entertained some of David’s Japanese business clients. That was bad enough, and we were only eating out in a restaurant.”
“Why? What on earth happened?”
“Come on,” I said, looking longingly toward the exit of the art gallery. “I’m starving. Let’s get out of here and find somewhere to eat and I’ll tell you all about it.”
We found a pretty little wine bar down the road from the gallery and after we’d ordered some food, I quickly told Maddie the story of my own mini-Shakespearean tragedy.
“…and he said the funniest thing to me. He saidthecourseoftrueloveneverdidrunsmooth.”
“He’s quite right,” Maddie said, taking a sip of her red wine. “The course of true love never does run entirely smoothly, that’s part of what makes it so fun. And what was so bad about the evening? It was hardly a disaster.”
“No, but it was hardly a roaring success either. Look, I know there’s no such thing as the perfect relationship, Maddie, but I’m just not sure David and I have that special something between us. You know, that special something that you and Felix have…the magic?”
Maddie looked at me, then she raised her eyebrow and cocked her head to one side. “Special something?” she repeated. “Magic? Scarlett, successful relationships require give and take, love and understanding, not special somethings and a magic wand.”
I was about to point out to Maddie that the “magic” in question was not the sort that could be conjured up with the wave of a wand when our waitress returned to the table carrying plates of spaghetti carbonara and chicken salad. (Maddie was dieting because of her wedding.)
We’d eaten a few mouthfuls of our food when I decided to ask Maddie a question.
“Maddie, if I ask you something, will you answer it honestly?”
Maddie looked at me. She finished chewing before answering. “Of course I will, you know that.”
“Do you think I’m a little bit obsessed with films?”
“Yes,” Maddie said without hesitation.
“You didn’t even think about it!”
“I didn’t need to. You are.”
“But…I’m not,” I protested. This was not the answer I was hoping Maddie would give. I thought she’d say no, and why did I ask? Then we’d go on to have a good old moaning session about how David had got it all wrong as usual, and weren’t men just stupid and only good for one thing.
“Don’t be daft, Scarlett, of course you are.”
“But what’s wrong with visiting the cinema occasionally?”
Maddie put down her fork, folded her arms, tilted her head to one side, and looked at me with a challenging expression.
“What?” I asked.
“Come on. Don’t you think it’s a little bit more with you than onlyoccasionally?”
