Page 91 of A Long Way Back
“Where would we have put our sweaters?”
“And you still piled them on me even after I’d told you how much that pissed me off.”
“I only piled them on you because it pisses you off. I’m teaching you tolerance, but you’re a slow learner. You’ll be grateful for the chair later because I’m not going to carry you home.”
“God, you’re really useless. Why did I give you this job?”
Ink laughed. “I was the least crappy. You want to go straight to the restaurant or for a drink first?”
“The restaurant. The bars will be full. I hadn’t realised it would be as busy as this. I should have picked somewhere else. I wanted it to be…”
“Be what?”
“Special for our first date.”
Oh Tay!“This is not our first date. Our first date was coffee and a sausage roll on the high street and you turned me down.”
Tay turned in his chair. “I was a fool.”
Ink’s heart did a little jump.
Tay faced forward again. “The place we’re heading for should be somewhere on the left. There it is.Imago.”
Ink wheeled him over. The restaurant was offset from the central area and the crowd thinned out as they approached. There were a few tables outside, all but one occupied, the one furthest from the restaurant entrance.
“I hope that one’s for us,” Tay said.
It was. Ink folded the wheelchair and put it against the wall next to their table.
Tay looked at the menu. “I want a bottle of champagne. No more doctors. Do you like cham—shit, sorry.” He cast a stricken look at Ink.
“Only Bollinger,” Ink said. “Cristal at a pinch.”
A laugh burst out of Tay. “Mr I-don’t-drink?”
“I read a lot. I’m not bad at pretending I know stuff when I don’t. Which could lead to trouble if I’m put in charge of a nuclear power station, but I figure champagne has to taste okay, otherwise people wouldn’t drink it.”
“Would you like some?”
“Don’t pay that much.” Ink could live for a couple of weeks on the cost of the cheapest bottle. “I’d feel weird drinking it. Maybe a beer? Or water? Wine? I don’t mind.”
“I’ll get a bottle of red then. Do you want steak and chips or is there something else you’d prefer?”
“I’m desperate for steak and chips.” Even though he’d never eaten steak.
The waiter came back to their table with his pad. “Can I get you gentlemen something to drink?”
“Bottle of Malbec, please,” Tay said. “And we’ll have two fillet steaks with chips. Medium for me.”
The waiter turned to Ink and Ink looked at Tay.
“Well done, still mooing or somewhere in between?” Tay asked.
“Well done.”
Ink was out of his depth, but then that was almost always the case. On the edge of a normal life, but condemned to stay there. One wrong move and he’d be in no man’s land. He’d know about steak next time he was asked that question.Ifhe was asked.Maybe he wouldn’t like his meat well done, but the thought of seeing a sea of red on his plate turned his stomach.
Once the waiter had gone, Tay put his hand on Ink’s. “This is not going how I wanted it to. I don’t want you to feel awkward.”
