27

The tension at the table was almost palpable. Lydia glanced briefly up to her friends face, which seemed like a dark cloud of disapproval, before returning to studying the pattern of the oiled tablecloth. Fred was looking at Lydia as she did this, wondering if she would judge him by the company he kept, whilst Steve was “checking out” the two women with an appraising eye. Olga, for her part, was not quite so disapproving as her countenance suggested. Despite her apparent high moral standards she secretly liked the more macho men, perhaps she just found them simpler and easier to manage. This was how she had been attracted to J’s father, he had been exceptionally good looking and no match for Olga intellectually and it was just unfortunate that he had responded to fatherhood and her attempts to control him by disappearing. So behind the mask of disapproval Olga was actually registering a number of Steve’s more appealing physical attributes.

It was Steve who broke the silence first. “We had a great time last night, didn’t we Fred? You see I had to take him out on the town, Fred had a face as long as a horse when he thought he had blown it and wasn’t going to meet up with you. That’s how I found out where he was. I knew he’d kept this blog thing and then I found it online when he was gone, and it said where you were going to meet.”

Lydia smiled at the thought of Fred’s face yesterday and his friend having to cheer him up, she could not help but warm to him for caring so much when he had not even met her. She was able to stop studying the table cloth quite so intensely and steal the odd glance towards Fred, but he seemed not to notice. Fred was in a state of mild panic, thinking that any minute now Steve would launch into unwanted details about last night’s activities. “We had a great time, it was nice of you to cheer me up.” He knew the only way to shut Steve up would be to talk himself and change the subject. “You remember, Olga is the person whose sone I wrote that short story for – I suppose you have seen that too if you were snooping around my laptop?”

“Ah, so you are the Yummy Mummy?” Steve licked his lips and looked Olga over. Her eyes sparked with a firey intensity, this was something she was sensitive about, and for a stranger to know she had a child when she was still quite young felt intrusive.

“I have a son, yes, what is this Yummy Mummy you speak of?” she replied, unsure of the meaning of this phrase.

“Speaking of yummy, shall we order any cake?” Fred tried to change the subject again, he really wished Steve was not here!

“A Yummy Mummy is a Mother I would like to take to bed” said Steve, he was like a train that Fred could not stop

Olga’s reaction was instant and decisive. Before she could stop herself her hand reached out and with a loud SMACK she had struck Steve across the cheek, “How dare you!” She berated him, standing from the table. Perhaps he temper had got the better of her, she knew her reaction was quite strong and was aware all eyes in the café were on her. The imprint of hand was clearly left on Steve’s cheek and Lydia looked aghast at her friend. She had seen Olga lose her temper before, but never had a man been foolish enough to provoke her so far. Pushing back her chair and turning on her heel, Olga marched from the table and opened the door, “Lydia, you should not stay with these men, they are no gentlemen. I have clearly shown you their true colours and I am leaving, I suggest you come with me.” She said, oblivious of the onlookers to the drama.

“Oh dear” said Lydia in a small voice at the table, “Let me catch you up Olga” she said, hoping her friend would go ahead. To her relief Olga did indeed turn to the open door, “Very well. Farewell to you two ‘gentlemen’, though I do not think you deserve such a title.” And with that Olga left, closing the door with a clatter behind her.

“Blimey!” said Steve, rubbing his cheek. “Not just a Yummy Mummy, but one with a bit of fire in her, I think I like that in a woman, passion, you know what I mean?” Fred nearly blushed – after hearing Ivana last night he thought he knew too well just what Steve meant. Lydia wanted to defend her friend, “Well you have to understand the only man she knew so far left her as soon as she was having his child.” She explained. “So she is very sensitive, and J is the apple of her eye, you have to be careful how you talk to her sometimes. Your explanation for Yummy Mummy, she took it personally and I think she did not think before she acted.”

“So you’re telling me she thought I was asking her to go to bed with me?” Said Steve

“Yes, more or less” Lydia nidded

“Oh crikey, in England a bit of chat like that would just be a tease… Do you think I could run after her and explain?” He asked

“If you are quick. I think you should do that, yes, before she goes off Englishmen for ever.” Lydia was more than happy to send Steve chasing after her friend. She wanted to be alone with Fred again, as it had been before this foolish clumsy friend of his had come blundering into the café like a bull in a china shop.

“Then excuse me folks, I’m off on a Yummy Mummy chase!” Said Steve and left the café in a hurry.