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‘Are you sure you feel fit enough to do a job, Sabrina?’ asked Marielle, as she watched the woman putting on the trainers she’d been found wearing. Even if the trauma to her head hadn’t been physical, her brain was obviously psychologically impacted and that could cause a lot of fatigue.
‘I feel perfectly fine, Marielle. I just don’t feel very smart for a job interview.’
She had a sudden flash of herself in a suit, heels, kickass red lipstick. She had a large mahogany desk at work. Granted, her present get-up didn’t exactly scream she had executive status and could turn the fortunes of companies around.
They set off out of the house and down the winding streets.
‘I think this might be a really good idea of yours,’ said Marielle. ‘He runs a tight but happy ship and he always feeds his staff well after their shift. He’s kind and calm and even-tempered… I bet you’ll get on like a house on fire.’
Outside Teddy’s restaurant a well-dressed woman paused, let her dog take a dump on the pavement by the front door, and then moved on, pretending not to notice. But Flick, looking through the window, had.
‘Teddy, she’s done it again. I’m going to say something.’
‘I don’t believe it,’ said Teddy, rushing to the window. ‘I warned her. If she does it again, I will make sure she don’t do it again. Flick, out of the way, darling. Let me do the talking.’ He asked his pizza chef George to throw him a yellow washing-up glove from the sink and when he’d caught it, he burst out of the front door.
‘Hey you, lady, I know who you are,’ Teddy shouted atthe woman’s back. She ignored him and tried to continue on her way, but her spaniel hindered her by squatting for a wee.
‘And I told you what would happen if your dog did it again. So I’ll give you to the count of three to turn back and pick it up.’
The woman didn’t acknowledge his count, but tugged impatiently on the dog’s lead and they walked on.
Teddy scooped up the poop with his glove and with a pitcher’s skill worthy of a place in the World Series hall of fame, he lobbed it through the air in the direction of Councillor Stirling’s wife. Even he was surprised by his accuracy, because it hit her squarely on her brunette French plait with a horrifying splat. She touched her hair to see what had been thrown at her and screamed when she found out.
‘Maybe now you don’t do it again,’ Teddy called after her, wagging his dirty rubber glove at her.
‘You animal, I’ll have the police on you. That’s assault,’ shouted Wendy Stirling, half-shouting, half-retching, shaking her head, shaking her hand.
‘And it’s a fifty-pound fine for you. Every time your dog drops a poop here now and you don’t move it, you’ll be wearing it five seconds later and I’ll make sure you pay up the money.’ Teddy gave her his best smirk.
That was the moment when the two women rounded the corner and that was Sabrina’s introduction to Teddy Bonetti.
When Sabrina walked into ‘calm and even-tempered’ Teddy’s restaurant, she picked up on the good vibe, as if years of happy times had pressed themselves into the air and coloured it. There was a wonderful aroma of fresh coffee and the tables were all wearing cheery red-and-white coverings. A first-time customer would think they’d made the right choice assoon as they entered; a repeat customer would feel comforted by the familiarity. She felt as if she could be in Italy, rather than on a sunny street in a Yorkshire seaside town.
She sat down at a table and waited, looking around, taking in the place while mother and son were in the kitchen part of the restaurant, in heated conversation.
‘Teddy, you do know who that was?’
‘Yes, Mamma, I know exactly who that was.’
‘Councillor Stirling is someone you really don’t want to upset.’
‘I don’t give a toss about him. What about him upsetting me? I can’t tell you how many times his wife has done that outside. She even has an attachment for the poo bags on the lead, but never does she pick up her dog’scacca. I’m sure she’s trained it to do it there and nowhere else.’
He had a strange accent, thought Sabrina as she listened, mainly neutral, then it took a sharp turn into Yorkshire and then veered off at an Italian tangent. Strange but charming.
‘Teddy—’
‘No, I’m right on this, Mamma. I warned her last time what would happen. And I am a man of my word. That’s how you raised me, so it’s your fault.’
‘Don’t you dare blame me, Teddy Bonetti, for splattering Mrs Stirling’s hair with her own dog’s doings.’
There was a beat of silence, then they both dissolved into laughter and neither could get it back onto a serious plane again.
Sabrina’s attention was snatched away by a coffee cup being placed in front of her by a young woman. She was tall and slim and looked as if she could have been Teddy Bonetti’s daughter with her brown-black hair and blue eyes.
‘He’s gone full-on Gino D’Acampo today,’ she said, jabbing at the kitchen with her head. ‘That’s never a good sign.’
‘Thank you,’ said Sabrina. The coffee looked thick and strong and delicious.
