‘So what next now you have done your big presentation?’ he asked.
‘Well, now the real work is cut out for me,’ Grace said, slumping in the booth. ‘I have to lure a celebrity to be the face of my next ad campaign.’
‘Fashion, yeah?’ asked Frank, as he moved the milkshakes that Rocco placed on the table in front of them.
‘Yeah,’ said Grace, realising she hadn’t even told him where she worked.
‘I know a few celebrities,’ said Frank. ‘Who do you need to speak to?’
Grace laughed. ‘Oh right, sure you do. Can you give me Calypso Gable’s number?’ She sipped her cold shake and made a face. ‘Brain freeze. Oww.’
‘Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth,’ he said.
Grace did and began to feel the ache ebb away. ‘Thanks, how did you know that?’
‘Oh, I know all sorts of things. I am Mr Mysterious.’
‘Naturally, the caped crusader against brain freezes on a bicycle,’ she teased. Was she flirting? A little, she thought.
‘Mwahhh,’ said Frank imitating an evil laugh, as they started to eat their sandwiches.
‘Where do you work again? I can’t remember, sorry,’ he asked as he salted the fries.
‘I don’t think I told you,’ she said, her mouth full. Birdie would have been horrified, she thought.
‘You didn’t? We haven’t really talked about work much.’
Grace said nothing. She had tried to not mention her work when he was clearly out of a job.
‘I work at Pajaro.’
‘Ah yes, I’ve seen those stores,’ he said, as he dipped his fries into his shake.
‘OK, that is disgusting,’ she said as she watched.
‘Try it before you knock it, lady.’
‘No, thanks.’
‘So fashion, huh? How’s that working out for you?’
‘Hopefully better once I get onto Calypso Gable’s reps.’
‘Don’t go through the reps, they take too long. Go straight to her.’
‘It doesn’t work like that, Frank,’ she told him. ‘She would have all sorts of minders, agents, managers and the like.’
Frank made a face. ‘Maybe, but you should speak to her direct.’
Grace laughed. ‘OK, but I don’t think she’s in the directory.’ She decided to change the subject. ‘What did you do before you were laid off?’ she asked.
‘Laid off?’ asked Frank curiously.
‘Well, you aren’t working at the moment, I thought that perhaps you were looking for a job,’ she said, embarrassed.
Frank took a moment and then nodded. ‘Yes, um… well… I was in the dot com area but then you know…’ he trailed off.
Grace nodded sympathetically. ‘Yes, it’s hard in these times. I’m sure it will pick up again. Do you get much courier work?’
