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The Lunch (not naked)
Oct. 2nd, 2010 07:52 amStill zen.
Still curious, though. Or rather more curious, because -- ok, let's not start at the beginning but with this:
Mr H has a personal assistant called Carla, who's Italian. Even that day at the beginning of July, when she'd just arrived (which I didn't know then) and accompanied him to the Flamenco evening at the opera, and I believed she was his girlfriend, I quite liked her. We've met socially a few times since then, and yesterday at lunch she was sitting next to me. We're both smokers, and so we sneaked out between starters and main course to have a cigarette out in the courtyard, where it was nice and sunny.
She's here only temporarily to replace the regular assistant, who's still on maternity leave, and so I asked her how long she'd be here. Her assignment ends at the beginning of November, but she's planning to stay until Christmas, "to recover and, of course, get married".
The woman has a rather wicked sense of humour - while we'd been waiting for our starters I'd lost an earring and, when I couldn't find it, remarked that I'd have to keep up the one-earring, pirate look for the day, asking her whether by any chance she had an eye patch with her. Without missing a beat, she said, "Oh, what a pity, they're all in my other handbag."
So, great sense of humour, the kind I like.
And of course she wasn't serious about getting married, but we discussed the scarcity of eligible single men in this city and pretty much everywhere.
Me: And there *are* some nice ones, but I always fall or the arseholes.
Carla: Me too. But I think that happens to a lot of women, because let's be honest most men are arseholes, so if we didn't fall for them, mankind would've ceased to exist a long time ago.
Me: Mmh, yes, good point. Anway, I mean don't take this the wrong way, but since he isn't going to be your boss for much longer, what about your boss? (Yes I am like that...)
Carla made a face as if I'd offered her a piece of dog shit on a spoon and said, "Yew! Noooo!"
Me, once I'd recovered from laughing: Erm, that's, that's a very strong reaction. *new fit of the giggles*
Carla, wiping tears off her face: I know, I know. And I know there are many women out there who think differently, but... eeeeeew!
At that moment we were joined by Jaime, another new guy at [...], and couldn't continue the discussion. But I told her about Stelios, my new Greek counterpart, and promised her to arrange a lunch next week so she could meet him, and in return she could tell me all about the "eeeew"
We went back in after finishing our cigarettes, and Mr H said, "Well, what have the two of you been talking about for so long?"
Carla and I, strictly avoiding any eye contact, told him we'd been talking about the award project (which was partly true), sat down, looked at each other and promptly dissolved in another fit of the giggles.
So yes, I admit to being very curious to hear more.
It was a pretty nice lunch -- Mr H sitting to my right, but it was a long table, and so the conversation was split in two, and I was quite happy to participate in the one to the left, which IMO was more interesting, given that there were Carla, James (the new American), Athina (the new Greek) and Jaime (the new Spaniard).
Shortly before we all got up and back to work, we set up the double for Sunday (Pinar, Valentina -- because Elena is sick -- Mr H and myself). I'm rather amazed at my complete lack of bouncy squee, but that's a good sign IMO. Because either he really isn't interested (and I'm still not entirely sure about that; touches and looks say the contrary, but we'll see, won't we?) so calm zen is good, or he is, then calm zen might be the only way to get things going, given the results the lack thereof has hitherto obtained.
I was quite happy with myself, because I actually took James aside and apologized for a remark I'd made at that dinner 2 weeks ago, and which had continued to jar my recollections of that evening. That felt quite good, and I'm kinda proud of myself.
Otherwise not much to report. Tennis yesterday after work was really good - I felt completely relaxed and energized and played quite well.
More tennis + running today, starting at 11.
Tonight, opera with Irene and Ursula, who has finally returned.
Tomorrow, super tennis day with two doubles, first from 12 to 2 (the one with Mr H), second from 3 to 5, with one Hungarian and two German colleagues. All men. Oh, well. Will be dead tomorrow night, but in a good way.
Still curious, though. Or rather more curious, because -- ok, let's not start at the beginning but with this:
Mr H has a personal assistant called Carla, who's Italian. Even that day at the beginning of July, when she'd just arrived (which I didn't know then) and accompanied him to the Flamenco evening at the opera, and I believed she was his girlfriend, I quite liked her. We've met socially a few times since then, and yesterday at lunch she was sitting next to me. We're both smokers, and so we sneaked out between starters and main course to have a cigarette out in the courtyard, where it was nice and sunny.
She's here only temporarily to replace the regular assistant, who's still on maternity leave, and so I asked her how long she'd be here. Her assignment ends at the beginning of November, but she's planning to stay until Christmas, "to recover and, of course, get married".
The woman has a rather wicked sense of humour - while we'd been waiting for our starters I'd lost an earring and, when I couldn't find it, remarked that I'd have to keep up the one-earring, pirate look for the day, asking her whether by any chance she had an eye patch with her. Without missing a beat, she said, "Oh, what a pity, they're all in my other handbag."
So, great sense of humour, the kind I like.
And of course she wasn't serious about getting married, but we discussed the scarcity of eligible single men in this city and pretty much everywhere.
Me: And there *are* some nice ones, but I always fall or the arseholes.
Carla: Me too. But I think that happens to a lot of women, because let's be honest most men are arseholes, so if we didn't fall for them, mankind would've ceased to exist a long time ago.
Me: Mmh, yes, good point. Anway, I mean don't take this the wrong way, but since he isn't going to be your boss for much longer, what about your boss? (Yes I am like that...)
Carla made a face as if I'd offered her a piece of dog shit on a spoon and said, "Yew! Noooo!"
Me, once I'd recovered from laughing: Erm, that's, that's a very strong reaction. *new fit of the giggles*
Carla, wiping tears off her face: I know, I know. And I know there are many women out there who think differently, but... eeeeeew!
At that moment we were joined by Jaime, another new guy at [...], and couldn't continue the discussion. But I told her about Stelios, my new Greek counterpart, and promised her to arrange a lunch next week so she could meet him, and in return she could tell me all about the "eeeew"
We went back in after finishing our cigarettes, and Mr H said, "Well, what have the two of you been talking about for so long?"
Carla and I, strictly avoiding any eye contact, told him we'd been talking about the award project (which was partly true), sat down, looked at each other and promptly dissolved in another fit of the giggles.
So yes, I admit to being very curious to hear more.
It was a pretty nice lunch -- Mr H sitting to my right, but it was a long table, and so the conversation was split in two, and I was quite happy to participate in the one to the left, which IMO was more interesting, given that there were Carla, James (the new American), Athina (the new Greek) and Jaime (the new Spaniard).
Shortly before we all got up and back to work, we set up the double for Sunday (Pinar, Valentina -- because Elena is sick -- Mr H and myself). I'm rather amazed at my complete lack of bouncy squee, but that's a good sign IMO. Because either he really isn't interested (and I'm still not entirely sure about that; touches and looks say the contrary, but we'll see, won't we?) so calm zen is good, or he is, then calm zen might be the only way to get things going, given the results the lack thereof has hitherto obtained.
I was quite happy with myself, because I actually took James aside and apologized for a remark I'd made at that dinner 2 weeks ago, and which had continued to jar my recollections of that evening. That felt quite good, and I'm kinda proud of myself.
Otherwise not much to report. Tennis yesterday after work was really good - I felt completely relaxed and energized and played quite well.
More tennis + running today, starting at 11.
Tonight, opera with Irene and Ursula, who has finally returned.
Tomorrow, super tennis day with two doubles, first from 12 to 2 (the one with Mr H), second from 3 to 5, with one Hungarian and two German colleagues. All men. Oh, well. Will be dead tomorrow night, but in a good way.
