Page 22 of Mistaken Impression

“Oh… sorry. I forgot about the lamb.”

I don’t comment, just in case I say something mean to him again, and instead I turn back to Ruby, who’s frowning at me. “Don’t you like it?” I feel sick with doubt now.

“It’s fine,” she says. “But the show is an hour long. Is it really going to take an hour to demonstrate that?”

“No. That’s why I said I had a couple of ideas. I thought we could offer two recipes, both of which answer the problem just as well. That way, the viewers who want to can go for the slightly more complicated solution.”

“And what’s the slightly more complicated solution?” she asks, tilting her head.

“There is only one. We can’t reinvent the wheel in this instance. That’s why I said it was common sense. A roast is a roast, so there’s not much point in us preparing a lamb stew, just because it’s easier.”

Ruby smiles. “I take your point, but you still haven’t explained what we’re gonna be doing.”

“Making roast lamb in the usual way.” I’m amazed I needed to explain that, but judging by the expressions on hers and Blake’s faces, it seems they’re still looking for more. I sit forward and let out a sigh. “Blake would show how to time the meal, counting backwards from when it’s due to be served, and demonstrating all the advanced preparations that can be done. Obviously, that takes a lot longer than an hour, but I guess you have ways of accommodating that, so it all fits into the runningtime for the show?” I raise my eyebrows, focusing on Ruby, and she nods.

“Yes, we do.” She gets up, surprising me. “This should work well.”

I feel myself sag with relief. “You’re sure?”

“Positive,” she says, nodding her head. “Ordinarily, you’d already be practicing the dishes for this week’s show, and we’d work on the script this afternoon, but you don’t have any ingredients to practice with, so I think it’s gonna be best if we bring forward the production meeting, so at least we can make a start on something.”

“Bring it forward to when?” I ask, getting to my feet.

“Now. I’ll gather everyone together and we’ll join you in the rehearsal studio.” She stops talking and looks at Blake. “I almost forgot, Kennedy wants to see you.”

“Me?” He sounds surprised. “What about?”

“I don’t know. She sent me an email just before you came in here, asking if you’d go to her office. I was about to come and tell you when you knocked on my door.”

Blake stands up too. “Where’s her office?” he asks.

“Do you remember where the meeting room was?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Find your way back there, and Kennedy’s office is opposite.”

Blake nods his head, then without another word, he leaves the room. I feel like calling out ‘good luck’, but I’m sure he doesn’t need it. Kennedy seems to like him. It’s me she hates.

“If you want to go back to the rehearsal studio, I’ll join you in a minute,” Ruby says, and I turn back to her.

“Okay.”

“In the meantime, can you write out a list of the ingredients you’re going to need?”

“Of course, although I don’t have anything to write on, or with, for that matter.”

She smiles, turning around to open the cabinet behind her, then pulls out a notepad, handing it over to me, before grabbing a pen from her desk, which she offers. I take it, glancing at my watch, and I try not to register my surprise when I see that it’s only just gone eleven. How is that possible? I feel like so much has happened already, and it’s not even lunchtime.

“If you head back, I’ll round everyone up,” Ruby says and I come to my senses. It might feel as though a lot has happened, but in reality, we’ve achieved almost nothing.

“See you in a minute.”

I leave her office and cross the hall, going back into the rehearsal studio, and after dropping the notepad and pen on the table, I make my way into the kitchen and fix myself a coffee. I’ve barely sat down again when the door opens and Ruby comes in.

“They won’t be long,” she says, sitting opposite me, and I take the lid off the pen and start writing, just as a thought occurs.

“How many times are we going to need to practice this and rehearse it?” I ask. “Just so I know how much of everything to ask for.”

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