Scott takes her phone. ‘Ooh yeah, that’s bad.’
This is his area of expertise. ‘Let me see.’
The website is indeed hideous.
‘I can get the intern to knock something better up?’ asks Scott.
‘I don’t know if Dylan would want to pay for that.’
‘We won’t charge. I need to give this kid something to do, anyway. If you don’t like it, he can use it for his portfolio. Liv, take pictures of the cakes and the outside. Use my phone – it’s got a better camera.’ She comes up to the counter and snaps away.
I ask Magda to pour one of her beautiful flat whites with a leaf pattern on top and Liv takes pictures of it before I bring it over to Scott. I sit in Liv’s chair while she’s outside.
‘How’s she doing?’ I ask.
‘Good,’ he says. ‘She’s knuckling down with her revision.’
‘I’m so disconnected from her I don’t know what she’s into anymore. We were drifting apart before, but now it’s accelerating.’
‘She just needs time. She’ll come round.’
‘You think?’
‘Of course.’
Once Scott and Liv finish their drinks, they take off, so she doesn’t miss her train.
‘Was that your daughter?’ asks Magda when they’re gone.
‘Yes, that was Olivia. Sorry, I should have introduced you.’
‘She is pretty.’
‘Thank you.’
‘She doesn’t look like you,’ she continues, and I try not to be offended. ‘She looks like your husband.’
‘Oh, he’s not my husband.’
‘You are divorced?’
‘No, we were never married.’
‘He is your boyfriend, then?’
‘No––’
‘Of course, Dylan’s friend is your boyfriend.’
‘Oh no, he’s not my boyfriend.’
‘But he kissed you the other day, no?’
‘Well yes, but… Sorry Magda I just remembered I was supposed to order paper cups.’ I nip out the back to the little office and take a deep breath.
‘We don’t need any cups.’ Magda’s voice behind me makes me jump. ‘We got the delivery yesterday.’
‘Ah yes.’ I don’t have any reason to be in the office now, so I follow her back out to the café, hoping that’s the end of all the questions.