Competition

Seven

'How many new suits does this mean I need to buy?' Howard asked as we walked to Linley furniture shop in Mayfair.

'What is that supposed to mean?'

'What I mean is how many people have you told?' he said.

'I haven't told anyone we're together, if that's what you're trying to get at,' I replied.

'Why not? What's wrong with me? Are you ashamed?'

'No,' I laughed. 'Not at all.'

'Well either that or you sleep with the same man frequently before moving on to the next,' he replied.

'I didn't know,' I replied.

Howard took hold of my hand casually and we now walked hand-in-hand. 'I thought that the first sex was self-explanatory.'

I looked up at him with a wicked grin. 'What if I told you I was an amnesiac?'

'It wouldn't be fair to tell me in public,' he replied. He kissed the back of my ear and it fizzed. 'What are we shopping for anyway?'

'I need a new side table,' I replied. 'Something new.'

We walked into Linley and my eye caught a desk straight away.

'Welcome to Linley,' a shop assistant smiled. 'Do you need any help?'

'No thank you,' Howard replied. 'We just walked in.'

He watched as my eyes raced over to the desk and drooled over it.

'Okay then,' the assistant said with a plastered smile. 'Just let me know if you need anything.'

'Look at this,' I said running my hand across the walnut display classic pedestal desk. 'I think I need something just like this.'

'I thought you were looking for a side table?' Howard asked. 'This is a desk.'

'I know,' I replied. 'I can see that.'

'What do you need a table for?' he said. 'A thirteen hundred pound table at that.'

'To write on,' I replied. 'I need a good table to tell good stories from.'

'Oh yeah?' he mocked. 'You mean like Barclay Two?'

'I'll have you know that you're the only person in world who doesn't like Barclay,' I replied looking at Howard.

'Oh really?' he wrapped his arms around my waist. 'Are you sure about that?'

'Yes.'

'Okay then,' he replied. 'Let's get you this table then.'

I asked the sales assistant about the desk and she told me all the details. She said that I could have it in walnut, oak and sycamore. I enquired about delivery and how long it would take. She said between two to three working days. I spotted a sofa in the background and thought to myself quickly about redecorating. I enquired about the beige Cransford sofa and matching chair then asked about the delivery. She said between two to three working days. I bought the desk, the Cransford sofa and matching chair then left Linley hand-in-hand with Howard.

'You probably need two new suits,' I said as we walked down the road. 'One for our double date with Ava and another for dinner with my older sister, Lauren.'

'So that's four new people I need to try and impress on a first date,' he replied. 'Sounds easy enough.'

'You don't need to impress anyone,' I replied. 'Ava's my best friend and Lauren is just a little critical. You should get along fine with her.'