Phoebe's Performance

The DVD

Chapter 11 

The key sits ominously on top of the bench top. It's the only item left from last night's encounter with Kathleen. I've scrapped the hardened biscuit batter which was left in the sink, straight into the bin.

Last night's event revolves in my head. The poor guy is heart broken.

I have read and reread the instructions for the recipe for Swedish Almond Cookies. My mobile phone is on speaker, I'm multitasking by chatting to Sophie.

"Have you turned the oven on?" her voice calls out harshly from the speaker sitting on the bench.

"It will be on." I launch and twist the dials appropriately and I glance back at the recipe.

"You have to heat the oven before you put the cookies in." Sophie's tone is quite matter-of-fact and I imagine her clicking her long manicured fingers as she shakes her head over the phone at me.

My head feels thick. I'm exhausted and sore from sleeping on the sofa. There was no way I wanted to brave the gauntlet upstairs and possibly run into Otto on the landing. No thanks. The sofa was a much better option even with all my aches and pains.

I measure out a cup of sugar from the packet and stir. I've been contemplating whether or not to put the full egg into the mixture. The instructions specify only for egg whites but that sounds like a waste.

"So full egg or egg white?"

I'm positive I witnessed Otto putting in a whole egg last night.

"That is so a Mickey question, remember your sister used to own a café," Sophie replies over the phone. Sophie somehow convinced me that she could help talk me through the baking. But she's probably more of a supervisor...which is a little tricky since she's assisting over the phone.

"The update is that she drove me here last night," I say over the phone.

"Has she spoken to Artie yet?"

"No. Or not that I know of anyway," I say.

"It's been less than one week."

"But she loves Artie."

"Mickey's not the type of person to be depressed. She's more of a mover and a shaker than a moaner."

I turn the recipe page over a few times, trying hard to concentrate because I can't shake the thought that Mickey's not in any shape to convince anyone of anything at the moment. The way she used to articulate ideas, her inspiring manner always persuaded to go along with whatever project she was doing. That's what happened with Beans Café anyway. Ever since I can remember, Mickey was always working on some project.

I inhale sharply. "I don't understand why we're not all up at Beans Café, trying to rebuild. What if she's permanently...changed?"

"She just needs time," Sophie says in a flat voice. "She'll get bored and then you won't know what hit you. She'll have concocted some plan to get back on top of her life, that's what she's like."

"I hope so. By the way I'm coming to the pool to work on my hip and I was going to talk to Eve about something," I say.

"What's that?"

"Do you think Eve would come and do some of her physio stuff here at Otto's place? Otto's really private about having broken his hand and I'm not too sure I want to take him to the pool for sessions."

"Eve's totally amazing but she's super busy. You know what she's like because Mickey used to drive you over to the pool to see her after the accident."