Me: Do you ever have trouble getting Dave to listen to you?
Nell: All the time. Why?
Me: I was talking to him about his favourite vegetables and he wasn’t really listening at all.
Nell: Of course he wasn’t.
Me: Poppy was listening, in the background and in a sort of bored and aloof way, but I know she was listening.
Nell: She’s good at that.
Me: What?
Nell: Not getting involved.
Me: I thought she might join in, being a chef, but she said nothing at all.
Nell: She was off duty. Was David carrying his Neon Green Chew?
Me: Yes, and he nearly had my eye out several times.
Nell: That thing is dangerous.
Me: I suggested all kinds of lovely vegetables.
Nell: David doesn’t like vegetables unless they’re roasted or served with gravy.
Me: You and Harriet love them. You eat them every day.
Nell: And? Roger Blubbery and Princess adore mackerel but you don’t see me eating the horrible stuff.
Me: Poppy loves fish.
Nell: We are all different and that’s perfectly fine. David is not a vegetable eating animal.
Me: I know. He’s more of a bacon boy.
Nell: Bacon boy?
Me: He listened when I mentioned cauliflower cheese, though.
Nell: Everyone loves cauliflower cheese.
Me: Maybe that’s what we should make for our visitors?
Nell: What visitors?
Me: So, the thing is.
Nell: Here we go.
Me: Naughty Nigel and Boo are coming for the weekend.
Nell: This weekend?
Me: Yes. Charlotte is dropping them off this afternoon.
Nell: What about the Kingsbridge Show?
Me: We’re going to that beforehand.
Nell: By ‘we’, you mean?
Me: You, me and Kev.
Nell: I see.
Me: Yes. You’re the Senior Labrador with special privileges.
Nell: Which include running potential visitors past me first.
Me: Yes. Sorry.
