Me: Have you got time for a chat?
Nell: Only a brief one. Saturday Kitchen is starting soon and I’ve promised Malcolm we can watch it together.
Me: Do you think Kev and Dave are planning something?
Nell: What are you talking about?
Me: They were having secret talks under my gazebo.
Nell: Good grief.
Me: No, really. There was leaning in and a lot of smiling.
Nell: It was probably just Boys Talk.
Me: Boys Talk?
Nell: Yes. Boys enjoy conversing too. It’s not only you and I.
Me: Whatever they were talking about it certainly made Kev smile.
Nell: David was probably telling Kev one of his jokes. Boys like to do that.
Me: I didn’t know Dave knew any jokes. It’s more Kev’s kind of thing.
Nell: Since he became the Mayor of Kingsbridge David has been working hard on his public speaking. He’s constantly having to make speeches and people always enjoy a good joke.
Me: Except that Dave isn’t actually the Mayor of Kingsbridge, is he?
Nell: My friend Dorothy said the Whippets Institute have asked him to judge the cake competition at the Village Fair.
Me: I’m not sure that’s wise.
Nell: I think David is the ideal judge. He knows his cakes and he loves eating them.
Me: True, but I’m not sure he knows how to stop.
Nell: He’ll only be given a slice. Not the whole cake.
Me: That’s what you think.
Nell: Anyway, you need to stop imagining intrigue when it isn’t there. Why shouldn’t Kev and David have a little chat? We do it all the time.
Me: But I like to be in on the conversation.
Nell: Well, this time you can’t be. Not all conversations have to revolve around you and me you know.
Me: Yes. Sorry.
