Love at Cafe Lompar by Anna Burns

Author:Anna Burns
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Honno Press
Published: 2021-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The television presenter was speaking a stream of Montenegrin I didn’t understand while I rushed round the apartment. I threw on a T-shirt and denim shorts, searching for the right pair of sandals. I checked my make-up in the mirror, knowing it would have to do. I was too excited to put more effort in. I grabbed my bag and sunglasses and headed for the door, swearing as I almost forgot my keys.

Today was the day the review came out.

We’d been nervously anticipating it all week. I was simultaneously dreading it and electrified. I’d agreed to meet Luka at the restaurant so we could read the review together and he could translate if needed. We were then planning a day out together − Luka was finally taking me to Dubrovnik, to either celebrate or commiserate.

‘Definitely celebrate,’ he’d said, earlier in the week.

‘I’m not so sure. With the whole seafood debacle, I don’t think I was on my best game. I didn’t have time to properly marinate my calamari and get the right balance of flavours on the bream.’ I shook my head. I’d gone over the night’s events again and again, berating myself for fridge-gate.

‘Yeah, you’re right, it was disgusting actually,’ Luka grimaced.

I hit him on the arm, ‘Are you ever serious?’

‘Not when you talk such nonsense! You know it is going to be a good review.’

I wish I’d felt as confident as him. Even Rosa had seemed quieter than usual yesterday, more brisk when I tried to make conversation over the pass. As I hurried along the pavement, dodging market stalls and tourists lazily strolling along, I kept my eyes peeled for newspapers. Eventually I found the right stall.

Mine and Rosa’s faces were on the front cover − the front cover! In a column of teasers for the main stories inside. Grainy but definitely us. I handed over the money for five copies of the Pobjeda, the national paper, one to send back to Mum, one I was tempted to send to Mark as a fuck you, and the rest for me. My first review as head chef! Although I couldn’t read it all, it had to be good if we were on the front cover, surely?

I started to run to Café Lompar, when I spotted Luka heading towards me, his arms full of copies. He grinned widely as he saw me and held them up in the air.

‘Is it good?’ I asked, as we reached each other.

‘Good? It’s fantastic!’ Luka flung his arms around me, causing a few of my copies to go tumbling.

The relief was intense. It was strange knowing there was a whole newspaper article written about me that I couldn’t read. I couldn’t wait to find out the details. The journalist had told us there would be an abbreviated article posted online in English as well so I’d be able to send it to Mum later.

I followed Luka into the empty restaurant, quickly pulling out two chairs at the front, no time to marvel at the glittering Adriatic and pink sky ahead of us.

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