Unit 4 / Listening 3B

Meanwhile, back in London , Simon and Caroline are in the local pub.

 

Simon: What can I get you, Caroline?

Caroline: My usual, thanks.

Simon: (to barman) A gin and tonic and a pint of bitter, please. (Pub noises). Are you hungry?

Caroline: I had a bite to eat a little earlier. And you?

Simon: I haven't quite got over the jetlag yet. I had a decent meal around four o' clock but now I'm hungry again. Mind if I have a sandwich?

Caroline: Go ahead. I'll go and grab that table in the corner, shall I? It might be quieter there.

Simon: So are things between you and Tom any better since we last spoke?

Caroline: Not really. We've emailed each other but we haven't spoken properly. He's in Los Angeles right now – with another woman, who apparently he thinks is ‘very resourceful', whatever that's supposed to mean. I know I shouldn't, but I can't help feeling a tiny bit jealous.

Simon: I almost feel jealous myself. If I hadn't got stuck in Siberia , I'd be with him myself. Tom and I go back years, you know. He's a great person to work with.

Caroline: To work with maybe, but to live with… To be honest I feel closer to you at the minute. I really appreciate you being here to listen to me.

Simon: What are friends for? Cheers.

They clink glasses.

Caroline: Cheers.

Simon: So what's this idea you've had that you wanted to talk to me about?

Caroline: Well, the thing is, I'm not getting quite as much work as a designer as I used to. Partly my own fault, in fact – I turned down one or two good offers from department stores because I wanted to concentrate on theatre sets, but then the contracts failed to materialise and I was left without anything. So I thought, why not try something different altogether?

Simon: Go on.

Caroline: Well, I know you've been looking for a different horizon too.

Simon: Well, yeah… Perhaps not entirely different, but unlike Tom I'm getting a bit tired of all this travelling. The Siberian trip just about finished me off.

Caroline: But you're still interested in the investigative side of your job, right?

Simon: Oh absolutely. I'm just ready to…

Caroline: Settle down?

They laugh

Simon: Yeah, I suppose!

Caroline: Well, here's what I was thinking; What if we started our own business?

Simon: What kind of business?

Caroline: Well, I was thinking along the lines of a production company specialising in documentaries – the kind of things you and Tom usually cover in magazines. But I couldn't do it on my own. I was wondering if you'd like to help me set it up and co-manage it. It would be perfect for you because you'd still be in the same field of work, while I could look after the administrative side of things. And between us we've got plenty of contacts, don't you think?

Simon: Well, you know, it's amazing, Caroline, because when you told me you had a business idea, I started wondering about my own future, and I came up with something very similar myself. So really, it's right up my street.

Caroline: Brilliant. We just need to get down to working out the details now. Drink up, it's my round.