Barney's Test Snippet

Angela pushed her cousin out the front and towards Barney's table. He opened his eyes to see Rosa sit down.

"Hi Barney." Rosa smiled.

"Hi." Barney's 'hi' had about as much enthusiasm as a child who is given a broccoli lollypop.

"Well I'm here." Rosa said.

"So I see."

"Is Joan coming back?" Rosa asked.

Barney looked up at the woman. He couldn't believe she still had the idea that Joan was on the dating books.

"Look I don't need this." Barney said. Rosa looked over to her cousin who mouthed the word, 'mother'. Rosa nodded. She had mothering instincts she said to herself. A mantra she often repeated when people took her business acumen for a personality. She nodded at Angela and then took up Barney's fork for the baklava and began to cut his sweet into little bits. She poked at a bit and went to feed him keeping the serviette under his chin. It wasn't the sort of mothering Angela had in mind and she rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue.

"What are you doing?" Barney sat back and frowned at Rosa.

"But I..." Barney took the fork and banged it on the table. Rosa, left with just the serviette, started to wipe his mouth for him.