A scene that was cut from the 'Dear Roz' series

Conversation between Roz and her assistant, Maxine that didn't make it into the novella.

Lunch break. Roz and Maxine were making their way to the deli not far from their workplace.

Maxine turned to Roz. "You're lovesick."

"Get away from me," Roz replied, a look of disgust on her face.

"Admit it."

"I admit nothing."

"Nathan asked me about you."

"What did he say?"

Maxine shrugged. "Makes no difference. You don't care."

"That's right. I don't."

They walked in silence for several seconds..

"So what did he say?"

"Doesn't matter. You wouldn't want to go there anyway."

"Go where?" Roz asked in a tone approaching boredom.

"Oh, look!" Maxine said, nodding her head in the direction of a middle aged woman on the other side of the street. "Isn't that Rhonda? She divorced her husband two days before he won the lottery."

"Where could he possibly think I would go with him?"

Maxine let out a loud sigh."They say it was over ten million."

"Somewhere sleazy no doubt." Her tone remained even.

"Her new toy-boy turned out to be wanted by the police."

Roz gave a half-hearted chuckle. "You can't make me beg."

"Something to do with hotwiring a car."

Roz smiled and shook her head. "I don't beg."

"Of all cars to hotwire, you choose the police commissioner's wife's chevy?"

A frown creased Rozlyn's brow. "Not ever. That's just not me."

"Why would a man steal a pink car anyway?" Max wanted to know.

"I know what you're doing, Maxine."

Maxine continued. "If I were a man and decided to steal a car, I'd pick a black car, or maybe a dark green one." 

"I've used that technique myself, but it doesn't work on me."

Max took the conversation sideways. "I think Rhonda's ex husband owns half of that incredible new restaurant. What's it called again?"

"Is that where he wants to take me?"

"It has a man's name." Maxine searched the sky for clues as they walked.

"I hear only the super elite can get in, the waiting list is so long," Roz replied.

"I know it doesn't begin with F. It's not Frank's or Freddie's."

"There's no way Nathan, of all people, could get a reservation there." Roz shook her head.

"I told him you wouldn't be interested," Maxine responded.

"Interested in what? That new restaurant? Are we talking about Carl's?"

"Carl's. That's the name. I knew it didn't begin with F."

Roz grabbed Maxine by the arm and forced her to stop. "Did he want to take me to that new restaurant? Yes or no?"

"I thought you didn't care?"

"I don't. On the other hand, I wouldn't pass up a chance to go there even if it meant going with one of your dates."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, come on, Maxine. Twice you begged me to double date with you. Usually that would mean that I would get stuck with the guy wearing his sister's wig."

"Reg was a nice-ish guy, sort of."

"His handshake was wetter than an Olympic swimmer's armpit."

"Nathan decided to take Betty, instead."

"He chose Betty over me?"

"Only after I told him you weren't interested."

"How the hell did he wangle a table at Carl's?"

"I asked him the same thing," replied Maxine.

"Well?"

"He said it's because of his posh English accent. According to him, it opens doors. Doors that remain shut to people like... never mind."

Roz's face turned pink. "People like who?"

"He never mentioned your name. I want that on record."

"He meant me, didn't he? That no good, low down, sneaky, greasy, two-bit—"

"He also said that if you change your mind..."

"I should think so too. It would be the only decent thing to do. After what he's put me through."

"But I said you wouldn't."

Roz's eyes almost popped out of her head. "Max! Why would you say that?"

"To save you from a—what was it—no good, greasy, sneaky—"

"Yes, but that was before he wanted to treat me to dinner at Carl's."

"You're starting to sound very shallow right now, Roz."

"You're supposed to have my back, Max."

"If I thought you were the slightest bit interested in him, and not just because he's a gorgeous hunk with a foreign accent, I would have landed you that gig in a heartbeat. Hell's bells, I almost begged him to take me. I have no problem taking your cast-offs."

"You can't be an ex-boyfriend unless you've officially been a boyfriend, Maxine. That's how it works."

"So, since you two were never an item, you wouldn't mind if I dated him?"

"He asked you out?"

"No, but just on the off chance it ever happens."

"You can be my guest, but I'd warn you against it."