*
David worked and worked for the rest of the afternoon on the Mini. He painstakingly removed the dents to the best of his ability, and he was busily finishing a paint touch up when his mobile rang. He looked at the caller identification on the screen and saw it was Simon. He did not really want to speak to him but he thought it would be rude not to. Simon had had a date last night and David supposed he wanted to gloat another success story to him. He pressed the green button on his old, battered Nokia and answered the call.
‘Alright Dee. Where are you?’
‘Bloody hell Simon! Dee is short for Diane! How many times do I have to tell you?’
‘Don’t be soft and answer the question!’
‘I am at work.’
‘At this time on a Saturday? You’re usually done by now aren’t you?’
‘Yeah, I am. Doing some extra work.’
‘Some extra, extra, extra work more like. When will you be done?’
‘Don’t know, hopefully soon. I’m knackered. How was your date?’
‘She didn’t turn up the bitch!’
‘She didn’t? Shame, she sounded good.’
‘Good? Good?! A sweeping understatement there matie! Stunning more like.’
‘Funny, I met a Sally last night.’
‘Did you? Where?’
‘She brought a car to the garage late on,’ said David, slightly twisting the truth. ‘Not your Sally though, this Sally had black hair and blue eyes. Yours has blonde and green doesn’t she?’
David again twisted the truth a little. Although Sally did have black hair last night, when Simon met her she had blonde, but she definitely had green eyes; he would never forget those eyes. He was inwardly wishing that Simon’s Sally was different from his, but he already knew the truth before he started asking the questions.
‘Yep, indeed she does, although she changes her hair colour a lot, but my Sally has definitely got green eyes. Coincidence,’ stated Simon.
‘Must be. What car does your Sally drive?’
‘Don’t know for sure. Think it is a Mini.’
‘Oh, right, my one had a Focus, must be a coincidence.’
‘Sounds like it. Hey, I do know something though; I met someone amazing last night. Well, I didn’t meet her, I already knew her, just didn’t realize how fantastic she is!’
‘Oh yeah, who?’
‘You won’t know her, someone from college.’
‘Oh, right. What’s her name?’
‘Michelle. Really pretty and a good figure, but man, what a personality!’
‘Not like you to go for personality.’
‘I know! But I think this is the new me! She is wonderful and we are going out on a date next week!’
‘Winner. Good on you.’
‘Cheers matie. Hey, did you hear about Mike?’
‘No, I haven’t spoken to any one today. Why, what has happened to him?’
‘He only got himself banged up!’
‘Banged up? Where?’
‘In the police station, where do you think?! He got out late last night. Have a guess what for?’
‘I don’t know, hitting a police officer with a stick?’
‘No, indecent exposure! He was only walking along with his tackle out and walked straight into the arms of two police officers! You should have seen his face!’
‘Sounds like a right hoot.’
‘Believe me when I say it was! When do you think you will be done then?’
‘Don’t know.’
‘Coming out tonight?’
‘Are you going out again? Where to?’
‘Probably town again.’
‘Nah, I will leave it tonight. I’m broke.’
‘Broke? My arse! The amount of work you do!’
‘I know, but all that goes to savings.’
‘Okey dokey then. See you tomorrow or in the week. Don’t work too hard!’
‘Defo. Have a good one. I won’t. See you.’
‘See you Dee!’
David threw the phone away in disgust onto a pile of tarpaulin sheets in the corner of the garage that broke the phone’s fall. Lots of things were raging through his mind. The first being that the amazing woman he met last night was the same woman that one of his friends was meant to meet for a date! The second, while David was going along with no-one, Simon moved on from someone as stunning as Sally to another girl in the blink of an eye!
It annoyed him a lot that Simon could move on from one to another without giving a serious consideration to the feelings of someone as lovely as Sally. ‘What the hell are you moaning at?! If he has moved on already, and it sounds like he likes this Michelle, then it leaves the road open for you!’ This thought, expressed out loud, put a small smile back on his face. ‘Excellent! Now that you have thought about it rationally instead of getting angry it turns out that there is probably no reason to get angry in the first place!’
David hummed a happy tune as he walked the few steps to retrieve his old phone. It had switched off but he pressed the on button and it flashed back into life. ‘Nokias!’ he again exclaimed out loud. ‘You can do anything, anything to them and they still work! Now to call in some favours!’
Happy that so far he had got the Mini into the best condition that he could, he sat down on the garage floor, leaning his back against one of the walls, and flicked through the phone book on his mobile until he came to the person he wanted to call. He pressed the green button and listened to the ringing until it was answered.
‘Hello?’
‘Hello Brian. It is David from Gladstone Garage. How are you?’
‘Oh, hello Dave, I’m good. And yourself?’
‘Getting by. You still at work?’
‘Yep, just finishing off. What can I help you with?’
‘Remember that big favour you owe me?’
‘You’re joking?! On a Saturday?!’
‘Sorry, I know, but I really need your help.’
‘Go on then. I’m all ears.’ David explained the situation to him, again missing out any word about Sally. ‘And where, exactly, at this time on a Saturday, do you expect me to land my hands on a full set of windows for a Mini?!’
‘Come one Brian, don’t give me that, you are the man are you not?’
‘Bloody hell Dave, I am good but, ah, bloody hell. Give me an hour. We have got a few Minis in the scrap yard but I have no idea what condition the windows are in. Give me an hour and I will call you back and let you know what I can find.’
‘You are the man!’
‘Yeah, I am. Bear this in mind though, this cancels out my favour and puts you in debt to me!’
‘Not a problem. If you can do this then I will do anything you ask of me for all eternity!’
‘I’m sure you will. My wife is going to kill me. Fancy calling me up at this time on a Saturday. Give me an hour.’
‘Sounds good Brian, speak soon.’
Brian did not reply but David could hear him cursing him as he hung up the phone. He chuckled to himself for a few moments until he stood up and decided to put the hour to good use by washing and polishing the car while he had all the equipment there to do the job quickly. He worked until the car was practically sparkling and it was then that he looked at the clock on his phone and saw that Brian had now passed his allotted hour. He was reaching for his mobile when he heard a horn blow. He looked towards the entrance of the garage and there, driving a large flatbed truck with a stack of windows strapped to the back of it, was Brian. He saw David and he trundled the truck over to him where he stopped it and jumped down out of the cab.
‘You are truly a miracle worker!’
‘Tell that to the wife. This is going to result in me getting a call from the solicitors on Monday. She is not a happy camper!’
‘Sorry, but a favour is a favour is it not?’
‘Tell that to the wife! She thinks I am with some fancy woman! Here you are. Seriously, phone her, you’ll find her under “T”.’ He passed David his m
obile. ‘Try to resurrect my marriage why I unload the windows.’
David took the phone and pressed the appropriate buttons to find the entry labelled “The wife” in Brian’s phone book. He walked away from Brian and the truck, out of ear shot, and for the first time that day, he told the woman he had met only once the full story. By the end of it she totally understood why he needed her husband’s help so badly. What woman is not touched by a tale of romance and trying to win a lady’s heart?
David swore her to secrecy before he walked back and passed the phone back to Brian. He spoke to her for a few more minutes until he turned to where David waited. ‘I don’t know what the hell you said to her, she wouldn’t tell me, but she was like a little kitten and told me to stay here for as long as I was needed! She’s not spoken to me like that for twenty years!’
‘Oh well, guess I must have a way with the women! Glad she said you can stay as long as you are needed. How are you at fitting windows?’
‘You what?! You want me to help you bloody fit them as well?!’
‘Yeah, that would be nice.’
‘Nice?! I’ll give you bloody nice! This had better be for a good cause!’
‘Trust me, it is.’
‘Who managed to get all their windows smashed on a Mini?!’
‘I can’t tell you, but she is worth it.’
‘She? Well, why didn’t you just say? We’ll have these fitted in no time!’
‘Excellent! Let’s get to it then!’
‘Yes boss!’
David laughed at Brian’s joke and together they lifted the rear window and fitted it quickly. They fitted the other windows equally quickly, while laughing and telling each other jokes and amusing stories. Soon they had the windows done and he departed as soon as it was completed back home to his spouse. Later that night, with some pillow talk, Brian got the full story out of his wife about why David so urgently needed the help.
After Brian had gone, David decided that enough was enough and that no matter how hard he tried he could not get the car any better than it was now. He wandered out of the garage into the yard and across to a small flat bed van. Hopping onto the side of it he sat on the edge with his legs hanging over the side and took his phone from his pocket. He flicked through the phone book on his phone until he reached the “Ss”. There, at the top was the new addition to his phone book, the new addition to his life. The entry simply read Sally. He took a few deep breaths and pressed the green button. It started ringing.
Chapter 14
Sally spent all morning and afternoon getting some shopping therapy. All the shops recognized her when she entered them and they could tell from her unhappy face that they could make a lot of sales to her that day. She moved up and down the street, going from one exclusive shop to another, trying on shoes, dresses, jeans and every type of clothing that there was.
At lunch time she called Alfred to come and collect her shopping because she could not carry the bags she had accumulated anymore. When she saw the Rolls-Royce depart she got a slight twinge of guilt as she thought about how much money she had just spent. She knew her father could afford it, and she knew that he would happily pay off anything if it made her happy. Sally gave a resigned shrug of the shoulders and for the third time that day she entered a Prada shop to again try on a pair of shoes that had caught her eye.
At around three she decided to have a break so she went to a little coffee shop that she liked and took her usual table in the window. The waiter knew her order and did not ask her. He discreetly got her a cappuccino and a small slice of chocolate cake, leaving the bill on a saucer by her side.
She sat staring at the new apartments across the street that had been erected in the last few months thinking how better it would be if the coffee shop still had a river view. She was lost in her thoughts when she noticed movement at the entrance to the apartment block.
Stood at the door was a young man who she instantly recognized. It was her intention to phone him later that day and she was half out of her seat to go and speak to him until she noticed someone else coming down the flight of stairs. For a moment she froze halfway up while she glared at the young woman leaning affectionately towards the man she was meant to meet for a date last night.
She slumped back into her seat when the man opened his arms and accepted the offered hug, and then she thought that she was going to cry when she saw them engage in a deeply passionate kiss. The kiss lasted to Sally for an eternity and she watched again as her best friend took a step away from him, still holding his hand, and made him laugh with whatever she said to him. He took a step and opened the glass door and again they hugged and kissed while Sally’s jaw got more and more clenched, while her knuckles got whiter and whiter as she held the edge of the table top in a fierce grip.
Michelle stepped through the door as Simon held it open and this time it was Simon that had Michelle laughing with some kind of joke. Sally was using all her will power not to run across the street and confront them. Michelle leaned back in and pecked him on the lips and then turned on her toes and walked down the street where she flagged down a taxi. By the time she had stopped watching and glaring at the back of her friend, Simon had returned back upstairs to which ever apartment he had access to.
With a few deep breaths Sally managed to compose herself and relaxed her grip on the table. Leaning back in her chair she could not believe what she had just seen. Her so called best friend kissing her date after obviously spending a night with him! She spent some minutes trying to calm down but she could not. Sally reached for her hand bag and took out her mobile phone. She phoned her friend.
‘Hi Sally. How are you?’
‘I’m okay. How are you? Good night?’
‘Yeah, it was good.’
‘I bet it was.’
‘Yeah, it was. What happened to you? I saw Simon out with all his friends. Did he not turn up?’
‘No, I’m the one that didn’t turn up. My car broke down.’
‘Oh, okay. I spoke to him. He was wondering what happened to you. Did you not call him?’
‘I couldn’t get a signal where I broke down and by the time I did get one it was too late. Where did you end up? Score with some hottie?’
‘No, unfortunately not! You know me Sally; I was home and tucked up in bed for one.’
‘Were you? Are you sure?’
‘Of course I’m sure.’
‘Oh, okay then.’ Sally paused for a second. ‘Bloody hell Michelle! How long have we known each other for? How long have we been best friends?!’
‘Erm, a long time. Why?’
‘Because I thought that my best friend, someone who I have been friends with all my life would not lie to me!’
‘Erm, I am not lying.’
‘Michelle, I can’t believe you have just said that! The sensible thing to have done was to let me speak and then you would not have had to lie to me about lying.’ There was a long silence between the two friends. ‘Anything to say?’
‘No, I am doing as advised and keeping my mouth shut. Why do you think I am lying to you?’
‘For some reason, I don’t know why, but Simon has access to one of the new apartments on Church Street, I presume you know the ones?’
‘I know the apartments, yes.’
‘You know that there is a coffee shop directly opposite the entrance to these apartments?’
‘Of course I do. We have been there many times. Just here please. How much is that?’
Faintly Sally heard the taxi driver speak, and then there was a pause while Michelle got the money out of her purse.
‘Thank you. Yeah, you too. Bye.’ Sally then heard a car door open, close and then the clip-clop of Michelle’s heels as she walked presumably to her front door. ‘What about that coffee shop then?’
‘I am sat at the window table right now.’
Sally heard nothing for a few moments, not even the clip-clop, presumably because Michelle had stopped walking and was trying desperately to think of
something to say.
‘How long have you been there for?’
‘Long enough Michelle, long enough.’
‘I am so sorry Sally; I don’t know what happened…’
‘Michelle how could you?! My date!’
‘I know, but after you didn’t turn up I didn’t think you were interested and he is so nice, and, and…’
‘And what?’
‘Nothing.’
‘So was he good in bed?’
‘Now hang on a minute, I didn’t sleep with him!’
‘Watch that nose Michelle, the end of it will be jabbing the President of China in the eye pretty soon if you tell one more lie!’
‘My nose isn’t growing this time because I am not lying to you this time. I swear I didn’t sleep with him. I woke up this morning on the sofa. He was in bed on his own!’
‘Yeah, whatever Michelle, whatever.’
‘Oh I give up. I will call you later when you have calmed down and we can talk about it properly.’
‘Don’t bother!’
Sally pressed the end call button on the phone and slammed it down onto the table. The waiter glanced over at the noise and noticed how angry Sally looked.
Sally was again way past angry. She could not believe what she had just seen and she could not believe the conversation she had just had, the lies that her best friend had told her in such a hard faced way. She stood up out of her seat and ripped a five pound out of her purse and threw it onto the saucer. Picking up her phone she flung it back into her hand bag and collecting her shopping bags she stormed out of the café.
Now that she was so angry she did not even feel like shopping. She could not remember ever feeling so angry, even seeing her car last night had not made her feel like this. There was only one thing that usually got rid of such anger and that one thing was Storm.
She retrieved her phone again from her bag to call Alfred and demanded that he pick her up. Alfred recognized the tone in her voice, one of the few remnants that was left from her spoilt little brat days, and even though he was having a very rare break he did not refuse her request and left the mansion in the Rolls-Royce.
Everything to Nothing Page 9