Thursday, 18 November 2021

Snippets of Downshire Life – Out of Left Field

 

George had been away on an outward-bound course, one of those team building kind of affairs, and the first thing he did on returning home was to sit on his sofa and wade through the emails that had accumulated.

Most of them were of no importance so they went straight into trash, the rest comprised of a number from Gayle Lindon, from the office, gently reminding him that he hadn’t submitted his expenses lately.

He had always found her to be an attractive woman but a bit too forceful and a bit bossy.

Luckily before leaving for the Pepperstock National Park, “for team bonding”, he managed to get ahead of the curve and got most of his receipts entered so it only took some little time for him to get them up to date and fire them off to her, which he hoped, would keep her quiet for a week or two at least.

 

Once he had finished all his correspondence, his thoughts returned to Geraldine, as they had for most of his time away.

During his enforced isolation, with no access to technology or communication devices, he had a lot of time to think, and most of those thoughts were about Geraldine, and on his return to civilization he was eager to speak with her but he wasn’t getting any response on her mobile so he phoned her office the next morning and asked to speak with her and was informed by Miranda, an unhelpful receptionist, that she was not available, so he was about to leave a message for her to call him but instead he asked

“Is her brother Danny available?”

It turned out that he was, as his was the next voice he heard 

“Danny speaking”

“Hi Dan, its George” he said

“Hi George, how are things?” he asked

“Not bad” he replied “Listen I’m trying to get hold of Gerry”

“She unexpectedly had to fly to the States on Saturday morning” he responded “And she’s staying over there for Thanksgiving”

“Damn” he cursed

“Anything I can help with?” he asked

“Not really” he said, “It’s a question only she can answer”

“Well I’m sure she will if she can,” he said “I’ll get her to call you”

And he had to leave it at that.

 

It was much later that day when he received a call.

“George” she said brightly “Sorry it’s taken so long to get back to you, but the time difference really messes with my head”

“That’s ok” he lied, but it was so good to hear her voice

“I was just hoping we could get together”

“I would like that”

“Ok great” he said “when?”

“Well I get back in late on Friday which means on Saturday I’m going to be an absolute cabbage so how about Sunday” she suggested

“How about lunch maybe, but just you and me”

“Definitely” he replied “phone me with the where and when”

 

He was disappointed initially with not being able to say all the things that he wanted to say to her, all the things that he had been dying to say since the team bonding exercise when it dawned on him that he was in love with her, and that came right out of left field.

But that upset was more than offset by her proviso in reference to lunch when she added “But just you and me”

So, he was elated, but the only downside was that he had to wait a for a week before he could see her, but at least they could skype, so he had something to be thankful for.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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