At last ‘A life’
By Julie D Cole
Chapter 24 Building Friendships

Somewhat apprehensively I answered ‘Hi’

‘Where did you disappear to tonight we were just warming up?’

‘Sorry I was getting nervous and didn’t want to drink too much and be ill for work tomorrow. I said that because of the importance of my new job I was just being responsible.’

Jessica laughed and said that I was a whimp. She said she’d had no intention of getting drunk but then as the evening livened up events took over. Especially when there was chance to flirt a little and maybe go into town with the 2 hottie guys. She said they’d asked about me so she’d wanted to see if they ‘spotted me’ and to see their reactions if they found out. She was proud of the fact that she’d helped looking forward to coming to my rescue again if anything happened.

I couldn’t understand her motifs at all and why she might want to humiliate me or think about exposing me in public. I told her it was making me more nervous and that I’d have preferred to have a quiet meal with the girls as originally intended. She just laughed and said most of them liked a good night out midweek to avoid work taking over their lives because we all work really hard for Kate Harper. It was true that despite her behavior she had a good team who worked hard but I figured this was because of their personalities rather than under good leadership.

Then she asked where I was so I said I’d just gone to bed. She asked if I was still going to Birmingham with Sally and said that she hadn’t come in yet so maybe she was out drinking or had met someone. She asked me again if I was interested to share the apartment with her and Mary Jo but this time I declined outright. I said that I needed some time to consider my new situation and welcomed the chance to develop my relationship with my sister who was home.

She asked if I’d go for a coffee with her tomorrow and to think more about her offer so I just said that I’d see how things panned out in the morning. So eventually she said ‘OK Hun I’ll let you go so sweet dreams’.

I switched off the power to my mobile and turned off the light. Before I’d closed my eyes there was a tapping on my door and I put the light back on. Sally popped her head around the door and whispered that she’d like to come in.

I said OK and pulled back the duvee and she smiled and snuggled up beside me. I dimmed the bed light this time and turned towards her. She asked who I’d been talking to and when I told her she just said ‘Jessica bitch, I hate her.’

As we snuggled to each other I told her that I’d got rid of her and the sooner we found a new place for Sally the better. She said I was very lucky to have a sister like Julie and an understanding mum. She said she’d been made very welcome and wished she’d had a sister. Then she said that she ’d like it if she had a sister like me and felt that I was a very special person. I sighed and said ‘Yes so special that I had no life and no friends’. She just whispered that it wasn’t true. Maybe I just didn’t understand my true self and that I’d not been dealt a fair hand of cards in life.

I laughed and said ‘Yes I didn’t even get a Joker just the lowest cards’
Then I turned over and Sally snuggled up to me and we fell asleep with her caressing my boobies.

My alarm woke us sharply at 7am and we looked at each other and smiled. I couldn’t help wondering why Sally was interested in me and if our relationship had anywhere to go. Why would Sally like a boy who was acting like a girl. She said ‘What are you thinking about?’ I just said ‘Nothing much. I was just thinking about you’ I was smiling of course and she stuck out her tongue and tickled me.

Then mum knocked on the door ‘Come on you two, get moving I’m making some tea’.
I said ‘Ahhh. A girl in my bed and caught by mum. How to face her at breakfast?’ She said ‘Is this your first time to get caught then?’

We giggled and both showered and dressed and partway through Julie surfaced and asked if I needed my personal dressing consultant services this morning and a taxi to work. ‘Of course I do sis’. ‘OK let’s decide together’.We went to her room and we all got ready together. Sally gave a second opinion on Julies choice of clothes for me. It was nice to have such fun and especially nice that Sally could be part of it. I felt very special.

Mum had prepared some tea and toast and cereals and fruit were on the table. We tucked in and mum entered the conversation and said we were like 3 budgies so she couldn’t get a word in. She reminded me that we were going to Grans and agreed to meet me outside work at 5-30pm. She said that Gran would have had her tea by the time we arrived and then we’d get a taxi home.

Julie arranged to meet Sally at the bus stop around 6pm and said she’d pick us up after she collected Gary at 7pm. So everything was arranged and we gathered our belongings to depart for work leaving mum to tidy up. She had a smile on her face and I felt she looked much younger when she smiled than she did when she looked sad.

We dropped sally at the bus stop and then Julie dropped me at the office at 8-30am since the traffic was light. I arrived before Kate that gave me pride and I took care to welcome her with a nice aroma of coffee that she noticed immediately. She greeted me with a hug and asked if everything went OK. I told her that I’d been fine thanks to her and said that I was really grateful. She said ‘You’re welcome anytime’.

Then she asked if I could drive since she knew that I’d had lifts from Julie. I told her that I’d failed my test because of nerves and then decided I couldn’t afford it. She just said ‘OK we need to get that sorted out soon then Missy’. I thought that this might not be wise in case I was ever stopped by the police but I thought I’d better wait to see what Kate did.

I got a call from Anne who asked if I’d got home safely so I told her what happened. She was feeling guilty for leaving me but I just insisted that I was a ‘big girl’ now who had to learn to look after myself. She said ‘Just be careful there are plenty of prejudiced people about.’

She told me that Jessica was in a foul mood today because she was hung-over and she’d got some urgent reports to finish. Anne had got some dumped on her because of the urgency and she didn’t know where to start. She wished I was there to help so I said to come upstairs and I’d help her as much as I could even if I had to work through my lunch-break. She came up and I showed her some short cuts and where to access information to cut and paste into the reports. Kate noticed us working together but she just smiled as she went past.

Anne came up at lunchtime and we shared her sandwich whilst I re-formatted two of the reports and printed them off. Anne was soon confident and we worked well together. We had a very productive hour and finished everything. She was very grateful but then I just said ‘it’s my small re-payment of your kindness towards me.’ She said I deserved success and she felt that I was sure to do well now I was under Kates wing.

When Kate returned from lunch she asked if I’d brought my Gucci bag and she’d sort out the repair. I’d popped it into a Sainsburys carrier bag and she looked at me and sait ‘reaaly Chrissy we have to lift your standards’. She said she’d got a few more spare bags at home so she’d sort out a shoulder bag and a nice briefcase. I guess I had never realized that image was so important and Kate said I should concentrate on giving out the best first impression to people and I’d go far.

I then focused on some work for Kate and about 4pm some reports came in that included some from Jessica. I had to put all the reports into a presentation folder for Kate to review at home that night so I couldn’t resist to scan through them. I smiled because Annes reports did put the rest of the reports to shame but then nobody would realize she’d done them as they were issued by Jessica as part of her overall report. I just called Anne and said that her reports looked the best and she was really pleased for the feedback.

I checked it was OK to leave on time and Kate said I musn’t be late so wished me good luck.
Mum was waiting outside under her umbrella and she’d brought one for me. I laughed because it was pink. It’s nice mum but better I’d use the one I’d bought that was better for my image.

I wished I’d got some boots as we walked to the bus stop as I felt the rain wetting my tights.

The bus was full so I had to stand whilst mum sat down. Then as nice surprise for me when a young boy was encouraged to give up his seat for me and I sat down next to his mum and said thanks to him. He reminded me of myself when I was at school and was smarter than the average schoolboy in his uniform and obviously took care of himself. His mum said they’d been to the dentist and that he’d been very brave but had to wear a brace. I smiled and said I’d also worn a brace for 2 years and hated it. She just politely smiled and said it had obviously been a success.

We arrived at Grans and the rain had stopped when we walked up her garden path. I stopped and said to mum that I was nervous and did Gran know that I was now working as Chrissy. She said ‘No that is the reason for the visit. I want her to meet her new grand daughter.’
Mum opened the front door and shouted ‘It’s only me’. We took off our coats in the hallway and then mum went into Grans living room.

‘Hi mum, here I am and I’ve brought someone special to see you.’

To be continued…….