The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2769 by Angharad Copyright© 2015 Angharad

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This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.
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The next morning after breakfast I noticed the driveway was clear of two-legged rats. Simon had gone earlier and that’s usually before the gutter press rise presumably having been trying to find where the nearest orgy was taking place. I did think I might try and do some shopping and the only noise was created by the girls squabbling. Trish was tormenting Mima until Danielle got involved and stopped it.

One would think sisters would be all sweetness and light to one another, mind you, I’m speaking as an only child who’d loved to have had a sister, apparently, I’m wrong—they can be horrid to each other as many say when they grow up. Occasionally the animosity remains which I find sad. Having said that Dad had a sister, the unlovely Auntie Doreen, so I should have known better. I suppose as a child I’d have loved having a sister so we could paint each other’s nails or do hairstyling or shared clothes—except it might not have happened as some women can be as transphobic as any man—Ms Germaine Greer, could be a case in point.

The phone rang spoiling my train of thought, and as I went towards it I hoped it wasn’t some tabloid reporter asking me for an interview, which when I decline, they usually say something like, ‘Well, turn me into a frog then.’ My response is, “Too late somebody turned you into a toad already,” followed by switching off the phone.

I answered it cagily, “Hello? Came from the handset, is Professor Watts there, please?”

It didn’t sound like a newspaper unless it was the Guardian or Independent. “Speaking,” I replied.

“Ah good, we caught you, your secretary said you might be at home. It’s Bristol University Zoology department, we have a bit of a situation...”

I listened to their narrative and decided I needed to go and see them to sort it out. Stella had gone to work taking her two to the crèche, so if I could get Jacquie to watch the others and ask David to do some baking with the older ones, I might just be able to do it. I’d told them I had to make childcare arrangements and would call them back. David was delighted to show Trish and Livvie how to make flapjack—I never bothered to learn myself, can’t stand it. As he was doing this, we agreed he’d do a basic meal for lunch and dinner. Danni realised where I was going and asked to come with me.

As she rarely asks me for much other than clothes, makeup, shoes, lingerie, jewellery and football kit, I thought I would take her but would explain it’s a business trip not shopping expedition. “You could drop me at the shopping centre and collect me later,” she suggested.

I agreed and gave her a tenner for her lunch on the understanding she’d spend her own money, but no more than fifty quid total. She accepted my terms and after we quickly changed we left with none of the others noticing we’d gone—I’m still not eating flapjacks.

“Are you going to look at your two houses?” she asked me.

“I don’t think I’ll have time, why?”

“Jus’ wondered.”

“What are you looking for?”

“Nothin’ special, jus’ thought it was too good a chance to miss.”

“You have your phone with you?”

“Yeah, course.” As we spoke it peeped and she dealt with a text from Cindy or Carly. When she’d finished she popped it back in her bag, then said, “Mummy, how come you ended up with Des’ house when he was gonna marry Auntie Stel?”

Perhaps I should have been more matter of fact and said something like, “Dunno, but I suppose he had a reason,” and left it at that. However, being me I have to complicate things beyond the necessary. I also felt myself starting to glow and it wasn’t the sunshine through the windscreen, it was cloudy and overcast.

To have dismissed her question with such a line would have been a lie because he wrote me a letter explaining why he named me as sole beneficiary, though it was before he knew he was going to be a dad. I blushed some more, how much can you tell a fourteen-year-old?

“He fancied me but as I’d accepted your dad’s proposal of marriage and was therefore engaged, I declined to be more than a friend. Des had a bit of reputation with the ladies and he was very good company...”

“Did you fancy him back?”

“I tried not to think about it.”

“Why not, you fancied Gareth, we all did.”

“You fancied Gareth?”I spluttered, this was a total revelation to me.

“Sort of, I mean he was totally sooo good looking, wasn’t he?”

“He was, but so’s your dad.”

“Yeah, but he’s going to seed a bit, in he?”

“I’ll tell him if you like?”

“Muuuuumm,” she pouted like any other fourteen-year-old girl. Her adaption to her change of lifestyle is astonishing and I suspect her previous macho appearance was a front to hide the girly boy inside. How come they all end up with me?

“So did you fancy, Des?”

“As I said, he was good company and had I not met your dad, I might have dated either him or Gareth.”

“Gareth had the hots for you, din he?”

I felt like complaining about her grammar but it would have seemed like an attempt to avoid the question. “Did he?”

“Huh, you know he did, he watched you like a puppy dog.”

This was news to me, no wonder Stella tried killing me a couple of times. “I didn’t know, actually.”

“We all did, me, Julie an’ Sam, we used to chat about it, they both fancied him too.”

“Did you?” I shot back and caught sight of a bit of colour coming into her cheeks.

“I wouldn’t have kicked him outta bed, put it that way.” How I didn’t run the Jaguar under the truck in front I’ll never know.

Before any further revelations of Danielle’s libido arose I pulled into Cribbs Causeway retail park and told her she was to call me if there were any problems or when she was finished; I’d call her when I was done at the university which was where I drove next, having insisted they had a parking space for me before I set off.

The traffic in Bristol is as dire as any city in the UK and despite being one of the cycling cities, more people drove cars than rode bikes, though there were a few in evidence here and there and nearer the university the numbers increased. Half an hour after dropping off Danielle, I managed to park outside the zoology department and collected my wits and my laptop case in one hand my handbag being in the other. “Right, let’s see if I can sort out this mess,” I said to myself as I strolled into the reception area and after announcing my name was taken to the meeting room.