The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike) Part 1914 by Angharad Copyright © 2012 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

Being the hostess, I got lumbered with waiting until the men had finished their meeting, and seeing Geoff off to his taxi.

He was effusive in his praise of the meal and the house. He pecked me on the cheek before leaving. As soon as he was in his taxi, I was off and up the stairs. It was midnight and I couldn’t wait to get washed and changed for bed. Not to put too fine a point on it, I was knackered. I’d just got comfortable in bed when Simon slid in behind me–I was lying on my side.

“That went well.”

“Good,” I yawned back to him.

“We’ve done about five million pounds worth of business tonight.”

“Yeah,” I yawned.

“At this rate, I’ll have earned a bonus of a couple of million.”

“Yeah,” I yawned again then turned over and said, “What?”

“My bonus should be really good this year.”

“How can you justify that amount of money on top of your large salary? There are people being thrown out of their homes because they can’t pay their mortgages and you’re going to get some obscene amount–how can that be fair?”

“I didn’t say it was fair, babes, life ain’t–but it’s what happens. I’m in a privileged position I know, but to give up my bonus because someone else is broke makes no sense. I can’t help everyone or even want to, I’m not an altruist like you; but I can ensure no one in this house will go without–and that is how I see my role. I’m sorry if you feel differently.”

“I know, Si, I’m glad your meeting went well and I appreciate what you provide for all of us. I suppose it also means we can afford to employ one or two people which has to help the economy too.”

“Yeah, exactly–anyway, Geoff was quite taken with you–he thought you were beautiful.”

“What about Stella?”

“Yeah, he was pleased to see her again. He also thought we had some lovely daughters.”

“Sometimes I think being seen as beautiful is a curse.”

“What? How can you say that? It’s done you very well.”

“It means men only see their own sexual fantasies, women are jealous and no one assumes you have anything to say worth hearing, unless it’s ‘yes’ to their improper suggestions.”

“Oh c’mon, Babes, it’s done you wonders. Everyone wants to help you, just to be seen with you.”

“I don’t think so unless it’s to bask in reflected glory, I can’t understand it at all.”

“We all like to see beautiful things, including people–or especially women.”

“I’m not an ornament, Simon, put here to add a bit of gloss to some saddo’s life, I’m a woman who wants to do things for her family, friends and even for herself. I have my own agenda, and that isn’t as a poster girl for High St Banks.”

“I know that, love, you have a mission, we all know that–but why can’t you be beautiful and still do it–surely that means fewer people will try and obstruct you? And if they look deep enough, they’ll see that your beauty isn’t just skin deep, it runs right through you, like writing in a stick of seaside rock.”

“You old flatterer,” I said pecking him on the cheek.

“Even a dickhead like Geoff Arthurs, who is a total jerk, was aware of the beauty you project–it isn’t just a physical thing–it’s a spiritual thing as well.”

“How could you invite someone you despise so, to our house?”

“I needed to get him to relax, and you lot distracted him enough to enable me to add a million to the cost of the contract. He’ll whinge tomorrow and I’ll take it off.”

“So it’s only worth four million then?”

“No, babes, the five mil is after I take the one off I added.”

“What are you doing that’s worth five million?”

“Saving his bacon–and his bank.”

“You’ve lost me.”

“They are about to close two hundred branches–we are going to offer facilities to their customers, eventually we’ll absorb them.”

“So how are you saving his bank?”

“Because a bank isn’t buildings on the high street, it’s about money and financial confidence. After HSBC and Barclays, we are the third most respected bank in this country, we’ve shot past RBS, Lloyds, and HBOS. We’re more solvent and have a broader portfolio. With City & Commercial using us, we should be even stronger in no time.”

I kept thinking, Kansas, but he obviously didn’t pick up my vibes–I just hoped he wasn’t buying into another pig in a poke or scam. “What does Henry say?” I asked.

“He told me to negotiate the best position I could.”

“Did he?” I yawned again as sleep encroached.

“No, he said let Cathy negotiate for you.”

“So you did a good job, I’m glad.” I yawned again, “He said what?”

“I think he was right, but I knew you wouldn’t be interested.”

“Too true–I’ll shoot that pa-in-law of mine.”

“I’ll borrow a gun for you,” said Simon and sniggered–I could feel the bed moving.

“Good night, Simon.” I turned over and quickly was lost to sleep.

I dreamt that Geoff Arthurs had my children and I had to negotiate a fee to have access to them. I woke up in quite a sweat, saw it was three o’clock and after a quick wee, I managed to get back to sleep. Simon as always was dead-o. Nothing seems to keep him awake.

He’d gone before I woke, I went to check if Sammi had gone as well and she had. It was half past seven and I had to rush to get the kids up for school and Julie to work, plus Phoebe to college. I did it with only moments to spare–thank goodness the girls were eating school meals now instead of me having to make them a packed lunch.

I got to my office at the university a few minutes late. “Nice of you to join us, Dr Watts.”

I’d gone to speak with Tom about the dormouse programme. I looked a bit blank at the dean. “Ye didnae read yer email, ye scunner.”

I obviously hadn’t because I had no idea what he was on about. “Um, no.”

“Ye’re invited to sit on the academic committee of the biosciences faculty.”

“Oh,” I scanned the august company gathered in Tom’s office. There was an empty seat. He pointed at it and I pointed at myself, he nodded and told me to shut the door while I was on my feet. I blushed and apologised, there were a few smirks but nothing else and the meeting continued.

It was boring, I was only there because my courses were more popular than anyone else’s, and they wanted me to try and help the other less popular courses expand–or face oblivion–there is no sentimentality in universities.

I had no magic wand to wave, and one of the departing men said, “I know, if we want to get all these young women who sign up for your courses, we need to engage some young bimbos and get them to make fluffy documentaries while wearing very few clothes.”

“No perhaps you just need to dump your dinosaur collection into the palaeontology department, and adopt some twenty first century methods of teaching.”

“Good for you, Cathy,” said the dean very quietly as he walked past, obviously hearing his chauvinistic colleague. Tom who’d also heard it winked at me–he tapped his watch–lunch at twelve thirty–here, he mimed at me. Oh well, if he’s buying...