A Helping Hand
By: DL
(Copyright 2007-2016 by the Author)
The author retains all rights. No reproductions are
allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...
dl@tickiestories.us
It turned out to be an uneventful day at the office for me: I suspect that everybody was still wary of me after the events of the last week — and I wasn’t complaining about being left alone as it meant I could get on with my own work!
Mid-day rolled around without any interruptions and I waited until 2 o’clock before calling my ‘private’ home number: I was guessing that Julian had probably made use of his lunch-break to call his boy. It turned out that I was right: as Juan answered cheerily after a couple of rings “Hi Dave!”
“What made you think it was me?” I asked in reply to this opening gambit. “Well, you said this was a private number and I spent most of his lunchtime talking to Julian so who else would it be?” he rejoined. “Mm — I guessed that might happen which is why I waited until now before calling you. Is everything still OK with Julian for tonight?” I asked.
“It sure is, Julian told me that with all the stuff you bought they had a lorry-load to deliver and were setting out after lunch with yours the last delivery so he’s hoping he might be here early.” Juan replied smugly.
This wasn’t quite what I had expected and I was momentarily lost in thought mulling this over and the lack of a response made Juan follow up: “Dave? Are you still there?”
“Yes, still here. How about you, are you OK?” Juan didn’t hesitate at all before replying “Yes, thanks, I’m starting to loosen up at last and it doesn’t really hurt that much at all now.” While I was pleased to hear this, I was still lost in my thoughts about Julian’s possible early arrival and so I ended the call more abruptly than was my custom: “OK, well, see you tea-time then, bye for now.”
My mind wasn’t concentrating properly and after half an hour I decided to call it a day and knowing that I wouldn’t get an easy escape I called Liz and told her I was going [all the management were expected to keep her posted on comings and goings], and collecting my briefcase I headed for the back stairs and then along the executive corridor to Ivan’s office.
As was his custom, Ivan’s door was open and I entered without knocking and waited for him to acknowledge me. Looking up, he pointed down the corridor as he got up and collected his glass of water, and I turned and headed to the boardroom, holding the door open for Ivan.
He sat on the left-hand side of the boardroom table and I pulled out the chair opposite him and parked my briefcase on the table to one side. Ivan gulped at his Buxton mineral water and then said “I won’t keep you long, I guess you’re leaving as you have your briefcase . . .” I smiled wryly, “but I just wanted to ask how things were with you now, after last week.”
I took my time before answering, and after thinking carefully, answered “I’m OK, personally, I’ve got over the events here but I do have a small personal problem that still needs my attention so if it’s OK with you, I would like to take Thursday off and then maybe we can talk on Friday afternoon and I can probably put your mind at rest then.”
“This is nothing to do with work?” Ivan enquired anxiously, and I smiled apologetically and said “No, absolutely nothing to do with work; and after Thursday I should be able to tell you most of what has preoccupied me for the last few days.”
Ivan sipped at his water again, before leaning back in his chair “Good, so the personal matter you mentioned isn’t sorted out yet?” he asked and I shook my head as I replied “No, but it’s OK, it coming back under control now.”
Ivan brightened up at the news that I wasn’t cracking up quite yet and I said I was leaving early if he didn’t mind as I had things on my mind. He nodded, well aware that my job required the ability to focus absolutely and that being “in the wrong frame of mind” would make me no good for the work needed.
I left and stopped in Reception and called Stella: she was a bit surprised that I should call but I explained the news that Julian might be early and she readily agreed that moving things up time-wise would be a good idea. I asked if she would like to go for a meal with me and the boys at the restaurant I had taken them to last week and she was quite amenable. I said I would see if it could be arranged and call her back.
A quick call to the Coaching House resulted in an early evening booking for 6:30 [it turned out that Monday was usually a quiet day for them and thus they had spare tables — they were a little bit puzzled by it being so early but I didn’t explain]. I called Stella again and said I’d pick her up in half an hour and explained about the restaurant booking.
Then, feeling quietly pleased with myself, I left and drove up Tut Hill and along the A45 to the Moreton Hall exit and stopped off at Sainsbury’s. I have been tee-total since I was 22 [and still am today, some 32 years later than these events], but I had thought that a bottle of champagne might be appropriate to celebrate Juan and Julian’s start of a relationship.
I dithered around the booze area like a fish out of water and eventually plucked up the nerve to ask one of the assistants what he would recommend and took his advice that Dom Perignon was a “decent bottle of fizz” and clutching my trophy carefully lest I should drop it [I can’t remember whether I have told you that I can be really clumsy or not!] and headed for the car where I stashed it carefully alongside my briefcase in the boot.
Mission accomplished, I headed over to Julian’s and was amazed that Stella stepped out of the door just after the car pulled up [and before I could get out of it!] — in my very limited experience with females they tended NOT to be ready on time [and my mother could and my sister still does really drive me wild like that, LOL].
I was also surprised that Stella opened the passenger door and got in the front alongside me! “You did say that you don’t bite!” she said in response to my somewhat perplexed look and I felt myself flushing again.
I said nothing in reply but waited until she’d fastened her seatbelt before setting off homeward and as it was before “leaving off time” we easily made it home before 4:30 — I was amused to note a frown cross the face of a teenage Spaniard who had been camped out by the window in anticipation of his boyfriend’s longed for arrival as we pulled onto my drive.
Stella had also noticed Juan’s reaction to our arrival and she laughed as she said “Well, one down, and I bet Julian won’t be happy to see the car here either!” I couldn’t stop myself laughing before replying “Better yet, can you imagine the look on Julian’s face once he gets inside and finds you here?”
This really amused Stella and we both laughed at the thought. Leaving the car we headed for my front door and Juan opened it before we arrived [fortunately he was dressed — in blue, naturally]. “What are you doing here?” he asked as we entered and he closed the door behind us.
I ushered Stella through into the living room as I turned to Juan behind me and said “I thought I lived here actually!” He wasn’t amused and said “But you’re early!” in a tone of voice that was difficult to categorize and I just smiled as I turned back towards the living room.
Juan followed me into the living room and I stopped — thinking — and asked Stella if she would like a drink whilst we waited. And as she agreed that was a good idea I went into the kitchen and made us both coffee [both Gold Blend this time, LOL] and returning to the living room gave Stella hers and continued onward and sat at the far side of the dining table so I had a view over Juan’s shoulder of the road.
We both sipped at our coffee and watched Juan attentively — well Stella did, and I watched her watching him! It was nearly 5 o’clock before a large lorry with “MFI” on its side pulled up just past my drive and as it did so, Juan quickly got to his feet and headed for the door. Stella and I were also quickly on our feet and both headed to the window in time to see Julian jump down from the passenger side of the lorry and run into the arms of his boy.
They hugged each other and as he had his back to us we couldn’t see whether Juan was saying anything to Julian or not but it was fairly obvious from Julian’s reaction that he was and that Julian wasn’t in love with Juan’s news! Both boys made their way to the door holding hands and Julian ushered Juan in before entering himself.
“What are you doing here?” Julian addressed his mother truculently as he entered the lounge and I stepped forward and said “Now, Julian, that’s no way to talk to a guest!” He stopped in his tracks and said “But that’s my Mum!” to which I replied “I know that and she is my guest in my house!”
Julian looked stunned and I carried on before he could regain his senses: “I thought after the events of the weekend that a little celebratory meal so we could all get better acquainted might be a good idea so I booked a table at the Coaching House for tonight.”
“But Dave, we’ve got your furniture on the van for the bedrooms.” Julian hurriedly interjected. “I hoped that you did, Julian. And if we look sharp we can get it all into the spare bedroom with enough time for you to get changed before we go out.” I finished.
Further conversation was precluded by a knock on the open front door by the delivery van driver. “Right Julian, are you ready to give me a hand getting this lot off?” he said without waiting for any response to his knock. “We can talk after its all sorted I said”, pointing Julian towards the door. I hurriedly cleared the coffee table and dining table out of the way and opened the hall door to allow them through and it only took about 15 minutes for Julian and the driver to transfer the goods from the van to the main spare bedroom.
When they had done I told the driver I would move my car so he could turn in my drive and decamped swiftly to do so. Returning 10 minutes later after the van had reversed, and turned and exited my drive, I re-entered the house to find an annoyed and sweaty Julian waiting for me.
“So what’s the big idea? You knew the furniture was coming tonight!” he started and I swiftly interrupted him “Of course I did — otherwise I would have had to pick you up from work wouldn’t I?” This self-evident truth stopped Julian in his tracks and I took advantage of it. “Why don’t you and Juan go and get a shower and get changed so we can get to the restaurant in good time” I offered.
I am sure that the words “you”, “Juan” and “shower” strung together into the same sentence weren’t lost on Julian — or indeed on Juan either, who was now tugging Julian’s left arm! “But I don’t have any decent clothes aside from these” was Julian’s response. The coup de grace was administered by Stella “And you DO have other clothes, Julian, Dave picked them up yesterday when he brought me here to see you — they are over by the window in the bedroom.”
“There, you see, get showered and changed and we can put your work clothes in the washer before we go so they’ll be ready for tomorrow!” was my contribution to the dialogue and Julian, under pressure — of a physical nature — from Juan, gave in and turned towards the hall door when I stopped him with a final comment: “You had better get some towels from the airing cupboard and remember, NO hanky-panky in the shower with Juan!” Both boys flushed at this and Juan let go of Julian’s arm and went and got the towels before leading him away down the hall to the bedroom and bathroom.
“Will they be OK together?” Stella asked, and I smiled as I replied “If you remember you said the difficult bit was getting Julian to promise something, NOT getting him to keep his promise!” and Stella smiled at the truth in the statement.
To be continued...
Feedback always welcome: dl@tickiestories.us
Posted: 08/12/16