Standing in the doorway, trying to control her blown-inside-out umbrella, and at the same time not be noticed, Angela caught sight of herself reflected in the window.
“What a mess” she thought, “this is really going to impress people, thank goodness I’m early and there’s no one about.”
The door opened behind her. A man’s voice said, “Can I help you? I saw what happened through the window. That car nearly hit you, never mind splashing that big puddle over you.”
She looked up with a start through steamed-up glasses. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, “I’m dripping all over the place but I…”
“Look,” he said. “Why don’t you come inside out of the wind and rain and dry off a bit. We don’t open till nine o’clock and nobody turns up until ten to.”
With a relieved, “Thank you, just for a minute then.” she stepped through the door.
“The ladies is through that door,” he said. “Pop in there if you like, you’ll find towels and stuff, you’ve got ten minutes then you can be on your way and no-one the wiser.”
Wiping the rain from her spectacles, she saw a man in his fifties, most likely the caretaker, from his air of ownership. Thinking, he is probably less than ten years older than me, yet he talks like my dad, she said “You are very kind, but I don’t want you to get into trouble.”
“It’s no problem. We’re a friendly bunch. If you meet anybody, just tell them that Sam’s looking after you. Don’t be too long though, because our new boss is coming in today and she’s an unknown quantity.”
Angela made her way to the ladies feeling very grateful to Sam and mentally putting him on her assets to the business list. Having dried herself out, she was finishing her hair when the door burst open and in bounced what seemed like a five-foot nothing ball of effervescence.
“Hello. It’s alright, Sam told me you were here. I’m Jenny. I work here. Are you all sorted? That bloody puddle, I got caught like that once, it’s awful. Sorry I don’t stop talking, do I, except when I’m working, then I’m dead quiet, honest. You got far to go? It’s still raining out there.” Snatching a breath, she continued, “Sam’s chucked your broken brolly, but you could borrow this.” She held out a large umbrella with the company logo on it.
“That’s ever so nice of you but I ..”
Jenny cut her off. “No, it’s OK we keep them for customers’ use.”
“But I’m not a customer,” Angela said.
“No, but you’re a lady who needs a brolly, and you might become a customer. Take it. Drop it in next time you’re passing. I’ve got to go now. The others will be coming in and I need to get started.”
Jenny’s attitude to customers won her a place alongside Sam in Angela’s mind. “One last favour please, how do I look really?” Angela turned, trying to see her back in the mirror. “Have I got all the muddy splashes off?”
Jenny came back. “How do you look? Is that suit one of ours? Sorry I’m being nosey. Anyway, on you it looks great; that textured material really suits your colouring. I mean, it isn’t easy. No sorry I didn’t mean - well my sister’s a redhead. Look I’m sorry, why am I always saying sorry. Your skirt has dried without a mark. You look great. You can go and meet the world, your bank manager, get married, get a new job, anything, without a qualm. Now come on, I have to go.”
“Okay,” Angela said, “And thank you very much for your help.”
She had been apprehensive about this job of turning around a business that had gone awry. Now the kindness of two total strangers had shown her that it might not be that difficult. “Nice loos as well,” she thought, as she walked back to the foyer.
“What a mess” she thought, “this is really going to impress people, thank goodness I’m early and there’s no one about.”
The door opened behind her. A man’s voice said, “Can I help you? I saw what happened through the window. That car nearly hit you, never mind splashing that big puddle over you.”
She looked up with a start through steamed-up glasses. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, “I’m dripping all over the place but I…”
“Look,” he said. “Why don’t you come inside out of the wind and rain and dry off a bit. We don’t open till nine o’clock and nobody turns up until ten to.”
With a relieved, “Thank you, just for a minute then.” she stepped through the door.
“The ladies is through that door,” he said. “Pop in there if you like, you’ll find towels and stuff, you’ve got ten minutes then you can be on your way and no-one the wiser.”
Wiping the rain from her spectacles, she saw a man in his fifties, most likely the caretaker, from his air of ownership. Thinking, he is probably less than ten years older than me, yet he talks like my dad, she said “You are very kind, but I don’t want you to get into trouble.”
“It’s no problem. We’re a friendly bunch. If you meet anybody, just tell them that Sam’s looking after you. Don’t be too long though, because our new boss is coming in today and she’s an unknown quantity.”
Angela made her way to the ladies feeling very grateful to Sam and mentally putting him on her assets to the business list. Having dried herself out, she was finishing her hair when the door burst open and in bounced what seemed like a five-foot nothing ball of effervescence.
“Hello. It’s alright, Sam told me you were here. I’m Jenny. I work here. Are you all sorted? That bloody puddle, I got caught like that once, it’s awful. Sorry I don’t stop talking, do I, except when I’m working, then I’m dead quiet, honest. You got far to go? It’s still raining out there.” Snatching a breath, she continued, “Sam’s chucked your broken brolly, but you could borrow this.” She held out a large umbrella with the company logo on it.
“That’s ever so nice of you but I ..”
Jenny cut her off. “No, it’s OK we keep them for customers’ use.”
“But I’m not a customer,” Angela said.
“No, but you’re a lady who needs a brolly, and you might become a customer. Take it. Drop it in next time you’re passing. I’ve got to go now. The others will be coming in and I need to get started.”
Jenny’s attitude to customers won her a place alongside Sam in Angela’s mind. “One last favour please, how do I look really?” Angela turned, trying to see her back in the mirror. “Have I got all the muddy splashes off?”
Jenny came back. “How do you look? Is that suit one of ours? Sorry I’m being nosey. Anyway, on you it looks great; that textured material really suits your colouring. I mean, it isn’t easy. No sorry I didn’t mean - well my sister’s a redhead. Look I’m sorry, why am I always saying sorry. Your skirt has dried without a mark. You look great. You can go and meet the world, your bank manager, get married, get a new job, anything, without a qualm. Now come on, I have to go.”
“Okay,” Angela said, “And thank you very much for your help.”
She had been apprehensive about this job of turning around a business that had gone awry. Now the kindness of two total strangers had shown her that it might not be that difficult. “Nice loos as well,” she thought, as she walked back to the foyer.