happened to me.
It was the same day I borrowed the bus fare from Ingrid. I got the feeling stronger than ever hi the afternoon that old Hassop had it in for me and when he sidles up at ten to five, and tells me a drawing I've had on the board since a week before Christmas is wanted first thing in the morning, I'm more sure than ever. It means I'll have to work over, and bang goes my chance of seeing Ingrid on the way home. Well, I have it to do whether it's really wanted or Hassop's keeping me back out of spite, so I settle down to it and hope it won't take me long. There's plenty bf work in the office and one or two sections stay behind > most nights of the week. But tonight being the first day back after the holidays nobody's in the mood and at half past five everybody packs up to go. The board lights click off as they all slope out in ones and twos. The tracers come through, wafting face powder all over the place and chattering fifty to the dozen like birds do. Then by twenty to six there's only me left besides Hassop and Miller, who always leave after everybody else. At five to six I unpin the sheet and take it up to Hassop's office. Another five minutes goes by while he reckons to look it over and drops hints right left and centre about my work. Then I'm free to go.
Half the lights are out in the corridors and I can hear the cleaners' buckets clanking somewhere. I go down the stairs and I'm pushing on the big door when I hear these high heels come tapping along the corridor behind me. I must go psychic for a minute because I know straight off who it is and my heart gives a little flutter. I turn round and she flashes a smile as though she's glad to see me.
'I'm going your way,' she says.
I hold the door open for her and get a gorgeous whiff of her scent as she goes by. We say good night to the commissionaire and walk off down the lane. It seems she's feeling a bit peevish.
'Some people...' she says. "They don't think of starting their letters till everybody else is going home.'
'You've got one an' all, have you?' I say.
'Have I got one!'
'An' who's yours?'
'Leslie Felton ... You'd think some people hadn't got homes to go to. Not that you can blame lam, I suppose, with a wife like he's got.'
'What's wrong with his wife?'
'Oh, she's a real shrew, by all accounts. Don't tell me you didn't know? I thought everybody did.'
It seems there's a lot I don't know and she starts to bring me up to date. I don't have to make the conversation tonight; she just rolls it out. She's as full of scandal as the Sunday papers and by the time we get to the bus stop I know more about the people who work at Whittaker's than I've learned all the time I've been there.
I get both fares into town and she says, 'That makes us quits,' and smiles.
She picks up where she left off and starts chattering again; but I'm not really listening now. My mind's working like mad on how I can make the most of this chance. I try to think of a way to get started and all the time the bus is tearing down the road into town. When I see the Grammar School sail by I kind of panic because we'll be in the station any minute now.
'Look, there's something I -' And she starts talking again at the same time. We both stop.' Go on,' I say.
'I was just going to ask you if you'd seen that new musical Rise and Shine at the Palace,' she says. 'I was wondering what it was like.'
I haven't a clue what it's like, to be honest, but I say, 'I think it's good,' and I'm thinking, Now, now, now: what are you wait ing for? 'I was thinking of going to see it myself one night this week, as a matter of fact,' I say. This is another fib, but I don't care. I have to clear my throat. 'P'raps ... er mebbe you'd like to come with me ... see it together ...'
She says, 'Oh!' just as if it's the last thing she'd have thought of and I begin to think how I can pass it off if she turns me down. 'Well, when?'
I can hardly sit still in the seat. I want to jump up and shout, I'm that
It was the same day I borrowed the bus fare from Ingrid. I got the feeling stronger than ever hi the afternoon that old Hassop had it in for me and when he sidles up at ten to five, and tells me a drawing I've had on the board since a week before Christmas is wanted first thing in the morning, I'm more sure than ever. It means I'll have to work over, and bang goes my chance of seeing Ingrid on the way home. Well, I have it to do whether it's really wanted or Hassop's keeping me back out of spite, so I settle down to it and hope it won't take me long. There's plenty bf work in the office and one or two sections stay behind > most nights of the week. But tonight being the first day back after the holidays nobody's in the mood and at half past five everybody packs up to go. The board lights click off as they all slope out in ones and twos. The tracers come through, wafting face powder all over the place and chattering fifty to the dozen like birds do. Then by twenty to six there's only me left besides Hassop and Miller, who always leave after everybody else. At five to six I unpin the sheet and take it up to Hassop's office. Another five minutes goes by while he reckons to look it over and drops hints right left and centre about my work. Then I'm free to go.
Half the lights are out in the corridors and I can hear the cleaners' buckets clanking somewhere. I go down the stairs and I'm pushing on the big door when I hear these high heels come tapping along the corridor behind me. I must go psychic for a minute because I know straight off who it is and my heart gives a little flutter. I turn round and she flashes a smile as though she's glad to see me.
'I'm going your way,' she says.
I hold the door open for her and get a gorgeous whiff of her scent as she goes by. We say good night to the commissionaire and walk off down the lane. It seems she's feeling a bit peevish.
'Some people...' she says. "They don't think of starting their letters till everybody else is going home.'
'You've got one an' all, have you?' I say.
'Have I got one!'
'An' who's yours?'
'Leslie Felton ... You'd think some people hadn't got homes to go to. Not that you can blame lam, I suppose, with a wife like he's got.'
'What's wrong with his wife?'
'Oh, she's a real shrew, by all accounts. Don't tell me you didn't know? I thought everybody did.'
It seems there's a lot I don't know and she starts to bring me up to date. I don't have to make the conversation tonight; she just rolls it out. She's as full of scandal as the Sunday papers and by the time we get to the bus stop I know more about the people who work at Whittaker's than I've learned all the time I've been there.
I get both fares into town and she says, 'That makes us quits,' and smiles.
She picks up where she left off and starts chattering again; but I'm not really listening now. My mind's working like mad on how I can make the most of this chance. I try to think of a way to get started and all the time the bus is tearing down the road into town. When I see the Grammar School sail by I kind of panic because we'll be in the station any minute now.
'Look, there's something I -' And she starts talking again at the same time. We both stop.' Go on,' I say.
'I was just going to ask you if you'd seen that new musical Rise and Shine at the Palace,' she says. 'I was wondering what it was like.'
I haven't a clue what it's like, to be honest, but I say, 'I think it's good,' and I'm thinking, Now, now, now: what are you wait ing for? 'I was thinking of going to see it myself one night this week, as a matter of fact,' I say. This is another fib, but I don't care. I have to clear my throat. 'P'raps ... er mebbe you'd like to come with me ... see it together ...'
She says, 'Oh!' just as if it's the last thing she'd have thought of and I begin to think how I can pass it off if she turns me down. 'Well, when?'
I can hardly sit still in the seat. I want to jump up and shout, I'm that
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