Jo needed, and she filled in the online form and paid for the course there and then. Once she had done so, and had looked at the programme in more detail, she started to get quite excited, and began typing up a list of questions related to each of the sessions. When she looked at the three A4 sheets she had filled, she had to laugh at herself. She was going to be that annoying swot, sitting right in the front with her hand in the air, constantly interrupting to ask more questions. Still, it was wonderful to feel stimulated again.
*
On Saturday, Lee drove her to the Tube station, and she kissed him goodbye. Imogene and Zach waved cheerily to her from their car seats in the back. They looked perfectly happy to be spending the day without her.
She couldnât remember the last time sheâd caught a Tube without a pushchair, an excited toddler and at least twoenormous bags, so it felt very odd to get on to the train with just a satchel. She took out her notes and questions and her copy of the dayâs agenda, and by the time she got to Waterloo, sheâd been through them ten times over. At Waterloo, she treated herself to a coffee and a magazine, and found her train to Surrey. She rang Lee, who answered his phone in a whisper.
âEverything okay?â
âFine. You?â
âFine here too. Iâm sat on the sofa watching
Monsters Inc.
with Zach, and Imiâs asleep on my chest.â
Jo let out a sigh she hadnât known she was holding on to. âThatâs great. Well, Iâm on the train, on my way. Iâll give you a shout at the first tea break.â
âHave fun, love,â said Lee.
The train pulled out of Waterloo and Jo sipped her coffee, stared out of the window and leafed through her magazine. She felt as if she was going on holiday.
The hotel where the seminar was being held was close to Kingston station and she got there just after nine thirty, half an hour early. She found a chair in the foyer of the hotel where she could see the door of the conference suite and sat down. She felt unaccountably nervous. This was the first proper work-related event sheâd been to in more than three years. She felt very out of practice and conspicuous. She jumped up and went to the loo to check her hair and makeup and make sure she had no baby porridge or snot anywhere about her person.
When she came back, there was a tall woman with dark red hair laying out conference packs on the table outsidethe meeting room. She must be Louise Holmes-Harperâs assistant. Jo hung back a bit and looked around. There didnât seem to be anyone else who looked like a conference attendee in the foyer yet, but then what would they look like? It was a seminar for people seeking to start a small business, and that could be anyone. She plucked up her courage and edged over to the table where the woman was painstakingly lining up name badges. There were quite a lot of name badges, Jo noted with relief â at least twenty. She had had an irrational fear that there would only be about five of them sitting around a table, embarrassed, trying to fill gaps and pauses with questions.
âHi,â Jo ventured. âIâm here for the small-business seminar.â
âHi!â said the woman. She looked about forty, and she had a wide, friendly smile. âLet me guess. You must be Jo Hockley.â
âWow. Good guess.â Jo smiled. âSorry, Iâm really nervous.â
âAh, I remember from your email you said youâd been at home with your kids for a while. I know how you feel; it can knock your confidence.â
The woman unbuttoned her jacket and took it off, and Jo realised that she was pregnant â not very far along, maybe fifteen or sixteen weeks.
âYouâre Louise Holmes-Harper,â said Jo, rather unnecessarily, because the woman was busy pinning on a name badge that made that clear.
âSorry, yes, of course I am. I thought you
*
On Saturday, Lee drove her to the Tube station, and she kissed him goodbye. Imogene and Zach waved cheerily to her from their car seats in the back. They looked perfectly happy to be spending the day without her.
She couldnât remember the last time sheâd caught a Tube without a pushchair, an excited toddler and at least twoenormous bags, so it felt very odd to get on to the train with just a satchel. She took out her notes and questions and her copy of the dayâs agenda, and by the time she got to Waterloo, sheâd been through them ten times over. At Waterloo, she treated herself to a coffee and a magazine, and found her train to Surrey. She rang Lee, who answered his phone in a whisper.
âEverything okay?â
âFine. You?â
âFine here too. Iâm sat on the sofa watching
Monsters Inc.
with Zach, and Imiâs asleep on my chest.â
Jo let out a sigh she hadnât known she was holding on to. âThatâs great. Well, Iâm on the train, on my way. Iâll give you a shout at the first tea break.â
âHave fun, love,â said Lee.
The train pulled out of Waterloo and Jo sipped her coffee, stared out of the window and leafed through her magazine. She felt as if she was going on holiday.
The hotel where the seminar was being held was close to Kingston station and she got there just after nine thirty, half an hour early. She found a chair in the foyer of the hotel where she could see the door of the conference suite and sat down. She felt unaccountably nervous. This was the first proper work-related event sheâd been to in more than three years. She felt very out of practice and conspicuous. She jumped up and went to the loo to check her hair and makeup and make sure she had no baby porridge or snot anywhere about her person.
When she came back, there was a tall woman with dark red hair laying out conference packs on the table outsidethe meeting room. She must be Louise Holmes-Harperâs assistant. Jo hung back a bit and looked around. There didnât seem to be anyone else who looked like a conference attendee in the foyer yet, but then what would they look like? It was a seminar for people seeking to start a small business, and that could be anyone. She plucked up her courage and edged over to the table where the woman was painstakingly lining up name badges. There were quite a lot of name badges, Jo noted with relief â at least twenty. She had had an irrational fear that there would only be about five of them sitting around a table, embarrassed, trying to fill gaps and pauses with questions.
âHi,â Jo ventured. âIâm here for the small-business seminar.â
âHi!â said the woman. She looked about forty, and she had a wide, friendly smile. âLet me guess. You must be Jo Hockley.â
âWow. Good guess.â Jo smiled. âSorry, Iâm really nervous.â
âAh, I remember from your email you said youâd been at home with your kids for a while. I know how you feel; it can knock your confidence.â
The woman unbuttoned her jacket and took it off, and Jo realised that she was pregnant â not very far along, maybe fifteen or sixteen weeks.
âYouâre Louise Holmes-Harper,â said Jo, rather unnecessarily, because the woman was busy pinning on a name badge that made that clear.
âSorry, yes, of course I am. I thought you
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