Day 93

“Hello?”

“Hi, Julie. How are you?”

“Oh, good. Glad you phoned. I’ve got some adverts, hang on they are here somewhere, oh yes - couple of concerts I thought we might go to. Next Thursday and Saturday? One is …” but Julie never got the chance to extol the virtues of the Riverside Three Trio or Big Jake and his Psychedelic Band ‘a tribute to ZZ Top’.

“No. I can’t Julie. I won’t be here for a few weeks. Work is sending me to Detroit.”

“Detroit? Detroit where the cars came from? Motown Detroit? In the middle of America Detroit?”

“Yes. They are thinking of working with the local university there.”

“I didn’t know they had one. What’s it called?

Pat could feel her skin tingle and her mouth was dry as she mumbled, “Detroit University.”

Julie said, “Oh, right. Ok when will you be back?”

Pat’s skin was burning now and her moth felt like sandpaper. “Not sure. But obviously I’ll call you when I get there.”

Julie brightened. “Ok, I’ll come round this afternoon. Got some lovely Pastel de Nata. I reckon they would go down nicely with some bubbly.”

“Er, that’s a nice offer but I can’t. I’m going this afternoon. Got to pack. Rush job.” She tried to sound more ‘gosh I’m busy’ than ‘Julie just get off the bloody phone will you?’ but she wasn’t sure she succeeded.

Julie was stunned and deflated. “Right, well better pack some warm clothes then – I’m sure it’s very cold out there. It’s very cold here – so it will be worse out there.”

And all good things began to come to an end.