Page 61 of One Snowy Day
‘Actually, your dad isn’t going yet either. We’ve both decided that we’re going to stay here a bit longer, at least until after Christmas. Or maybe spring.’
Now she knew that something was definitely amiss. Her dad had been so fed up earlier. Was this why? Had he realised he didn’t want to go yet either?
‘But why?’
The only answer to that was a cagey, ‘It’s a long story and he’ll tell you all about it later, but right now I’m more interested in getting you sorted. So tell me, if you could take the job and still have a salon here to come back to if it didn’t work out, what would you think of that?’
‘I’d think I’d wish I knew that before I turned the job down because I would have given a different answer. But I still don’t understand how that could work, Mum. You’re going to have to explain it to me.’
Over the next ten minutes, Georgie’s chin must have gone up and down a dozen times, as Jessie mapped out her plan. Every time Georgie had a handle on her reaction, another detail would be forthcoming, and she would reel to another emotion, travellingthrough surprise, outrage, shock, encouragement, reassurance, and finally…
‘I think that’s genius,’ she blurted.
‘Really?’ her mum checked. ‘I don’t want to put you on the spot, Georgie, and I would have waited until tomorrow to discuss it, but I don’t want you losing out if they have time to offer the job to someone else. Now or never, love. What do you think?’
What Georgie thought was that never in a million years would she have seen this coming. This morning she’d been resigned to life in Weirbridge. No, not resigned. That made it sound like she was being kept here in a siege-type situation. The reality was that she’d been comfortable here, and content that her whole life was mapped out in front of her. But that had changed now. It was as if the last week had opened a tiny window to the rest of the world and now that she’d started thinking about the possibilities, she wanted to reach out and explore them. Kayleigh wasn’t at home and relying on her any more. She was very definitely single. If she could take a chance on a different life, while keeping the safety net of the salon here, wouldn’t that be the best possible scenario? And how amazing would it be to travel? IfThe Clansmangot commissioned for another series, she could travel round America in between shoots, with Kayleigh joining her for as much as the university holidays would allow. Or maybe come back to the UK and spend time with Grant in London. Oh, and maybe meet a bloke – one that she hadn’t been married to and one that knew nothing at all about solar fricking panels – and have that one-night stand. It wasn’t as if some incredible guy was ever going to find her in a hairdressing salon in Weirbridge – even though they did offer a 20 per cent discount on haircuts for men, ever since old Shug, the barber, had given in to his gout and retired.
‘I think that I’d bloody love it, Mum. Are you sure though? Absolutely positive?’
Her mum threw her arms around her. ‘Couldn’t be more sure. Although, I’ll have to return all those “going away” presents,’ she said, nodding to the fully stocked gift table. ‘But I’ll worry about that later.’
Georgie counted at least ten gift bags containing bottles. ‘It does look like there’s a lot of wine there, but those are for your birthday too, so I’m sure no one would want them back. We could just have another party and invite everyone again.’
‘Not your worst idea. But let’s wait and make sure that job in America is still available, then we can celebrate. I’m just going to go and speak to Alyssa. You might want to make that phone call.’ Mum squeezed her in another hug, then, in true Jessie style, checked on the elderly dears next to her before she left. ‘Would you like another drink, ladies? Tea or sherry?’
‘Well, I wouldn’t say no to another sherry, Jessie,’ Mrs Dawson croaked.
Olive was of the same opinion. ‘I’ll have one of those too, since you’re offering.’
Their hearing seemed to dramatically improve when it came to the subject of a tipple.
Although, right now, Georgie could empathise because she could do with a stiff drink herself. Was she really going to do this? She mentally calculated the time difference again. It would be late afternoon in LA, so she wouldn’t be calling at an inappropriate hour.
Her bag was still lying under the nearby table where she’d left it when she’d arrived, so she retrieved it and glanced around for a quiet spot to make the call, deciding that phoning back to beg for a second chance might not go down well if the sound of laughing,glasses clinking and Cher’s ‘Believe’ were all going on in the background. Even the toilets weren’t safe, because last time she was there, Val was on guard outside and redirecting everyone to the gents’ because of a burst pipe or some other toilet emergency.
In the end, she saw there was only one thing for it, but a quick search for her jacket drew a blank, and she was woefully underdressed.
Time for improvisation.
‘Mrs Dawson, can I borrow your knitting for a second?’ she asked, raising the volume.
Mrs Dawson acted like this wasn’t an unusual request in the slightest. ‘Of course you can, dear,’ she said, handing it over.
Leaving the knitting needles dangling from the bottom of about a thousand rows of cable knit, Georgie wrapped the scarf around her several times, and stepped outside, immediately regretting the decision as the freezing cold air blasted into her pores.
She wasn’t particularly religious, but she sent up a silent prayer on the off chance that anyone was listening.Please let the job still be available. Please let the job still be available.Which quickly morphed to,Please don’t let me die of hypothermia before I find out if it’s available.
With hands that were trembling from the cold or the fear, she located the number in her recent call log and dialled it again.
It rang. And rang. And rang.
Until… ‘Hi, this is Bonnie Katowski.’
‘Miss Katowski, hello. This is Georgie Dern. We spoke earlier about the position working with Ollie Chiles onThe Clansmanset. You may have received a voicemail from me…’
‘Yes, I did. I’m sorry you won’t be joining us.’
‘Well, that’s the thing. I promise I’m not usually indecisive anda flip-flopping nightmare, but circumstances have changed at this end, and I’m now in a position to take the role. So I just wondered if it was still available?’
