āWill it though?ā Ros was getting concerned. āIām not great in photos at the best of times. Even Dad said my passport photo looked like a police mug shot.ā
Cameron nodded. āIāve got an idea.ā He passed Gazzaās lead to Ros and she wondered what he was doing. He manoeuvred her a little so the purple backdrop of the wisteria was in shot. āReady?ā
āNo, because I have no ideaāā She didnāt get to finish her sentence because Cameron lifted Gazza into her arms and the overexcited pup began trying to lick both their faces. Despite the unwelcome doggy kisses it did make Ros laugh and Cameron snapped away.
āYou had better have got a good one,ā she said, wiping her chin, but she wasnāt cross. She felt a bit giggly, which wasnāt like her.
āYeah I think I did,ā he said, scanning the reams of shots of her laughing.
Chapter Eighteen
Wednesday was Darlaās night off from the cocktail bar. It was a great opportunity to have a catch-up with Ros. She was itching to hear her side of the barbecue story.
Ros had already chilled the wine and they sat on the sofa and shared their updates. Ros went first and gave a detailed account of the event as only Ros could. Darla was surprised that Ros didnāt use the flip chart. āIn conclusion I asked that in future he run things like that by me before taking action, and he brought me those flowers.ā
Darla glanced at the beautiful bunch of blooms in a vase on the table. āWow, they must have cost him a bit.ā
Ros seemed to look at them afresh. āI suppose they must. They are lovely.ā
āI get where youāre coming from completely, but Iām more traditional and a little less militant than you so I actually think it was a nice thing that he did. Women like that would never listen even if you challenged them; theyād put that down to you overreacting but when someone else calls them out they might take notice.ā
Ros gave her a knowing look. āTheyāve left the break room every time Iāve gone in there this week. One of them even walked out with her half-eaten sandwich in her hand.ā
āYou should speak to Human Resources.ā
āAnd say what? The mean girls are being mean again? Weāre not in primary school. No, Iām going over their project with a fine-tooth comb and Iām hoping to find a number of areas for improvement.ā
āBe careful. Donāt give them any reason to get you into trouble.ā Darla sipped her wine. Ros was smart but she wasnāt that streetwise and whilst she did everything by the book, many people didnāt. Darla feared Ros could be outwitted by underhand tactics.
āThey wonāt because Iām implementing a new policy. Cameron thinks things will improve if I make an effort to be more approachable and find common ground with others. Iām picking one person a day and Iām engaging them in superficial conversation whilst attempting to look friendly. Iām avoiding the mean girls but that still leaves plenty of people.ā
āBlimey, that is a big change. Well done you. You might even make some friends,ā said Darla.
āItās fine. I donāt want to be friends with these people. Talking of friends, have you lured Elliott yet?ā
āIām not trying to lure him. I just think we got off on the wrong footĀ .Ā .Ā . a number of times. I want to show him that Iām capable.ā
āHowās that going?ā asked Ros with a hint of a smile.
āDonāt you start. Iāve borrowed a few more books from the library on rearing livestock and keeping chickens. But oh my days they are the dullest books ever written.ā Darla flopped her head back on the sofa for emphasis. āI actually fell asleep reading one of them. I thought it would be helpful on two fronts. One, it would increase my knowledge so Iād look less of an amateur in front of Elliott, and two, it would stop me missing a television.ā
āDid it work?ā
āNo! I need a television. I really do. Iāve spoken to every charity shop in the city and none of them take in electrical items. I think I might have to buy one.ā
āDonāt do that. You can take the one out of my spare bedroom.ā
āI couldnāt. Could I?ā
āMy ex put it in there for reasons unknown but it never gets used. Apart from when you stay.ā
āYou are a lifesaver. I cannot tell you how much I have missed it. At least now I know I could never be on Love Island. And before you say anything, yes, that would be the only thing stopping me from getting on that show.ā
āIāll take it off the wall at some point and you can have it.ā
āCould we do that now? I know that sounds desperate but I am.ā
Ros good-naturedly found a screwdriver and they headed to the bedroom. It was easy to get it off the wall but Ros couldnāt find the stand it would have come with, although Darla didnāt care. āIāll find some way to prop it up,ā she said, placing it reverently by the door so she didnāt go without it.ā
āYouāll need to get a television licence,ā said Ros.
āIāll sort it out first thing tomorrow. I promise. Itāll be worth every penny. Thanks again. I really appreciate it.ā
āYouāre welcome. Those holes in the walls will give me an incentive to get it redecorated,ā said Ros.
They topped up their drinks. āI didnāt see much of Elliott from the other side of that giant sofa last week, but I did see how you interacted with him. Are you moving on from The Wanker?ā
āIām not after Elliott if thatās what you mean. He thinks Iām incompetent for a start. But I do think Iāve moved on from The Wanker in that I feel I could date someone if I wanted to. I probably wonāt ever trust anyone enough to be in a relationship with them but thatās a different issue. I get men flirting with me in the bar all the time so I have the opportunity, butĀ .Ā .Ā . I donāt know.ā
āToo much effort?ā asked Ros.
āItās more that I donāt want to take the risk.ā
āI can relate to that,ā said Ros.
āNot in a risk-management way. But I couldnāt bear to get into a situation where it affects my parents again.ā
āBut I thought they didnāt know about everything The Wanker did?ā
āThey donāt. And I thought telling them I was going travelling was sparing them from any upset as well as saving me the embarrassment, but being away from them for such a long time is hard for all of us. I figured it would be fine. Iām an adult but I miss them. And the thought of being a let-down after all they have done for me weighs heavy.ā Darlaās shoulders sagged as she spoke.
āWhy are we so programmed to please our parents? Surely back when we lived in caves it wouldnāt have been like that.ā
āWeād have been too busy trying to stay alive to worry about what our parents thought. Ahh,ā said Darla wistfully. āSimpler times.ā
āIām not entirely sure thatās true but I do think we worry far too much what other people think. We pass judgement on ourselves based on othersā standards. I suspect we didnāt overthink things as much when we lived in caves.ā
āThatās because youād have been eaten by a sabre-toothed cat or squashed by a woolly mammoth long before thirty,ā said Darla.
āIām not sure which Iād prefer,ā said Ros, looking like she was actually weighing up the pros and cons.
āDifficult choice. Disappointed parents or a herd of marauding mammoths? Parents, whoād have āem,ā said Darla and they clinked glasses.
The rest of the evening flew by and Darla ordered an Uber. They hugged and Darla left with the television in her arms. What the Uber driver would think she didnāt know but she didnāt care because now she had a telly. All she had to do was track down Winston and she was sorted for lovely afternoons in front of her favourite programmes with a cat on her lap ā bliss.
***
A few minutes later the entry door buzzer sounded as Ros was getting changed for bed. She pressed the button. āWhat did you forget?ā she asked, expecting it to be Darla although after a cursory sweep of the living room she didnāt spot anything sheād left behind.