Everything to Nothing (30 page)

Michelle
blushed a little. ‘Thank you Simon. You don’t know how much that
means to me.’ She leant across again to give him another kiss but
he lightly held her back with the flat of his hand.

‘What about the
curtain twitcher?’

‘Fuck ’em!’
With that she pulled him closer and kissed him again, longer and
even more passionately than last time. ‘Right, that kiss will
probably mean that both my parents have probably had heart attacks
on the spot but it was worth it! Should we make it a bit earlier on
Saturday, say seven?’

‘Perfect. You’d
better go. I think I can faintly hear your dad sharpening some
knives!’

Michelle
laughed and then gave him another peck on the cheek. ‘See you
Saturday.’

‘Definitely.
Wouldn’t miss it for the world.’

She smiled at
him and then reluctantly got out of the car, gently closing the
door behind her. As he pulled off she waved and watched him drive
away until he turned at the end of the street. Michelle let out a
sigh of contentment and then walked up the garden path to her front
door that was unlocked so she quickly entered the house out of the
cold night air.

‘Hello? Is the
front door unlocked for a reason?’

Her mum came
out of the living room into the hall. ‘I unlocked it for you. He
looked very nice.’

‘Did you see
him?’

‘Faintly. Is he
a good kisser?’

Michelle
blushed. ‘I wouldn’t know mum, I’ve never kissed a boy.’

Laughing her
mum replied. ‘Right, yeah, I forget that what I saw could not be
described as a kiss, it could only be described as tonsil
tennis!’

Michelle
blushed even deeper. ‘Mum!’

‘Just joking
darling. I shouldn’t have been watching.’ Michelle bit her tongue.
‘You had a good night?’

‘He’s magic
mum, truly special.’

‘I’m made up
for you honey, truly I am. Come into the lounge and tell me all
about it.’

‘Tomorrow mum.
I’m tired.’

‘Okay. You look
it. Off to bed then. College in the morning.’

‘Night mum.’
She kissed her mother on the cheek and climbed the stairs carefully
in her heels.

Michelle
collapsed on her bed and let out another long sigh of contentment
before rolling over and grabbing her teddy bear which was then
firmly hugged. Slowly her eyes closed and she fell asleep, still
clutching the teddy, although in her dreams the teddy was of course
replaced by Simon.

*

Earlier in the
same night, Sally was cursing one of the maids. She had simply
asked for the brown Prada with high heels to be prepared for her,
not the black. Also, she had got the wrong skirt, had somehow
managed to get Dolce and Gabbana mixed up with Gucci, and because
it had not been prepared correctly Sally’s whole process was
ruined.

When getting
ready to go out, Sally followed the same process every time to
ensure that she was comfortable, confident and looked her best. Now
this process was out of synch and she was starting to get vexed.
She stormed into the wardrobe and retrieved the correct skirt,
changing her mind on the way back and grabbing another. She tried
them both on, opting to go with the second, and pulled on her
selected top which the maid had at least managed to get right.

Cursing the
maid again, she put her shoes on and stormed out of her bedroom
slamming the door behind her. She caught a glance of herself in a
mirror in the hallway and paused for a second to check her blonde
hair.

*

On the Monday
in preparation for her date, she had borrowed her father’s
helicopter and flew herself down to London. She had been learning
to fly for a couple of years and had passed the test a couple of
months ago that allowed her to fly solo. Her father hardly used it
at the moment because he had moved his personal office from his
head office to a regional office and rarely had to commute to
London now that people came to see him rather than him going out of
his way to meet them. Occasionally though, he would have a meeting
with an important client and fly to London because nothing gave a
greater impression than landing in your own helicopter on top of
your own well appointed head office building while the client
watched on.

It was a
glorious day when she set off and she could see for miles. The
journey was smooth, and because of the route she took she hardly
had to worry about other aircraft. This changed as she got over
London and her senses were heightened in the crowded airspace.
Without incident she landed the helicopter on the landing pad that
was situated on top of her father’s head office building and it
made her chuckle to see numerous men in suits come racing out of
the elevator, some of them desperately trying to pull on their
jackets or straighten their ties. It was clearly with some relief
that they saw it was the daughter of the boss rather than the boss
who climbed down out of the helicopter, yet one of the men still
came across to her and guided her away from the still spinning
rotors towards the elevator.

‘Miss
Gallagher. What an unexpected surprise,’ he stated once he was away
from the noise of the rotors. ‘Is there anything we can help you
with?’

Another man,
the company secretary and her father’s chief confidant and trouble
shooter, got in the elevator with them. The rest of the men waited
for the elevator to return.

‘If you could
organise a limousine for me to be taken to Knightsbridge that would
be splendid.’

‘Of course, not
a problem Miss Gallagher. Anything else?’

‘No, that’s
all.’

The secretary
still had not said anything which was typical of the quiet man,
quietness that hid a highly intelligent mind and a person who would
organise the movement of mountains if it meant that it pleased Mr.
Gallagher. Company directors came and went, but James had always
remained at her father’s side. Sally turned to address him knowing
that if she did not he would not instigate a conversation with her.
Perhaps one of the most eligible bachelors in London, Sally knew
that not only was he quiet, he also was painfully shy around women
in social situations.

‘James, how are
you?’

‘I’m fine thank
you Sally.’ He leaned forward and hugged her and she offered him
her cheek. ‘And how is the big boss?’ Only James would ever
consider referring to her father in such a casual manner.

‘He’s fine.
Busy. Have you not spoken to him today?’

‘Yes, this
morning. He’s here in a couple of days. A meeting with some
Japanese clients.’

‘I bet he’s
looking forward to that like a hole in the head!’

‘Quite Sally,
quite. The elevator had stopped. ‘Please, Sally, would you
accompany me to my office? Unfortunately, I believe the limousines
are out at the moment taking some other clients to Heathrow and
other such errands. If I had known I would have kept one aside for
you. I’ll order one for you from my office.’

The other man
in the elevator stayed in it and went further down the building to
his office while Sally and James made their way to his corner
office that overlooked St. Paul’s Cathedral in the City of London.
On approaching the office, his secretary rose from her desk upon
seeing who the visitor was.

‘Cynthia, some
tea please, and order a limousine straight away for Miss Gallagher
who wishes to be taken to 22 Knightsbridge. Sorry, how presumptuous
of me. I presume you’ll be going to your hairdressers Sally?’

‘Yes, thank you
James.’

‘22 it is
then.’

‘Certainly
James,’ replied his secretary.

He then led
Sally into his office and offered her a seat. They chatted for a
little while until his secretary brought through the tea and a
selection of biscuits. After these were consumed, Cynthia called
through to his office that the limousine was ready. James escorted
Sally to the enormous marble lobby of the building and wished her
well.

‘I don’t
imagine I’ll see you until your birthday ball darling, so until
then, take care. I’m in a meeting for the rest of the day, but if
you require anything, the smallest thing, ensure that you contact
Cynthia and she will come and find me.’

‘It is okay
James, I’ll be fine. Thank you for the tea and the transport.’

‘Not at all.
You take care and see you soon.’ She offered her cheek again and
then left the building and entered the limousine with the chauffeur
closing the door behind her.

They crossed
London quite quickly due to the roads not being too congested
because of the time of day. The limousine soon pulled up outside 22
Knightsbridge, Sally’s hairdressers. The chauffeur opened the door
again for her and as she exited the car a few passers-by stopped to
see if it was anyone famous and when disappointed they carried on
walking.

Sally did not
find it necessary to tell the chauffeur to wait knowing he would
anyway, so she proceeded into the hairdressers which was actually
more beauty salon than hairdressers. While her hair colour was
being changed from black to blonde, she also had a pedicure and a
manicure. She was in there for about two hours before she paid. As
this salon was one of the best in London it cost Sally over five
hundred pounds.

Leaving the
salon, not giving the cost of her beauty treatment another thought,
she got back into the limousine and was driven quickly back her
father’s office block. The security guard stood when he saw her
coming up the steps and pressed the button to call the lift for
her. Sally did not thank him; instead she pressed the button that
took her to the roof of the building, back to the helicopter. Such
a journey was a common occurrence, once every couple of weeks and
frequent hair colour changes, expertly done, were one of her
appearance trademarks.

The flight back
home went as smoothly as her outward journey, and now later that
week as she looked at herself in the mirror, she was impressed with
the quality of the colouring. Taking a step back she admired
herself in the full length mirror and she just knew that David’s
jaw would be on the floor when he saw her, but she had to get there
first and because of the stupid maid she was now leaving later than
expected.

She raced
through the house, down the stairs and through the front doors to
the waiting Mini that someone had brought round for her from the
garages. Sally jumped into the car and sped off along the driveway
to her date’s house.

*

‘Erm, David,
you look very nice, but I don’t think slippers are in vogue at the
moment?’

When she had
pulled up outside his house he had come down the driveway to the
driver’s window and she noticed that on his feet was a pair of
slippers.

‘You’ll have to
come in. She’s hidden one of my shoes.’

‘What do you
mean? Who has?’

‘My gran.
Remember, I told you, she’s a nightmare! She won’t give it me back
until she meets you.’

Sally laughed.
‘I told you not to tell her!’

‘I didn’t! But
I’m a mechanic Sally. I’m a man who wears dirty overalls and who is
covered in grease and oil all the time. She can therefore quite
easily spot when I’m going out with someone.’

‘Okay.’ Sally
turned off the engine and got out of the car. ‘Bless her! You
should be flattered that she shows interest.’

‘I am, in a
way. I was hoping she’d be at bingo or something, but she cancelled
it with her friends claiming that she was under the weather. Then I
noticed that one of my shoes had gone, and well, she insists that
she meets you. You look stunning by the way, but I’m pretty sure
you had black hair the other day?’

‘I change it a
lot. Do you like it?’

‘I love it. You
look fabulous.’

‘So do you,
very dashing, apart from the slippers of course!’

David laughed.
‘Come on then. Let’s get this over with!’

Surprising him,
Sally took his hand as they walked up the drive and she noticed the
face of an elderly lady peering at them through a window. David
pushed open the front door and led her into the living room where
his gran was stood.

‘Hi gran. This
is Sally. Sally, this is my gran, Ethel.’

‘Nice to meet
you Ethel,’ Sally said and she held out her hand.

‘My word young
lady, you should be on the front cover of Vogue.’ She accepted
Sally’s hand and did not leave go of it. ‘You are a lovely looking
young lady.’

‘Thank you,
Ethel. You look lovely too.’

‘Oh, don’t be
silly, but thank you anyway. Sally eh?’

‘Yes,
Sally.’

‘So Sally, why
are you going out on a date with my sinner of a grandson?’

‘Gran!
Please!’

‘Oh Ethel, I’m
sure he’s not a sinner. He was very kind to me recently and he does
look very dashing tonight doesn’t he?’

‘He scrubs up
okay, but he’s still a sinner.’

Ethel still had
hold of Sally’s hand as they contemplated David who looked like he
was wishing for a hole to come and swallow him up.

‘Doesn’t go to
church. Leaves his poor gran stood in the cold because he forgot to
pick her up. A sinner he is.’

‘Gran! I forgot
to pick you up once over a year ago and I’ve been to church every
Sunday since the last one I missed over six months ago. Forgive and
forget? Isn’t that a church teaching?’

‘See how he
speaks to me darling? Bring back national service is all I can
think of. That would whip sinners like my grandson into shape!’

‘Gran, please!
Where’s my shoe so we can go?’

The elderly
lady started to laugh which got louder and louder. ‘Your face! Your
face! My word, my word!’ Her laughing got louder. ‘You’re here
taking this lovely young lady out and I’m here calling you a
sinner! Oh dear, where’s my inhaler? Your face!’