e/w
Haydock 3.35 – Mister MacGuire
The next was a bright yellow flyer announcing the 2001 Helensvale summer fete.
‘God, Uncle Dave,’ she moaned. ‘You’re worse than Mum when it comes to hoarding things.’
Dismissing the idea of going through each individual paper, she scooped the mass into one pile and pushed it all into the bag. The bag split and the papers slid onto the carpet. Pippa groaned. She closed her eyes and wondered if she should allow herself a break and make some dinner. At least the oven was clean now.
Her eyes shot open as the tinkling ringtone of her mobile sounded from the kitchen. Anything for a respite.
She hefted herself up onto the cracked kitchen counter then onto the windowsill, avoiding the row of chipped terracotta pots and brushed her hair behind her ear before answering the phone.
‘Hi Tash,’ she said, her tone cheerier now that she had an excuse not to clean.
‘Yo, Pip. You all right?’
‘Cleaning again, but much better than yesterday, thanks. How are you?’
‘I need your advice. What would you do if you discovered one of the boys working in the Print Centre was mighty cute – think a young Orlando Bloom-cute – and you were tempted to ask him out for a drink?’
Pippa laughed.
‘How young are we talking?’
‘Maybe nineteen,’ Tash said non-commitally.
‘Christ, Tash. You cougar!’
‘I’m only twenty-six! That’s only…’
Pippa snorted as she imagined Tash counting out on her fingers.
‘…only seven years difference.’
‘Well, is that what’s stopping you – the fact that he’s younger than you?’ she asked, trying to stop herself from laughing. ‘If it is then you know age shouldn’t make any difference.
‘Yes and no,’ Tash said in anguish. ‘I’m also manager of his manager if you know what I mean.’
‘Ah, hierarchy,’ Pippa nodded. ‘Going slumming, are you?’
‘For want of a better word, yes.’
‘Tash, you want my advice? Stop being a snob. If you like Orlando, ask him out. No one else has to know.’
‘His name’s Adam.’
‘Okay. Ask Adam out then. Go for it, girl!’
Tash exhaled noisily into the phone.
‘You’re right. I will. Thanks. That’s settled then. Now, more importantly, how are you and why has today been better than yesterday?’
Pippa grinned as she thought of the fun she had had that morning.
‘Jack took me onto the Gallops to watch Peace Offering. It was so exciting. Peace Offering was fabulous, to the extent that even Jack was impressed. And Emmie – that’s his work rider – said that when they’d ridden past us Peace Offering found another gear and took off with her.’
‘Found another gear? What is he, a car?’ Tash drawled.
‘Apparently that’s what they say when the horse starts going faster. Emmie told me she thought it might have been me jumping up and down in my red coat, but Jack’s sceptical. Nevertheless, he said he’s going to look at races for him next Saturday. Do you think you could come?’
‘Depends on where it is, sweets. But I’ll try.’
‘Great. Anyway, that means Jack is back in my good books, you’ll be pleased to hear,’ Pippa continued, leaning her head back against the wall and thinking of the moody trainer. ‘You can ignore that email I sent you yesterday.’
‘What email?’
‘You know. The one I sent you complaining what a prat Jack was being. I take it all back now.’
‘Don’t think I got that one. Maybe it disappeared into that big black e-hole. The same thing happened last week to me. Had a client supposedly send us confirmation on some proofs for a dinner menu, but did I get it? Nooooo .’
‘Oh.’ Pippa frowned and broke off a twig from one of the dead plants in the terracotta pots. She held it between her two fingers then looked around idly for her cigarettes. ‘I did swear in it. Maybe your company’s got a filter for rude emails. Never mind. I’ve forgiven him now –’ She was interrupted by her phone beeping. She
Haydock 3.35 – Mister MacGuire
The next was a bright yellow flyer announcing the 2001 Helensvale summer fete.
‘God, Uncle Dave,’ she moaned. ‘You’re worse than Mum when it comes to hoarding things.’
Dismissing the idea of going through each individual paper, she scooped the mass into one pile and pushed it all into the bag. The bag split and the papers slid onto the carpet. Pippa groaned. She closed her eyes and wondered if she should allow herself a break and make some dinner. At least the oven was clean now.
Her eyes shot open as the tinkling ringtone of her mobile sounded from the kitchen. Anything for a respite.
She hefted herself up onto the cracked kitchen counter then onto the windowsill, avoiding the row of chipped terracotta pots and brushed her hair behind her ear before answering the phone.
‘Hi Tash,’ she said, her tone cheerier now that she had an excuse not to clean.
‘Yo, Pip. You all right?’
‘Cleaning again, but much better than yesterday, thanks. How are you?’
‘I need your advice. What would you do if you discovered one of the boys working in the Print Centre was mighty cute – think a young Orlando Bloom-cute – and you were tempted to ask him out for a drink?’
Pippa laughed.
‘How young are we talking?’
‘Maybe nineteen,’ Tash said non-commitally.
‘Christ, Tash. You cougar!’
‘I’m only twenty-six! That’s only…’
Pippa snorted as she imagined Tash counting out on her fingers.
‘…only seven years difference.’
‘Well, is that what’s stopping you – the fact that he’s younger than you?’ she asked, trying to stop herself from laughing. ‘If it is then you know age shouldn’t make any difference.
‘Yes and no,’ Tash said in anguish. ‘I’m also manager of his manager if you know what I mean.’
‘Ah, hierarchy,’ Pippa nodded. ‘Going slumming, are you?’
‘For want of a better word, yes.’
‘Tash, you want my advice? Stop being a snob. If you like Orlando, ask him out. No one else has to know.’
‘His name’s Adam.’
‘Okay. Ask Adam out then. Go for it, girl!’
Tash exhaled noisily into the phone.
‘You’re right. I will. Thanks. That’s settled then. Now, more importantly, how are you and why has today been better than yesterday?’
Pippa grinned as she thought of the fun she had had that morning.
‘Jack took me onto the Gallops to watch Peace Offering. It was so exciting. Peace Offering was fabulous, to the extent that even Jack was impressed. And Emmie – that’s his work rider – said that when they’d ridden past us Peace Offering found another gear and took off with her.’
‘Found another gear? What is he, a car?’ Tash drawled.
‘Apparently that’s what they say when the horse starts going faster. Emmie told me she thought it might have been me jumping up and down in my red coat, but Jack’s sceptical. Nevertheless, he said he’s going to look at races for him next Saturday. Do you think you could come?’
‘Depends on where it is, sweets. But I’ll try.’
‘Great. Anyway, that means Jack is back in my good books, you’ll be pleased to hear,’ Pippa continued, leaning her head back against the wall and thinking of the moody trainer. ‘You can ignore that email I sent you yesterday.’
‘What email?’
‘You know. The one I sent you complaining what a prat Jack was being. I take it all back now.’
‘Don’t think I got that one. Maybe it disappeared into that big black e-hole. The same thing happened last week to me. Had a client supposedly send us confirmation on some proofs for a dinner menu, but did I get it? Nooooo .’
‘Oh.’ Pippa frowned and broke off a twig from one of the dead plants in the terracotta pots. She held it between her two fingers then looked around idly for her cigarettes. ‘I did swear in it. Maybe your company’s got a filter for rude emails. Never mind. I’ve forgiven him now –’ She was interrupted by her phone beeping. She
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