Calling All Dentists (Calling All... Book 2), page 2
“I feel sorry for him when you all tease him in the office, that’s all.”
“He loves it Ruby. He gives as good as he gets, you know that.”
“Um,” replied Ruby, picking up a large hardback book called ‘The Dog Dictionary’. “This is nice, he’d like this…”
“Fifteen pounds! I’m not spending that much, even if it is at a reduced price.” Taking the book from Ruby, Emma awkwardly placed it back on the shelf while trying to balance six carrier bags in her other hand. “Come on, hurry up and get your new book, then we can get home. My feet are killing me.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t wear high heels then, they are supposed to be bad for your back,” said Ruby bravely, as she headed off to the fiction/romance section. Carrying two bags in each hand and her rucksack on her back, Ruby’s little pink pompom wobbled about like a jelly on a plate as she toddled off.
“Right, last shop. If we can’t find anything in here, let’s forget it,” sighed Emma.
Looking across the expansive shop floor, littered with shelves, boxes, display cabinets and swirly card racks, Ruby spotted another department and began to head off in the direction of… yet more books.
“Not more books Rue, surely.”
“Only having a quick look,” she replied as she tottered away.
“I’ll be over there then,” called Emma, pointing in the opposite direction to the novelty gifts and party-time department.
Nodding her pompom profusely, Ruby smiled sweetly and gave a tiny wave with her delicate fingers.
“I’ve found a brilliant present you could get for Dave.” Emma grinned as she approached Ruby, who had managed to find a seat and was almost buried under a pile of books.
“That’s funny because I’ve found the perfect one for Pete.” She laughed, holding up a small reference book on dog breeds. “This one is only four ninety nine.” Noticing the item in Emma’s hand, Ruby’s eyes widened in horror, “I’m not buying that for Dave!” she screeched and then worriedly, looked around the shop to make sure no one had heard her.
“He won’t know who it’s from Rue. Come on it’ll be a real laugh.” Emma held out the adult sized, fancy dress outfit. “It’s only six quid, he could wear it in the office, it would be
so funny,” said Emma, desperately trying to convince her naïve friend.
“I’m not buying a fairy tutu and wand for Dave, it’s not fair,” said Ruby, still clutching the dog book and beginning to turn pale.
“I’ve got an idea then. Why don’t we swap secret Santa names? I’ll have Dave and you can buy a nice little dog book for Pete. How about that?” Breathing a sigh of relief, Ruby nodded and smiled as she stood up and clutched the book tightly to her chest.
“I don’t know why you get so worried Rue, Dave will probably wear this all over Christmas.”
“Um,” replied Ruby as they headed for the checkout. “It might not be appropriate. He has only just got married and his husband might not like that sort of thing.”
“It’ll be fine. Dave is the feminine one after all. I expect Josh would be quite happy to see his… err… husband, dancing around in a pink, sparkly tutu,” laughed Emma, raucously.
“Um,” muttered Ruby and handed her treasured dog book to the young girl at the checkout.
Chapter 2
Sunday morning at ten o’clock sharp, the phone began to ring. Aware that Ruby was up already, Emma lay in bed and waited for her to answer it. Emma knew who it was and she really didn’t want to go today. Her raging toothache along with a new throbbing abscess was making her feel quite unwell. A quiet rap on the door indicated Ruby was on the other side, and then it opened slightly.
“Emma? Pete’s on the phone,” she whispered, poking her head through the opening of the door.
“Tell him I’m not going today, I don’t feel very well. Say sorry for me.” Emma sighed and turned over.
“I’m sorry Pete but Emma really doesn’t feel very well today, she said maybe next week? She’s ever so sorry.” Emma could hear Ruby talking in her sweet little voice. “Yes ok, thank you. Goodbye”
“What did he say?” called Emma from her room.
“He just said it was ok and hoped that you get better soon. He doesn’t really talk to me much when he phones up for you,” said Ruby, poking her head around the door again. “Do you want me to get you anything?”
“No, I’m getting up now. Thanks anyway.”
“Is it your teeth again?”
“Yes, but I’ll get over it, before you start.” Emma smiled, “You should have gone with Pete, kept him company.”
“Oh no, he wouldn’t want me dragging along with him. He always seems in a rush to get off the phone quickly when I talk to him.”
“He doesn’t talk to you much Rue because you hardly ever speak to him,” said Emma, pulling her dressing gown around her and slipping her fluffy booties on.
“I don’t know what to talk to him about…”
“Books! You could probably write a book between you about books.” Passing Ruby at the doorway, Emma headed for the bathroom, “You could make up a story about a doggie romance or something like that,” she laughed, before closing the bathroom door behind her.
“Do you want a coffee?” called Ruby.
“Yes please,” replied Emma, realising she may have just upset her dearest friend again. She didn’t ever mean to hurt Ruby but sometimes she felt very frustrated by Ruby’s inability to socialize or even make herself look or sound attractive in any way to entice members of the opposite sex. Emma couldn’t understand how Ruby loved her romance books so much, to the point of constantly daydreaming about her perfect man (and Emma had always had a sneaky suspicion that the perfect man in Ruby’s dreams, was in fact Pete) and yet she didn’t seem to want to put any romantic gestures in to practice.
Shuffling into the kitchen, Emma reached up in to the cupboard for the Paracetamol and took two out. “Pete will need a replacement companion soon anyway. I don’t intend on doing it for much longer,” said Emma huffily. “It just gives him the wrong idea and I’m sure it’s giving both of our parents the wrong idea too.”
“But it’s just an innocent walk surely…”
“Yes, in your eyes and mine but certainly not in Pete’s.”
It had been going on for over a year. At least twice a month Pete called Emma to arrange a doggie-duo trek. Emma really wasn’t sure how it came to be a regular Sunday morning activity. Emma’s parents, along with Pete, both owned dogs, in fact the same breed of dog – Boxers. It had come up in a conversation one day and Pete had suggested that they take the dogs out together on a Sunday morning. It wasn’t a problem at first for Emma to collect her parents’ dog, Misty, and take her out for a long stroll with Pete and his identical bitch, appropriately called Woof (Emma wouldn’t have expected any other name for Pete’s dog). Emma’s parents were both out every Sunday morning at the wholesalers, buying stock for her mum’s shop. So the fact that Misty got a nice long walk was very helpful to them.
“That’s a shame if you don’t take Misty out anymore,” said Ruby, pouring hot water in to the coffee cups.
“Well I’m not doing it after Christmas and that’s final. He’ll just have to find another partner.”
“What about your parents, won’t they be disappointed?”
“No not at all and I think it’ll do my dad some good to take the dog out for longer walks, before he ends up vegetating in his reclining chair.” Emma laughed, and then held on to her jaw as it ached from her swollen gum.
***
Motionless in the Monday morning traffic, Emma and Ruby sat silently as the engine of Emma’s worn out car ticked over noisily. “Two more weeks Rue…”
“Yes, it’s gone very quick this year.”
“Hopefully these last two weeks will go even quicker,” said Emma, pulling away as the traffic began to ease, “I cannot wait for the Christmas work do, sounds like it’ll be the best one yet.”
“Um,” muttered Ruby, staring out of the passenger window in another one of her daydreams, “It’s expensive though.”
“Yes I know, but we’ve never had a do like this one before so it should be good. And there are so many people going from Webb’s.”
“Um.” Ruby’s lack of enthusiasm wasn’t unusual if the activity didn’t contain a book in it somewhere, but Emma was determined it was going to be a good night – for both of them.
The fact that Emma had her eye on someone of the male kind, made her more hell-bent on going all out to make sure that both her and Ruby looked their best. Emma wanted to have a good night and she really didn’t want Ruby to be tagging along behind her, no matter how much she loved her, hence the premeditated ‘set-up’ with Pete.
Arriving in the car park of Webb’s DIY Store, the girls jumped out and shuffled across to the staff entrance at the rear, as an icy wind blew across the concrete expanse from the nearby fields.
“Morning!” called Colin Roberts as they entered the huge store and headed for the wooden staircase up to the office.
“Good morning,” said Ruby politely, as they passed him. He was the ‘Big Boss’ as Ruby always referred to him, but to Emma, he was just Colin. She had the utmost respect for him and his position but in her eyes he was still – just Colin. Emma said nothing as she gritted her teeth together to dampen the pain, spurred on by the raw wind outside. Nodding and smiling, she rushed past him and clomped up the creaky, wooden stairs.
The office was warm and always peaceful early in the morning, before the shop opened. Emma walked over to her desk (seven o’clock spot), next to Colin’s (five o’clock spot) and plonked her bag on top of the piles of paperwork, invoices and delivery notes.
“Morning girlies,” said the familiar high pitched voice of Dave as he skipped in to the office. “Which of you two lovely young ladies is going to make me a nice cup of coffee?”
“Count me out!” mumbled Emma, through her teeth.
“Ooh… get out of the wrong side of the bed did we Ems?”
“I’ll make the drinks,” said Ruby. Her coat was already hung up on the hooks by the door and her bag neatly stored away under her immaculate (one o’clock spot) desk.
“Good girl Rubes,” replied Dave rather patronisingly, thought Emma, “What’s wrong with you today Em?”
“Nothing really, just don’t feel too well, I’ll get over it though.”
“Sorry sweetie, last thing you need is for me to come in bouncing about, eh?” he said, genuinely apologetic, “I’m just so excited – 2 weeks to go and then it’s Christmas!” Dancing around the room like a fairy, Dave whistled a cheery tune of ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’ and Emma was then completely convinced that the secret Santa present she had bought was absolutely the perfect gift for him.
“Good morning! Oh you’re here… are you feeling better Emma?” asked Pete, politely, as he walked in to the room wrapped up in his maroon scarf, gloves and hat which were all (very sadly) matching. Emma could never quite understand why Pete wrapped himself up like he was about to go on a hike across Antarctica, when he had just got out of his car and walked the few steps across the car park and in to the building.
“I’ve dosed myself up to the eyeballs on Paracetamol so I should be able to get through the day. Sorry I couldn’t make it yesterday.”
“Coffee anyone?” asked Ruby quietly, but no one heard.
“Don’t worry about it. Maybe we could do it next week?” replied Pete.
“Maybe,” said Emma half-heartedly. She had no intention of going next week either or any other week again for that matter.
Strolling into the office, Colin was deep in discussion with Jeff Carnell about the Customer Service training, scheduled for the approaching New Year. “Sure, that’s not a problem at all. I’m very happy to organise the team.”
“Good… good,” said Colin, accepting a mug of coffee from Ruby as he passed by.
“Morning,” said Jeff, looking around at everyone and then sitting down in his (three o’clock spot) executive style, reclining office chair.
The office housed six desks, each one kitted out with its own set of filling cabinets behind. There were two large windows at one end of the room, where Emma and Colin sat, facing the door. The other four desks were situated two on either side of the room. Emma had been the one who’d decided one Friday afternoon, when they were all bored and tired, that they should all have allotted times, instead of names, as the layout of the office and although not particularly circular, looked like the numerals on a clock face. The doorway was ‘twelve o’clock’ and if anyone turned up at the office door, one of them would say either ‘midday’ or ‘midnight’, depending on whether the visitor brought good news or bad or indeed, whether the caller was liked or not. It was the office secret code and in hindsight, Emma thought it was slightly ridiculous, but it had stuck ever since.
Gazing at her desk full of papers, Emma sighed. She had to get everything tied up before the Christmas break. Her high ranking position in the company as the Finance Officer meant she had a lot of responsibility and sometimes, an awful lot of headaches. Juggling the funds, paying bills and worst of all, the payroll, Emma couldn’t afford to let things slip… but they had. Preoccupied with her teeth of late, Emma hadn’t kept things organised and now she faced a massive sort-out session.
Suffering from Monday morning blues at the best of times, today was no different, in fact it was worse. Her aching jaw and general feeling of being under the weather only hindered her further as she turned on her swivel chair and stared out of the window behind her, absent mindedly.
“You alright there?” asked Colin as he plonked himself down at his desk beside her and rubbed the top of his balding head.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Feel a bit yucky, that’s all.”
“You should have stayed at home.”
“I’ve got too much to do Colin. I’ll be ok,” she said, turning back round to her desk as a tall figure entered the doorway at ‘midday’.
Striding over to Pete’s desk (at eleven o’clock), Darren leaned over and spoke quietly to him as Emma watched intently. Trying to catch Ruby’s eye, she attempted to wave her hand but Ruby, as always, had her nose buried in paperwork, ready for the filing cabinet, unaware that a rather sexy and muscular, pert bottom was bending over directly opposite her.
Darren often came to the office to talk to Pete, the Purchasing Manager, about deliveries or the latest sales pitch. He was ‘Mr. Popular’ with the ladies on the shop floor and rumour had it that he was the best floor manager they’d ever had.
Darren had been with the company just five months and he’d successfully turned the shop floor around, from its days of an uninspired workforce and lacklustre sales performance. He was vibrant, conscientious and totally gorgeous in Emma’s eyes. He was going through a difficult divorce which sadly, involved the little lives of his two young boys but Darren always managed to keep a stiff upper lip when things really weren’t going his way. Both of his sons were going to live with their mother and Darren had been heard to say that it was ‘not fair how women always seem to get the kids’. At 31 years old, he had quite a lot of baggage but that didn’t lessen his appeal in the slightest. Unknowingly, he was Emma’s prime target at the Christmas work do, once she’d somehow set Ruby up with Pete.
Watching the curve of his bottom undulate as he talked and gesticulated, Emma was mesmerised until suddenly, he turned his head to look directly at her while Pete searched through a ream of paper. Gulping her way back to consciousness, Emma smiled gently and then almost crumpled in her chair as he smiled back and slowly winked a sexy, long-lashed eye at her.
“Here they are,” said Pete, handing several sheets of paper to Darren. Nodding his head, Darren smiled and then turned around and left, while Emma sat with her hand propped under her chin and gazed dreamily at his buttocks exiting the room and disappearing down the stairs.
Once the men had left the office, to collect their daily quota of bacon rolls for lunch from the local café, Emma rushed across the room to Ruby’s ‘perfect place of production’. Nibbling on a meal of pre-prepared, cold root vegetables and a mug of chicken soup, Ruby looked up.
“Did you see Darren come in earlier?” asked Emma, excitedly.
“No… why?” mumbled Ruby chewing a lump of soggy swede.
“He smiled at me – I mean he really looked at me! And guess what else he did…”
“What?”
“He winked at me Rue. I think he might like me.”
Pulling Jeff’s chair across the room, from behind his desk, Emma sat down next to Ruby and opened her oat snack bar. “I can’t wait till the Christmas do; it’s going to be so much better this year,” she said excitedly, as she sank her teeth in to the oat bar and wished she hadn’t as the pain returned and began to throb in her gums.
“Um,” replied Ruby and straightened the pencil on her desk. Glancing back at her own desk, Emma took a quick look at the mess and the scattered bits of paper laying everywhere, and then she weighed up the unsurprising neatness, order and precision of Ruby’s desk. Her pen pot sparkled, a spare pencil, rubber and lime green sharpener, lay in a perfect row by the side of the letter rack and there was one solitary sheet of paper in her ‘In’ tray.
“Gosh, I really need to get my paperwork sorted out don’t I?” said Emma, cringing at the thought of what lay ahead.
“I could help you this afternoon,” smiled Ruby through her chicken soup lips.
“Oh fab-u-lous-oh! If you could do my filing that would be so helpful. I owe you one Rue.”
“No you don’t. Remember that expensive dress you bought for me, I owe you.”
“No, that’s a Christmas present Rue. And the key to your future.”
Ruby stopped chewing for a moment and stared worriedly at Emma’s big grin, but said nothing.
The roar of Dave’s laughter could be heard well before the men reached the bottom of the stairs. Bumping up them, two at a time, Dave was the first to appear in the office, “Doughnut?” he called, holding out a bag full of them. Shaking their heads, Emma and Ruby declined his offer.
