Only Twelve Days

Day One-2

“Joe is a boy's name.” Joey was thinking of one of his friends who lived near his nanna's house.

“Well Jo isn't her real name. It's Josephine, but she likes to be called Jo.”

“Why?” Joey asked.

“It's because she likes to play a joke on people.”

“How?” he persisted

“Well you see when she calls herself Jo, people think she's a boy and they get a surprise when they find out that she's really a girl,” answered Sally.

It wasn't the real reason, but it was near enough. She didn't feel like explaining about the Women's Liberation Movement just at the moment. She picked up the phone and dialled her friend's number; it rang twice before Jo's answering machine kicked into action.

“She isn't at home,” said Sally, looking at Joey. “I'll leave a message for her.” She turned back to the phone. “Hi, Jo, it's Sally. I'm at Mrs Miller's nursery school. The number is …” She gave the number and asked Jo to call when she got back.

Putting down the phone, she turned back to Joey. “She may ring later so you can say hello to her then.”

“I think I'm sleepy now, Miss Hughes.” Joey climbed down from her knee. He was relieved Jo wasn't in. He wasn't really sure he wanted to talk to her. A girl with a boy's name sounded a little frightening to him.

“I'll help you get wrapped up in the blanket and you can have a little nap,” said Sally. “Then you'll feel as bright as a button when your daddy comes to collect you. If his meeting goes well, he may even arrive a little earlier than three o'clock.”

Bill arrived at the large building, which housed his firm. However, he didn't leap out and rush up to his office as he normally did. Instead, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had thought about Sally during his drive into work. If only he'd had more time to spend with her before having to dash off to the office.

He opened his eyes and stared at the building. But now he had to put Sally out of his mind; his meeting this morning was very important. He needed to focus.

Upstairs in his office he called his friend and colleague, Colin Shaw, to come in and see him. Colin would be attending the meeting with him, so they needed a few minutes together to catch up. However Bill found it difficult to stay on track and kept gazing out of the window.

It didn't take Colin long to notice that Bill was preoccupied with something and was rather concerned. He had known Bill for over ten years now, so he knew immediately when his friend was troubled. He recalled their first term at university together.

He was older than Bill by two years, but he had taken a couple of years off to 'see life', as he liked to call it before taking up his place. As they were complete opposites, the other students were surprised at how well the two young men got on. While Bill was quiet, shy, withdrawn and very easily embarrassed, Colin was an extrovert. He loved meeting people, going to parties and, most especially, dating the female students. He also loved playing practical jokes, or teasing his friends.

From their first meeting, Colin decided it was his role in life to bring Bill out of his shell. He had thought Bill might be finding the work too difficult and need help. However, he couldn't have been more wrong. As it turned out it was Colin who needed extra coaching from Bill, who was a genius when it came to figures. Even the lecturers were astounded at just how quickly Bill could work out the most complicated equations in his head. He was also very sharp at legal issues and could quite easily have studied law, but mathematics was his passion.

Still gazing at Bill, Colin smiled to himself, recalling how he had tried to persuade Bill to attend the university dances; even setting up dates for him with one or two rather attractive students. Yet he had always refused to go, saying he was quite happy to read his books.

Though Colin knew this reluctance was due to Bill's shyness, he teased him about it mercilessly, suggesting he might prefer a date with one of the male students. “I'd be quite happy to organise it for you. Now, let me see, there's that rather attractive fellow reading history; or the one with the beard in the science lab…” Colin loved the way Bill ran a finger around the inside of his collar when embarrassed and not quite sure what to say. However, he had always been wise enough never to tease him in front of anyone else and Bill always took it in good part.

While Bill graduated with a first class honours degree, Colin hadn't managed anything so grand. Nevertheless he knew it was due to Bill's patient coaching that he had achieved far more than he deserved. Left to his own devices, he would possibly have been sent down for playing the fool too often. After leaving university, he and Bill had remained good friends and had even ended up together in the finance department at the Head Office of Websters International.

The company, realising the gem they had in Bill, rapidly promoted him to Head of the Department and, wanting an assistant he could trust and rely on, Bill had appointed Colin. But it hadn't ended there. The firm had grown rapidly over the last few years and Bill was now Financial Executive to all the accounts departments within the whole company.

Bill had been best man at Colin and Rachel's wedding. Rachel looked on him as a brother and concerned he would never meet anyone himself, she arranged a dinner party; inviting both Bill and her friend Julie. With a little coaxing Bill and Julie began dating and eventually married. They had a son, whom they named Joey.

“If you're ready, Colin, I think we'd better go upstairs, they'll be waiting for us.”

Bill's voice snapped Colin back to the present, “Yes,” he replied, gathering his papers together. “Let's get it over with.” Following Bill over to the lift, Colin decided that immediately after the meeting he would try to get to the root of whatever was bothering his friend.

The meeting went well, much better than either Bill or Colin had expected. Often they were long, drawn out affairs with all the heads of departments arguing about how their finances over the next half-year should be spent. Usually by the end of the meeting tempers were hot, however today had been different, everyone parted with a smile on their face.

Bill had been very relieved, having found it difficult to stop his mind from wandering back to Sally. “There has to be a first for everything,” he said to Colin, over lunch. “I've never known an interdepartmental finance meeting go so smoothly before.”

“I agree,” said Colin, remembering how the last one had gone on for two days. “You'll be able to get away early now. Taking Joey to your mother's aren't you?”

“Yes,” replied Bill. “He's spending the week there; he's looking forward to it. I'm staying overnight, but I'll be back in the office tomorrow morning.”

“Joey is well isn't he?” Colin asked, trying to get onto the subject of what was making Bill so distracted. He knew that Joey was Bill's life.

Bill looked up from the finance report sheet he had started to read. He wasn't having much success; his thoughts were still back at the nursery. “Yes, of course he is. Why do you ask?”

“It's just you seem to have your mind on something else today. I wondered if you had a problem at home. If you'd like to talk to someone, you know I'm always here,” replied Colin.

Bill hesitated. He didn't know whether to say anything or not. Colin could be such a tease at the best of times, but if he thought a woman was involved, then he there would be no stopping him. “No.” he said eventually. “Everything's all right at home. I'm just a little under the weather this morning.”

However Colin knew better. Something was definitely bothering his friend and he wasn't going to give up so easily. On the other hand, he was also aware that badgering Bill would get him nowhere at all, so he decided to wait until they were back downstairs in the office before trying again.

Changing the subject, he told Bill how Rachel had been out shopping for a new dress for the firm's Christmas dance being held the following Thursday. “Are you going this year, Bill? You know you could come with us. Rachel would be delighted.” He already knew what the answer would be, but he felt he must ask. One of these days Bill might just say yes.

“No, I don't think so,” said Bill. “But thanks for asking all the same.”

The rest of the lunch break carried on with small talk, but once they were back downstairs Colin tried again.

“Bill, are you sure there's nothing you want to talk about?”

Again Bill hesitated. He would like to talk to someone and Colin was the only one he could trust. “Alright, come into my office Colin. Perhaps you could give me some advice.” Once inside, he closed the door and rang through to his secretary telling her he didn't want to be disturbed.

“This sounds very mysterious,” said Colin, grinning. “You're not thinking of embezzling any money from the company, are you?”

“Don't be ridiculous Colin. I simply don't want to be the subject of office gossip.” He paused, still not knowing whether to say anything. He didn't want Colin pulling his leg about it for the next couple of months.

“Bill,” said Colin. “You know I won't say a word to anyone. I promise.” He watched Bill run a finger around his collar. What on earth can have happened since yesterday to put him in this state? He feared the worst.

“I know this is going to sound stupid to you,” said Bill at last. “But last night I met a girl at the nursery and I can't get her out of my mind. She's standing in for Mrs Miller; she had to go home with 'flu sometime yesterday.” He paused; still not sure whether he was doing the right thing by confiding in Colin. He turned away and took a deep breath before continuing. “As usual, I was late collecting Joey, so I offered to take her home. She agreed and we all stopped for a meal on the way.” He hesitated and looked at Colin, half expecting him to make some remark. But Colin remained silent. “There's just something about her and it's driving me crazy,” he continued. “It's a terrible thing to say, but I was even jealous of my son, as he was spending today with her.”

“Well then ask her out. Take her for a meal or something,” said Colin. He let out a long breath, relieved and delighted that Bill was at least thinking about women again. After his marriage, Bill had slowly begun to emerge from his shell. However, when Julie was killed in a car accident he had reverted back to his old self, never going out and continuing to take on more and more work at the office. Colin had been at his wits end trying to make his friend see there was more to life than work, so this was good news as far as he was concerned.

“But she's so young, about twenty-one at most. Besides I have Joey. How many young girls want to be involved with a widower with a four-year-old son?” Bill replied. “This morning, while getting ready for work I made up my mind to forget her, but once I saw her again, the resolution was broken. You noticed I was behaving oddly so how long will it take the rest of my staff to start thinking I've flipped my lid?”