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Authors: Chrissie Loveday
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raised her glass to the others and drank.
'What's going here?' said a voice from the doorway. 'Am I missing something?'
'Sally. Come on and have a drink with us,' Mr Thomas said cheerfully. 'We're just wishing success to ourselves for this evening. Joanne smiled at him.
'I'm Joanne, Mike's ... girl friend,' she said holding out her hand.
'Pleased to meet you. Sally. I work here but I doubt Mike has mentioned me at all.'
'Of course he's mentioned you. Said how much you keep things moving around here,' she lied.
'That's something. He usually never mentions anyone in this family. Independent or what?'
Joanne laughed.
'Typical man.'
They soon finished the drinks and set to work. There was a large area to be cleared of bits and pieces of equipment and stores to be settled on one side. It was quite a room. They all worked hard to move stuff and then to decorate the place with a series of flags and balloons. Joanne and Mike worked together and ended up laughing like crazy over blowing up balloons.
'Come on you two. There are some sandwiches to eat through here. I hope you like smoked salmon, Joanne? It's Mike's favourite.'
'Yes, I remembered that. He ate like it was going out of fashion one evening at my place.'
'Where do you live?' asked Sally.
'Over the park in a side street.'
'Not one of those newish places?'
'Yes. I moved there about three years ago.'
'How lovely. You must be earning pretty well to afford one of those.'
'I'm a lecturer, so not too bad. And you work here?'
'For my sins, yes I do. So how long have you two been going out?'
'Not very long, actually.'
'Really? You seem very tuned in together. I've been married for ages but we don't seem to get on as well as you two. He'll be here later so let me know what you think. He's home with the kids for now.'
'I'm not sure I can say after such a brief meeting.' She took what Mike's sister said very seriously.
'Don't worry. I won't hold you to anything.' She was laughing as she spoke. 'I was only joking. Now, what else do you want me to do?' she asked her mother, while Joanne stood blushing at her stupid remark.
'I'm going home in a minute or two. I've got several crates of food ready to bring over. It's going to be tricky to get them into my car so can you come to help me?'
'No rest for the wicked. I'll see you later. Happy balloon blowing.' Sally breezed off after her mother.
'She's nice,' Joanne told Mike. 'I really like her.'
'Now, balloon blowing, Miss Swithenbank. Only fifty more to go.'
By four o'clock, the room was transformed. It looked very different from the place they'd all seen first thing. It had a proper party atmosphere and didn't look like a workshop at all.
'This is exactly what I'd hoped for,' Mrs Thomas said happily. 'Perfect. You were quite right Mike. You said we could do it and you've made it all happen. What do you think, dear?'
'Looks okay I s'pose.' Mike's father was clearly not a man of many words. He perked up at his wife's expression. 'Very nice indeed. I only hope you'll all be here tomorrow to un-decorate it all. We have to work again once this weekend is over and done.'
'I can come over tomorrow,' offered Joanne.
'Thank you my dear. Very good of you.'
'I'm just not sure where we will put all the balloons,' she smiled. 'I suppose we might pop them first.'
'I doubt there'll be very few left. You haven't met our balloon popping side of the family yet,' Mike said with a laugh. 'This year is a very much larger party than usual. There are a whole load of Aussies over.'
'They're family members?'
'They belong to my father's side. Six of them. My father's brother and wife and four younger folk. We met them last night and they're pretty riotous.'
'Should be fun tonight then. Now, if you can take me home, I'd like to get myself ready.'
'Okay. I suspect there's nothing much more to be done here. You brought the music over this morning, didn't you Dad?'
'What music?'
'All the stuff I recorded over the last week and a
'What's going here?' said a voice from the doorway. 'Am I missing something?'
'Sally. Come on and have a drink with us,' Mr Thomas said cheerfully. 'We're just wishing success to ourselves for this evening. Joanne smiled at him.
'I'm Joanne, Mike's ... girl friend,' she said holding out her hand.
'Pleased to meet you. Sally. I work here but I doubt Mike has mentioned me at all.'
'Of course he's mentioned you. Said how much you keep things moving around here,' she lied.
'That's something. He usually never mentions anyone in this family. Independent or what?'
Joanne laughed.
'Typical man.'
They soon finished the drinks and set to work. There was a large area to be cleared of bits and pieces of equipment and stores to be settled on one side. It was quite a room. They all worked hard to move stuff and then to decorate the place with a series of flags and balloons. Joanne and Mike worked together and ended up laughing like crazy over blowing up balloons.
'Come on you two. There are some sandwiches to eat through here. I hope you like smoked salmon, Joanne? It's Mike's favourite.'
'Yes, I remembered that. He ate like it was going out of fashion one evening at my place.'
'Where do you live?' asked Sally.
'Over the park in a side street.'
'Not one of those newish places?'
'Yes. I moved there about three years ago.'
'How lovely. You must be earning pretty well to afford one of those.'
'I'm a lecturer, so not too bad. And you work here?'
'For my sins, yes I do. So how long have you two been going out?'
'Not very long, actually.'
'Really? You seem very tuned in together. I've been married for ages but we don't seem to get on as well as you two. He'll be here later so let me know what you think. He's home with the kids for now.'
'I'm not sure I can say after such a brief meeting.' She took what Mike's sister said very seriously.
'Don't worry. I won't hold you to anything.' She was laughing as she spoke. 'I was only joking. Now, what else do you want me to do?' she asked her mother, while Joanne stood blushing at her stupid remark.
'I'm going home in a minute or two. I've got several crates of food ready to bring over. It's going to be tricky to get them into my car so can you come to help me?'
'No rest for the wicked. I'll see you later. Happy balloon blowing.' Sally breezed off after her mother.
'She's nice,' Joanne told Mike. 'I really like her.'
'Now, balloon blowing, Miss Swithenbank. Only fifty more to go.'
By four o'clock, the room was transformed. It looked very different from the place they'd all seen first thing. It had a proper party atmosphere and didn't look like a workshop at all.
'This is exactly what I'd hoped for,' Mrs Thomas said happily. 'Perfect. You were quite right Mike. You said we could do it and you've made it all happen. What do you think, dear?'
'Looks okay I s'pose.' Mike's father was clearly not a man of many words. He perked up at his wife's expression. 'Very nice indeed. I only hope you'll all be here tomorrow to un-decorate it all. We have to work again once this weekend is over and done.'
'I can come over tomorrow,' offered Joanne.
'Thank you my dear. Very good of you.'
'I'm just not sure where we will put all the balloons,' she smiled. 'I suppose we might pop them first.'
'I doubt there'll be very few left. You haven't met our balloon popping side of the family yet,' Mike said with a laugh. 'This year is a very much larger party than usual. There are a whole load of Aussies over.'
'They're family members?'
'They belong to my father's side. Six of them. My father's brother and wife and four younger folk. We met them last night and they're pretty riotous.'
'Should be fun tonight then. Now, if you can take me home, I'd like to get myself ready.'
'Okay. I suspect there's nothing much more to be done here. You brought the music over this morning, didn't you Dad?'
'What music?'
'All the stuff I recorded over the last week and a
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