Was She Going To Go ?

Debbi had never prayed so hard that her car would get her home through the Friday evening traffic without mishap. Fortunately for her it did and she gratefully parked up on the tiny drive on front of her small but cosy two bedroom terrace house. She gathered all her keys together so that she could clamber from the car and into the sanctuary of the house before she was spotted by any neighbours, given that her only covering remained the company banner from the exhibition stand. As far as she could ascertain, she accomplished this successfully. It was six o'clock. Carol had told her that a taxi would be coming to pick her up at eight for her dinner date with the Arabs. That gave her a couple of hours to get respectable. If she was going to go. Was she going to go ? She was still having trouble thinking clearly after this completely unexpected and traumatic day. Regardless, she had to get cleaned up whatever she decided, one way or the other.

Firstly she stood under a hot shower, cleaning the pulp out of her hair and getting rid of most of the paint that remained on her body. There was a slight residue, an orange tinge in parts. So she ran a bath and luxuriated in the soak, soothing her aching muscles after being on her feet for eight hours. She finally felt all pink and clean and fresh. She applied moisturiser liberally to her skin and blew dry her hair to return it to its' usual immaculate state.

She almost felt like the real Debbi again when she was jolted back to reality by the sound of her phone. She answered and recognised the voice of the interpreter from earlier in the day. "Good evening mademoiselle. I trust we can still rely on your company for this evening ?" he crooned. "Oh, well, I, er, um" stammered Debbi. "My employer would be so disappointed , probably to the point where he would feel obliged to break off all negotiations with your company." "Oh, gosh, um" hesitated Debbi. "A limo will call to pick you up at eight" concluded the man decisively. " Oh, yes, er, OK" agreed Debbi.

She was in a total quandary. She would have to think fast on her feet as Carol had said. She formulated a plan. She would dress smartly but conservatively in one of her business suits. She would take one of her business cards to give to them and explain her real standing in the company. She would be a charming and convivial dinner companion and make an amusing and memorable anecdote out of the circumstances of the trade fair that had left her so garishly presented. They were serious business people after all and would not put an advantageous business partnership in jeopardy over such a simple misunderstanding. What could possibly go wrong ?