"So, Louise, what made you sign up for a two hundred and fifty mile charity bicycle ride to Amsterdam?"
Hmm...insanity?
The radio presenter's voice was as smooth as chocolate and for a moment Louise found herself drifting off on an erotic fantasy involving him and a can of whipped cream. Then she remembered she was live on her local radio station and it might be a good idea to answer the damned question.
"Well, Nick, I guess I'm doing it for the challenge!"
That and because I figured it would be an excellent way of getting over my dickhead ex boyfriend
, she added venomously. "Marie Curie Cancer Care is a very worthy charity and we're hoping to collect as much sponsorship money as possible!"
"What's your target, Louise?"
"Ten thousand pounds!"
"Wow! That's a huge amount!"
You're not kidding there, mate!
"If any of your listeners want to sponsor us, they can visit the website..." Louise dutifully gave out the URL of the web page Gary had set up for the ride and before she knew it, her moment of fame was over. The latest boy-band track began to play while Nick thanked her for her time and then she was ignominiously cut off.
"Gee thanks, Nick!" she muttered as his cheesy radio show continued broadcasting across the airwaves. Well, that was it - she had done her bit for publicity now and apart from a photo shoot for the local rag in two days time, all that remained was more cycling and training.
With D-Day less than two weeks away, she had to admit she was starting to feel rather excited about the whole event. She and her bike were fit as a fiddle and she had even acquired several pairs of padded cycling shorts to alleviate any possible discomfort. All that remained was to pray for decent weather and the four days would be a breeze.
"Earth to Louise?" Her boss's voice abruptly cut through her thoughts, nearly causing her to knock the half empty mug of coffee all over her keyboard.
"Ahem, sorry, Mr Foster! I just did an interview for Minstrel FM..."
"Well that's great -- but do you think you can finish the invoices now?" Mr Foster appeared less than impressed at her new celeb status and Louise hurriedly tidied the pile of paperwork on her desk into a more organised state.
"Yeah, don't worry, I'm on it!" She grinned cheerfully and hoped that he wouldn't make her stay late again. She really needed to do a session down at the gym after missing her workout for the last two nights.
"Good. I'll look forward to seeing the drafts on my desk by five o'clock." He gave her a hard stare before walking out of the office.
Oh fuck
, she thought. At this rate I'll still be here at eight o'clock. She knew from bitter experience that rough drafts always came back covered in umpteen red pen marks. It wasn't as if she was deliberately careless; she was just not good with the minor details. She sometimes wondered if maybe she would be far better suited in another line of work.
Lap dancing perhaps?
Maybe the bike ride would give her the opportunity to think more clearly. Or maybe it would just tire her out so damned much she wouldn't have the energy to think at all. That was probably the most ideal scenario.
"Want another coffee?" Sally asked as she sauntered in on her unfeasibly high stilettos while Louise collapsed on her desk with an expression of woe.
"Oh yeah -- make it a black one -- I need the caffeine!"
Sally chuckled as she took in the debris all over her friend's desk. "Gotten behind a little?" she chided, knowing how disorganised Louise was at the best of times.
"Hmm, just slightly, and now Mr Foster is on my case big time!" She rolled her eyes dramatically.
"Oh don't sweat it. He's leaving early tonight and he won't be in for the next two days. Family funeral I hear."
That's a relief
, thought Louise. This meant she wouldn't need to break her neck finishing the invoices.
"Hey, I heard you on the radio!" Sally grinned. "You sounded ace!"
"Really?" Louise wasn't all that convinced about sounding ace, but as long as she hadn't come across like a total idiot, then it was okay.
"Yeah, really! Malcolm in accounts was practically drooling at every word you spoke." Sally leant forward confidentially and winked. "In fact," she revealed in a whisper, "I think your husky voice actually gave him a hard-on!"
"Oh you're such a bitch!" Louise grabbed her ruler and whacked the other girl across the arm.
"Ouch!" Sally yelled in outrage as she jumped back, rubbing the red patch on her arm. "That hurt!"
Then she grinned naughtily again. "If you go and ask him now, I bet he'll definitely sponsor you!"
"Yes he might, but it's the payback that worries me!"
They both grimaced at the thought of lecherous Malcolm expecting something in return for his cash. No charity in the world was worth
that
kind of commitment.
"Right, coffee-time!" Sally picked up the Louise's mug and threw the cold dregs into the Palm pot by the door. It was no wonder the poor thing looked so sick all the time; it was slowly being overdosed on caffeine.
Louise returned her attention to the office expenses with a sigh. Time was ticking on and if she didn't get her backside into gear, she'd miss the gym yet again.