Having It All Read Free

When the taxi driver rang the doorbell ten minutes later it was almost a
relief. She glanced across at David, deciding not to wake him as he seemed so exhausted at the moment, and tiptoed towards the door.
    ‘Hey,’ a muffled voice from under the covers protested, ‘isn’t today the big day?’ David’s sleepy head appeared from under the covers, grinning. ‘You
can’t leave without a good-luck kiss. I bet Claudia’s getting one.’ He leered suggestively.
    Liz sat on the bed and ruffled his hair. She’d been worried about him last night. He’d seemed silent and preoccupied. ‘Are you OK, love?’ She lifted his hand and kissed
it.
    For a split second he considered telling her about the circulation figures and dismissed the idea. He was being a selfish shit. This was her big moment. What she needed was a clear head, not
having to worry about the problems her husband ought to be able to sort out on his own. Smiling, he pulled her to him to kiss her, noticing at the last minute her shiny red lipgloss.
    ‘Now what would Bogey have done about lipgloss?’ He leaned towards her threateningly.
    Laughing, she ducked away, but he grabbed her, serious suddenly.
    ‘Now just listen to me, kid. You’re brilliant and you’re beautiful. Just remember that. And you’ll walk all over Claudia. Now off you go. And don’t forget to call
me and let me know how it went.’
    Basking in the warmth of his love she felt her confidence start to flow again. She stopped at the door and blew him a kiss but he’d already retreated under the duvet and was fast asleep.
Still smiling, she ran down to the waiting cab, her nerves forgotten.
    As she settled back into the minicab’s furry seat she asked the driver if he’d mind turning down the radio. If she quietly read her notes for twenty minutes she’d be ready. But
the driver took her request as the cue for a cheery chat.
    ‘Nice day, eh?’
    ‘Very nice. Look, do you mind if –’
    ‘Metro Television, eh? I ain’t heard of that one. Who’re they then?’
    ‘A new company. We’ve just won the franchise from Capital TV. We take over in three months.’
    ‘Bloody good thing too, crap they put out. You know what’s wrong with TV?’
    Oh God, he was going to give her his views on television. Today of all days.
    ‘They never watch it, TV people don’t. Never sit down and
really
watch it like us poor sods at home.’
    ‘If you don’t mind I wanted to . . .’ Liz attempted to interrupt him. She couldn’t stand much more of this. ‘Look, I’ve got some urgent reading to do.
I’m afraid I really do need to get down to it.’
    Keep calm, she told herself, sooner or later he’ll have to stop talking. But she was wrong. By the time they reached the Metro TV Building by Battersea Bridge Liz was at screaming point,
her nerves in shreds. As he stood holding the door open for her the wretched man was still giving his views on competitive scheduling and the lack of Nature Programmes. Liz swung out of the car so
fast she caught her tights on the door and ripped them.
    By the time she got to her office it was nine-fifteen and she was almost hysterical. Viv, her secretary, always first at her desk on their floor, was already putting the coffee on.
    Liz flopped into a seat. Wordlessly she pointed at her ripped tights, the only pair she had with her. Claudia would have had a spare pair in her drawer, six spare pairs, along with the dildo and
whip she no doubt kept for subduing male colleagues. All Liz had was an aged Slim-A-Soup and one of Daisy’s dummies.
    Liz looked at her secretary in astonishment. Viv was peeling off her pale beige Le Spec tights in full view of the mercifully empty office.
    ‘Here you go. Just as well I’ve been on the sunbed. Your need is greater than mine, as they say. The only way I’m ever going to be Programme Controller is if I buy a video and
do it myself at home. This is your Big Chance.’
    Viv pulled her skirt down over her long legs and put