OVER the next few days Dee pleaded with Brian to choose another winner but the editor was adamant. Damien Wallace had already been informed and everything was set for the big date.
Dee considered crying off sick, she even tried to persuade Claire to turn up instead but in the end decided to bite the bullet and be professional about it.
On the night Graham picked Dee up from the house she shared with two girls who worked in a bank and drove her to the Manor in one of the paper’s crappy, litter filled pool cars, an ageing Ford Fiesta with ‘Clean me now!’ written in the dust on the back window.
Along the way Dee filled him in about Damien and to her disgust the photographer was over the moon!
“Going to make a cracking wee photo Dee, cracking wee photo. You dressed to the nines and him looking like…well, like a schoolboy!”
For a man supposedly lacking in humour, Graham was enjoying a right chuckle.
When they walked into the foyer, Damien Wallace was already there.
It was nearly 11.30pm when Claire’s mobile rang to tear her away from total absorption in the latest reality TV show.
“Hi it’s me,” said Dee.
“Hi babe, how did it go, was it a complete disaster?” asked Claire.
“No, it was fabulous.”
“What? But you said…”
“Never mind what I said, he was, he IS gorgeous,” gushed Dee.
“But the shorts, the blazer, the…
“He wasn’t dressed like that at all. He’d had his hair cut, wore a brand new suit and tie, lovely after-shave, perfect manners. Claire he was the perfect date,” gushed Dee.
“But you said…”
“Apparently he fancied me all the time at school but had never had the guts to ask me out, thought I wouldn’t be seen dead with him.”
“Well you wouldn’t would you?” said Claire.
“Maybe not, oh I don’t know. Anyway, Damien said that when he saw the competition in the newspaper he knew it was his big chance to go on a date with me so he sent in 300 entries.”
“How many?” gasped Claire.
“300.”
“That must have taken him ages. How many papers did he have to buy, you weren’t allowed to send in photocopies of the coupon. Boy was he keen or what?”
“Claire, he spent all that time and money just to go on a date with me, isn’t that so romantic,” asked Dee.
Claire wanted to know why Damien hadn’t just rang Dee up and asked her out.
“Too shy apparently and anyway he reckoned that if he won the competition I couldn’t say no. He just wanted one chance to get to know me, for me to get to know him. And he went out and spent £500 on a brand new wardrobe. It was the first suit he’d ever had.”
“So are you going to see him again, you know, on a proper date?”asked Claire.
“Oh yes, next week.”
“Another meal?”
“No,” replied Dee.
“Cinema?
“No. We’re…”
“Where then?”
“An AC/DC concert.”
© Patrick O’Connor 2010