Like The Start Of A Chick Lit Movie

I was going to write something on Avanoo, Facebook or here about the suffocation and misery I’m feeling at work, but decided first I’d go out and get myself a decent lunch from the builders’ caff not far from where I live. That meant a ten minute walk from work. I stopped off at the castle to unload some laundry and put out my gym kit to dry on the off-chance it might be ready for this afternoon, then went on my way.

Actually picking up a huge baked potato with chinese chicken filling was the easy part. £2 is good for that amount of food these days. I made my way back and was just passing my apartment with the heel on one of my Jimmy Choos broke off. I managed not to cry out anything obscene or silly, but limped back to the apartment and took off my boots. I was lucky, I suppose, that I didn’t fall and cause myself some harm, especially as I was crossing a busy road when the heel came off. I decided I was also charmed; it’d happened right outside my apartment block and I only had to limp a few yards home.

I went into the back closet under the stairs and dragged out a pair of older leather boots I have for emergencies. They have a six inch heel, and there was no way I was going to wear them without some kind of support, so I staggered about the apartment hunting down some gel pads, which I eventually found cowering in a shoe box.

Now properly dressed and protected, I headed out to the foyer, actually relieved I was going back to work at last. As I opened the gate, the man who manages the lease on my apartment appeared out of nowhere, and asked if I was aware the apartment was due for an inspection. Horrible images flashed in front of my mind: the gym kit and thongs hanging up on a chair in the living room, laundry waiting to be done in the stairwell, the bathroom not having been cleaned upstairs because I was too busy over the weekend… I admitted the place was a terrible mess but let him in anyway. I dashed upstairs and cleared anything deeply embarrassing out of the bathroom and bedroom, and then came back down, negotiating the stairs with some difficulty in those heels. Once again, lucky as hell that I’d been outside and could clear up a bit before the lease agent looked around.

The lease agent was happily looking around and making notes when I got back into the living room, so I decided to leave him to it. An operation that was meant to take twenty minutes at the most ended up taking 45, but at least it took my mind off what it’s like at work at the moment.