The Factory Girls – Episode 49
Suddenly she looked up and gave him a tiny wave, and his heart leaped ridiculously. She was rapidly becoming very important to him, but did she feel the same way? They seemed to be getting on well, but him running off to work in Manchester might just confirm her former suspicions that he was a snob who put his career above loyalty to those around him. What was more, she might be right. He’d agreed to meet Raj Sidani from Moonbright at the football on Sunday and, despite himself, he was looking forward to it. That wasn’t wrong of him, was it? Jonathan wasn’t sure any more. He just knew that this romantic cinema trip was doomed, and he felt sick inside whenever he thought about it.Suddenly his thoughts snapped back into focus.“Careful! Leave a gap between the machines or the handles will get caught up in each other.”He ran across to the open area before the great warehouse doors, where the girls were attempting to stack the machines to await transport. “So what if they do?” one woman challenged him. “Why should we make life easier for Xion?”“Because they’re still paying you?” Jonathan suggested, though secretly he had to admit she had a point. A sulky part of him longed to let the girls smash the whole lot up. But that would just be stupid. He began prising the machines apart and tugging them into some semblance of order. Then Shelley sidled up to him.“I hear you’re taking Dana somewhere special tonight.” “Er, yes. Yes, I am.”“That’s good. She’s had a tough few years, has Danni. She deserves to be happy.”Jonathan swallowed.“I’m doing my best.”“And a very good best it is!” Shelley laughed. “Don’t worry. I’m not trying to scare you off, or anything rotten like that. Far from it. I’m trying to help you, and you’ll see how when you pick Dana up tonight.”“What do you mean?”Shelley, however, just winked with exaggerated mystery and clacked off across the warehouse on her ridiculous heels. Jonathan stood staring after her, feeling more and more nervous about the evening ahead. But Dana was coming into the warehouse now. She and Helen were struggling with the big seaming-machine and he ran to help them.“Here, I’ll take this side and you two take the other.”“So gallant,” Helen said, grinning at him. “Isn’t he, Dana?”“And so strong!” Dana laughed, squeezing his arm as she moved round to Helen’s side. Jonathan flushed, not at her words but at her touch. “I’m a veritable Hercules,” he managed and she smiled.“It’ll be all right,” he told himself. “This is Dana! Just talk to her, she’ll understand. And if she doesn’t, well then, she’s not the one for you, is she?”It sounded reasonable put like that, but still his heart quailed. At that moment Shelley came back into the warehouse almost at a run. “Dana, Helen, Jonathan! You’ve got to come!”They all but dropped the machine.“Why? What’s happened? Is someone hurt?”“No. Nothing like that! It’s just that Carol’s arrived and she has news. Amazing news. Come on!”
