The Factory Girls – Episode 50
Picking up their feet, Dana, Helen and Jonathan followed Shelley through to the main factory floor, where Carol stood surrounded by chattering women. Shelley elbowed her way through and the three followed in her wake, glancing at each other as they did. What on earth was going on?“Tell them, Carol,” Shelley urged, and their little boss turned their way.“I had a phone call last night from a magazine programme. That one hosted by Perry Frances. They want me to go on live TV this evening.”“Perry Frances?” Jonathan asked. “Who’s that?”“You must have seen her, Jonathan! She’s lovely. Her show has local news and guests, and there’s always a quirky little piece at the end you know, talented pets or unusual foods.”“Live TV? No way!” Dana breathed.“Not just that!” Shelley nudged Carol, who smiled.“They want me to take three girls with me. And I thought it would be best to take the committee you three.”Helen and Dana blinked.“To the TV studio?” “Totally!” Shelley jumped up and down, a precarious business in such high heels. “We’re going to be on telly, Danni! Oh, my, what will I wear?”“You’ll wear your ‘Save Our Factory’ T-shirts,” Carol told her firmly. “Lucinda that’s the production assistant was most definite about that.”“Oh, great.” Dana groaned, rolling her eyes.“You can wear your new skirt with it, at least,” Shelley ordered. “It’ll look fab!”“New skirt?” Helen queried. Dana flushed.“I bought it yesterday, for . . .” She glanced back guiltily at Jonathan before turning to Carol. “When will we be finished?”“Recording is at six, but we’ve got to be there by three for a briefing and make-up. I think the show finishes at seven, but apparently there’s food afterwards. They’re sending a car for us, so we should be able to get straight home, but I don’t suppose it will be before nine.”“We’re going in a limo?” Shelley gasped.“I doubt it, Shelley,” Carol said dryly. “Anyway, will you come?”“You bet!”“Good. Helen?”“As long as I can sort out childcare.”“Of course. Go and make some calls. You can use my office. Dana?”“I had plans for tonight,” Dana began awkwardly, glancing at Jonathan.“Cancel them,” the others urged. “You can’t miss this, Danni. You’ll be famous!”Jonathan leaned in.“I don’t mind,” he told her softly. “You should do this. We can go out any time.”She looked up at him, her eyes so uncertain that he longed to kiss her, but it was hardly the place.“Really?” “Really. I’d love to see you on telly. You’ll be great!”She smiled.“I won’t get a word in, with Shelley next to me!”“Oi!” Shelley protested and everyone laughed.“Can we go home?” Shelley asked Carol. “To pick up clothes and stuff?”“You can,” she agreed, “but you’ll only need one outfit, Shelley.”“Maybe two?” the girl wheedled. “It’s best to have a choice, after all, and what if someone spilled something, or . . .”“Two, then. Go!”Carol shooed her away with a grin as the rest of the women dispersed, chattering excitedly amongst themselves. Dana, however, turned back to Jonathan.“Thank you,” she told him.“No problem. This is for Cardill’s, right?”“For Cardill’s,” Dana agreed, her eyes shining.Then, to his astonishment, she reached up and kissed him. It was so swift it barely even glanced off his lips and at once she was gone, leaving him standing there like a lovesick idiot. A guilty lovesick idiot. That lovely girl was thanking him, when he was the one who had escaped having to tell her about Moonbright. For another 24 hours, at least.
