Free The Boy I Love by Lynda Bellingham Page A

from salad to Pot Noodles, to
mouldy cheese. The room always had that faint aura of curry and burnt toast. This morning was no exception.
    Heather went straight to the little window in the corner and opened it, saying, ‘Oh God, it always stinks in here. Look at the sink! No one ever washes up the plates or anything. I am
going to put up a notice for the new company, and let’s try to get them to at least clear up their own mess. We have enough to do without taking that on as well. Now as you will discover, the
tea and coffee need constant replenishing – it goes so fast. The management pays for that, and milk, and sometimes biscuits for special occasions, like today. First day we always have
biscuits, which I have brought with me, so if you could find a clean plate and put them out, I will make a start on washing up mugs. We are about twenty today.’
    ‘Blimey, as many as that,’ said Sally, hunting for plates.
    ‘Yes. The lighting designer comes and the designer, the wardrobe and the carpenter, et cetera. Plus we are quite a big cast, you know,’ added Heather. ‘Twelve, I think, and
more to come later.’
    By the time they had sorted out the refreshments and carried them back to the stage, the first arrivals were standing around looking lost.
    ‘Morning, all. There is tea and coffee on the way, so please find a seat and read your production notes and call sheets,’ announced Heather authoritatively. ‘Sally, let’s
set up a table in the prompt corner – there is a socket there for the kettle.’
    Sally followed her over to the corner and dumped her load, then turned back to the stage to watch the arrivals. Janie and Peter had just come in and waved in her direction. Sally went to join
them.
    ‘Morning, you two. Sorry I was in such a state last night but it was such a nightmare journey. I never thought I would make it.’ Sally had, indeed, had a terrible time yesterday.
Having fallen asleep as the train sped through the Cotswolds, she was rudely awakened by a very loud announcement that due to works on the line, the train was delayed. Sally was not particularly
bothered as she had all day, so she decided to find the buffet car and get herself some supplies. To her horror there was a queue right down the train! Thirty minutes later she arrived at the
counter only to find there was nothing left except crisps and water or wine.
    ‘I’ll have a white wine and a packet of plain crisps, please.’ She took her meagre purchases back to her seat and gazed out of the window. It had started to drizzle, and the
landscape was definitely no longer as pleasant. She could see two huge concrete silos in the distance, and smoke was billowing from giant chimney-stacks on the other side of the tracks, sending
great white fluffy clouds into the grey mass of sky above. Like daubs of paint on a palette, she thought. Further announcements came and went, until two and a half hours later the train squealed to
life and shuddered forward slowly, finally gathering speed – but not for long. Thirty minutes later the voice of doom announced from the Tannoy in a fine Black Country burr that, ‘This
train will shortly be stopping at Rugby. Would passengers please alight and wait on Platform Three for the next train to Crewe.’
    By the time the train had spat them all out, the passengers were mutinous, but there was no one to complain to, so they fell back on each other. Sally escaped to the waiting room and found a
corner seat. It was now mid-afternoon and she could see her whole day disappearing fast. She wondered if there was any way she could warn Janie and Peter that she would be late. If they decided to
go out she was completely snookered, as she had no keys. But they had no phone in the digs, as she remembered. Maybe she could ring Gladys at the stage door – but then what could
she
do? No, Sally did not want to cause trouble so early in the day; she would just trust to luck. Hearing a commotion, she looked out