The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2257 by Angharad Copyright © 2013 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

I sent Stephanie a text asking her to come for the meeting with Warwick and informed her of the time. She sent one back asking what was for lunch. I thought it was a man’s stomach that led to his heart.

Back on terra firma, Stella asked what I was going to wear tomorrow. I hadn’t given it a thought. “Are you going to appear as a woman of plenty?”

I thought just looking at my increasingly voluptuous figure, it was obvious I had plenty and now needed to shift some of it–liposuction anyone?

“Yeah, the well to do aristocratic banker’s wife,” suggested Simon and I wondered if the last phrase was a Spoonerism, except I’d never heard of a bife. “Wear something expensive and classic.”

“Like my designer jeans?” I suggested to wind him up.

“Oh god no, a suit with a skirt–remind him you’re female.”

“I’ll answer the door in the nude then, that should do it, perhaps breastfeeding Lizzie.”

“That would certainly get the female bit over, over the top, that is,” said Stella smirking.

“This is getting silly,” Simon berated us.

“I didn’t start it. Look, I’ll make myself look business like. I presume he’ll turn up in a suit, so I’ll need to match him in social status.”

“Match him, you’re three leagues above him.” Simon was still angry, “That’s what I’m trying to say. You outrank him in every way, he doesn’t have a PhD, does he?”

I shrugged, I had no idea. I assumed he was fairly bright or he wouldn’t be a director, even allowing for some nepotism, given it was a local authority.

“No he doesn’t, he’s got an MA from Manchester and a BA from Birmingham.” Stella had her iPad and had done a search on him. She passed it round. He was thirty eight and a fairly good looking man. I wondered how old the picture was.

“See your BSc, MSc and PhD outrank him.” Simon was still playing power games, perhaps he was right, I wasn’t sure.

“Look, I’ve got Stephanie coming to sit in and also in case Danielle has any sort of reaction. I’m going to insist I record the session of which he can have a copy. Apart from that my only intention, apart from getting an apology, is to make sure they do something to change their procedures to avoid upsetting gender variant kids in future, especially our ones.”

We talked a bit longer and Jacquie entered with Lizzie. She wanted some food and I obliged unbuttoning my top. Jacquie offered to take the girls to school for me, but I decided I’d do that myself. Phoebe would be going off to college but not until mid morning, so she and Stella could help Danni look feminine and tidy without being OTT. I suggested a top with leggings and her Ugg boots: if she was too swishy, it would look staged–which it was but with subtlety.

I was still considering what to wear when we went to bed, and an hour later I’d come to no conclusions. My dreams that night were all over the place, but mainly my meeting of the next day. In one I did answer the door naked with Cate hanging from one breast and Lizzie from another, only to discover it was the man to read the electric meter.

In another, Warwick agreed to discipline the social worker involved if Stephanie and I did a girl on girl show for him. I woke feeling quite anxious about that one trying to remember if I’d eaten any cheese that evening. I went to the loo and wondered where that sort of idea would come from. I had no idea and I decided I wouldn’t share it with Stephanie, I mean would you tell a shrink about dreams that involved her?

At seven I was up and in the shower. Simon had already gone to work by then, how he copes on such little sleep amazes and sometimes worries me. Once I’d sorted myself, I got the troops up and asked Danni to go and shower after breakfast when Stella and Phoebe would help her. She hadn’t decided if she would speak to the man or not. She did however agree to help me get breakfast for the others.

Stella and Phoebe were up early and took over doing the girls’ hair while I concentrated on making toast or bowls of cereal. I had a quick cuppa and slice of toast and then dashed up to dress. In the end I wore a grey silk trouser suit with a deep red silk blouse and my grey boots. I quickly did my makeup, a gold chain necklace and bangle, my watch and a squirt of eau de toilette–Givenchy and I was more or less ready.

Stella gave me the once over and nodded. “Perfect.”

“You look nice, Mummy,” complimented Livvie.

Stella had put her long hair up in very pretty updo with tendrils gently cascading down the sides of her face. “My goodness, don’t you look pretty today,” I said back to her and she blushed and smiled.

Phoebe had given Trish a similar hair do, except she’d wrapped the hair round the central portion she’d raised. It also looked very nice and I told Trish so. Mima had her hair plaited into two pigtails with a central parting and her fringe. She looked like a typical eight year old school girl. She seemed pleased with the outcome and I told her how pretty she looked. She beamed at me then gave me a hug.

I was back from the school run just after nine. I had time for a cup of tea and a biscuit before going to clean my teeth and another squirt of Givenchy and reapplication of my dark pinky-red lipstick.

Stephanie arrived and Jacquie took care of Emily leaving us free to plan how we’d work things. I had a microphone which Sammi had wired up to a laptop. It would record to the hard disk and she could do copies from there. For her it was easy peasy, so I was glad she was still recuperating and thus available. In between times she was up in her room, which was part feminine bedroom and part geek workshop with a whole worktop full of computers and various other electronic gadgets. It sort of summed up her two sides.

When the meeting was over I was to call her and she’d come and make two copies while Warwick was still with us, we’d then countersign each others to show no skulduggery occurred.

Stephanie was reading something while I had to go to the toilet yet again when I heard a car come up the drive. I glanced out and saw our visitor getting out of a large BMW. My first thought, ‘for that money you could have had a Mercedes or even a Jaguar.’ I watched as he collected his attaché case from the boot of the car and walked towards the front door checking his watch as he did so. He was absolutely dead on time. I mused if he was always as punctilious.

Jacquie was to answer the door and bring him through to my study where we two harpies were waiting for our prey. As Jacquie answered the door, Danni dashed in and said she would speak with him. I told her we’d call for her when we wanted her. She ran off moments before he was led to my study.