Laura's Birthday

It was going to be a bad day. Laura knew this the minute she had woken up late.

She'd had three missed calls from her boss but really couldn't face speaking to him. Her manager seemed to have energy to burn and never more so than in the mornings. She was feeling a little fragile this morning for some reason and she knew she wouldn't be able to tolerate an energetic telephone lecture, so she had called the main reception number instead and explained to Carole that she had overslept and would be in as soon as she could be.

'Carole will relay the message onto him', she thought.

She didn't even get as much as a gulp of her morning coffee, as she rather successfully managed to spill the majority of it down her work shirt, narrowly avoiding scalding herself in the process.

Swearing, she ran upstairs to her bedroom to get a fresh one. She found one, but it needed ironing. She debated for a moment or two whether to iron it and turn up even later for work, or risk going in with it creased and incur the 'Staff members must always look their best' speech from her manager.

She went with the latter option, hoping that by the time she got to work, some of the creases would have worked themselves out.

Already being late, she had to forego any more coffee and only managed a couple of bites of toast on her way out the door.

'Please let Mr Brittas be in one of his less irritating moods today,' she thought as she got in the car.

He had only been manager of the centre for a couple of months, but had already rubbed most of the staff up the wrong way.

Her car battery was in dire need of replacement, and of course it chose this morning to conk out entirely; she cried out in frustration and thumped her hands on the steering wheel.

Well that was that then, she'd have to take the bus. Which was of course running ten minutes behind schedule, and was so jam packed that she had to stand all the way.

She arrived at Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre exactly two and a half hours late for work.

'Some birthday this is turning out to be,' she thought.

Carole looked up from the magazine she was reading as Laura walked in.

"Good morning Laura," she said with a soft smile.

Laura returned the smile, it seemed the receptionist was in one of her calmer moods today.

She had always been very fond of Carole, true she was a bit neurotic and could be very unpredictable at certain times of the month, but Laura believed that she always had good intentions. It was so nice to see a kind face after the pig of a morning she'd had.

"Is Brittas cross with me?" she asked

"Not especially so Laura, but then he was a little preoccupied when I told him you were going to be late."

"Preoccupied?"

"Yes, a child was sick in the pool this morning and he's had to empty it out."

"Couldn't Colin do it?"

"He can't get off the toilet. Something about a prawn curry...I wasn't really listening."

Laura sighed.

"I should probably go and give him a hand. You never know, it might just earn me some brownie points for being late!" She was feeling awake enough now to be able to tolerate her boss.

On her way to the swimming pool a thought occurred to her.

'Carole didn't wish me happy birthday.'