The Bully

Chapter Thirty Four

"Miss Summers?"

"Yes, it's me," I said.

"This is Robert McGuinness. I was a friend of your father and I recently represented you with the recovery of your photographs and licences from the Phoenix Gallery."

"Oh yes, thank you for what you did there. I really appreciate it."

"Your dad was my closest friend all through school, Miss Summers. I'd have done anything to help him out and Dotty."

"Well thank you anyway. And yes, Dotty is one in a million."

"She really is," he said and I smiled. "That was what I was ringing for. I wondered if you and your partner and Dotty might like to meet me for dinner?"

"Sure thing. When were you thinking?" I asked.

"Tomorrow night? At seven?"

"Yeah that should work. Where do you want to meet?"

"The White Bull?"

"Perfect," I said. "We'll see you there."

As I put the phone down I couldn't stop the grin spreading across my face. Bret looked across at me.

"What are you looking so pleased about?" he asked.

"I think I just organised a double date," I said. When I told Dotty she went beet red and immediately went into a panic.

"I'm too old for dating," she objected and I giggled.

"Dotty you're hardly in your dotage. You're not even fifty yet and he must be keen."

"I know; he kind of asked me out after I asked him to look into your pictures," she admitted.

"And you're only telling me this now? Oh my God, Dotty!"

"Well I had you to look after, lassie..."

"Not now you don't. Bret can look after me and I think it's high time you looked out for yourself after so long putting everybody else first. Putting me first. So here's what's gonna happen. Tomorrow me and you are going to get our hair and nails done and we're gonna go shopping and get new outfits then we're gonna blow the socks off of Bret and Robbie. Ok?"

"Ok," she said and then she giggled. "Ach, I feel like a teenager again!"

The following day we headed into the city. It occurred to me when we'd finished at the salon that Dotty was a beautiful woman. I'd only ever seen her as my mother figure as she raced around in either jeans and oversized T-shirts or sweaters or her slightly old fashioned suits for the museum. I gave her a critical look as we headed into a clothes shop and then picked up a short black dress. Dotty looked at it doubtfully, but I persuaded her to try it on and once she had seen it she gasped.

"Oh my," she said and I smiled.

"Let me find you some shoes. Keep the dress on." I headed out and found a pair of low black heels. Once she had them on, she stared at herself in the mirror. "Oh Dotty, he won't be able to resist you."

"What about you?" she asked when she emerged with the dress and shoes over her arm.

"I'm good," I said but she scowled and headed through the shop until she found a dark green knee length dress and a pair of matching shoes. I smiled and tried them on and she nodded.

"Aye that'll do, lassie," she said. I took both dresses and shoes to the cash register and paid, despite Doty's protests.

"My treat, Dotty.  Now, we're heading to another salon where you're gonna get your make up done and then we'll go home and get dressed."