the book shop > j.l < MID EDIT

EIGHTY NINE

*another penelope chapter for a reason

thursday 23rd may 1962

penelope

"shit shit shit," penelope muttered to herself making john stir in bed. it was eight in the morning and penelope was frantically rummaging through their bedroom looking for the labelled film cartilage - me and john (;

that sacred film role was missing and the only possibility of where it could be was either on her desk at work or around her bedroom. and neither of those places were calming her nerves - if she'd left them at work there was a very high possibility of her male coworkers getting their hands on them and that would be a nightmare.

her coworkers were awful.

truly awful.

they would make comments about her appearance a lot, comments that made her feel very uncomfortable, on more than one occasion they'd tried to flick her skirt up as she walked past or touch her hips and bottom - but there was nothing she could do. Mary of course tried to stop it but they only listened to her for about a day, and quitting this job was a ridiculous suggestion in penelopes head because this was a milestone for her career, day by day her photographs in the gallery were getting more popular and she loved her job - it was just those men. she hadn't told john about any of this to stop his worrying.

"pen?" john croaked from his pillow.

"sorry babe, go back to sleep," penelope replied. john had the day off because it was teachers training.

"what are you doing?" he asked lying on his back and rubbing his eyes.

"i'm looking for the roll of film."

"what roll of film?"

"the roll of film, with our photographs on," she sighed taking a seat by johns side on their bed. she rubbed her temples stressed out of her mind.

"oh," john said, he stretched slightly and sat up leaning against the headboard looking at her through tired eyes, "those photos," he chuckled.

she ran a hand through her hair, "john this isn't funny those photos can't get out," she looked over to him, "if the people i work with get their hands on the photos - my job is gone and - and," she hiccuped feeling a bile rise in her throat.

"hey, pen," he rubbed his hand up and down her back, "i know, i'm sorry, how would they of got their hands on it?"

"it might've got mixed up with all the other film i was supposed to develop."

john furrowed his eyebrows, "if your coworkers got their hands on the film what would happen babe? i thought you were the only one there that develops film?"

"john i labelled the film with our names and a winky face - it doesn't take a genius to figure it out. and the men at the studio are asses, they will do anything to humiliate me john, they always do-" she stopped herself realising she'd said too much.

john sat straighter, "what do you mean - they always do - what do they do?"

penelope shrugged, "they just belittle me y'know? there's a lot of them and they just make comments," she brushed it off standing up and wiping down the creases in her skirt, "i have to go, i'll see you later okay?" she leaned over pecking his lips before lifting away from him but he caught her hand.