To muffle the noise of the pounding rain on the scaffolding she slept as close to the centre of the house as she could comfortably place herself: in the utility room. She made a tent by throwing the bed sheets that were in the dryer over clothes racks and cocooned herself in a sleeping bag. Unfortunately she forgot to bring her alarm clock in with her and when she ran downstairs, to pick up the telephone after it had rung three times, in loose socks she slipped on the tiled hallway floor. Despite the hard fall she managed to take the call before they'd given up.

"Hello?"
"Did you forget and decide to take breakfast in the bath?"
"No, no, nothing like that. There was a violent storm last night and..."
"You slept by your washing machine. Perhaps you ought to keep an alarm clock by the detergent!"
"Well, if you could bring one back for me that would be brilliant. How's the hotel?"
"Lovely, just lovely. Are you smoking?"
"Yes, but it's only menthol. Don't worry. Go on."
"Well, it's all sweeping staircases, fresh flowers and a pianist in the dining room. After dinner we went to the ice cream parlor, then danced in the ballroom!"
"He dances?"
"Like a leading man in a film! Jenny, we danced until the band packed up."
"(You don't deserve him.) He sounds really lovely. What do you have planned for today?"
"Hold on. There's more. We went to the bar afterwards... Oh, I'm going to have to call you back. There's someone at the door."

Jenny took the phone with her to the kitchen. When buying a phone for the house she had made a point about the phone needing a long wire so that a call could be taken anywhere between the kitchen door and halfway up the staircase. Somehow she'd manage to sleep right up to 10 o'clock: a whole two hours later than she usually gets up, so she was definitely hungry at this moment and not mistaking the pains for thirst! The quickest breakfast to prepare would probably be a bowl of cereal. But, in case her sister wants to talk to her for a while, she decides to cook something more filling.

First she drank a glass of water, then poured a glass of apple juice. Why she prefers juice that boldly states it is freshly squeezed over that which is from concentrate I can't understand. Surely they're the same. They both invigorate the late waker with their crisp taste. She mixed a couple eggs in a bowl, set a pan upon a small fire, melted a lump of butter, placed two slices of bread in the toaster, poured the eggs in, crumbled some cheese over the top, grabbed a spatula and scraped at the egg so that no part of it would over cook. Then the phone rang.

"Laura? Could you hold on a moment?"
"But I'm calling long distance!"

She threw the toast into the pan, grabbed the juice and held a banana to her waist using her wrist. After arranging a cushion at the coffee table she picked up the phone.

"Sorry, I was making breakfast."
"And I've filled in four clues in a crossword while you were doing so."
"Who was at the door?"
"Someone from reception. Johnny couldn't get through on the phone, so he sent up some flowers and a note."
"I'm surprised you're not spending all your time together on your exotic getaway."
"Well, his work keeps him very busy. I told you I'd call you this morning, erm, afternoon for me, because he had to meet someone for lunch. But he's back now, and has asked that I bring his camera when I come down."
"So what are you waiting for, Lauren?"
"There's something I have to tell you about him. It's very peculiar... I can't get my head around it."
"What is it? Did he do something to you?"
"No, no. He's a gentleman. Honestly, we do have the best of fun together. It's just something he said."
"And what did he say?"
"He said... that he's sick of everything, except me."
"What?"
"That's what he said, as he held my hand and trembled."
"How weird. What brought that on? Trembled?"
"I don't know. I really don't know. We were talking about.. about reindeer herding before he blurted that out."
"Leslie, that's just as strange. "
"Oh, stop it. That's not exactly helping, you know..."

Eating a banana requires two hands: one to hold it and one to peel it.

"Jenny? Hello?"
"Lisa, I don't know what to say. I don't know anything about him, because you won't let me meet him."
"I have. I invited you in when you dropped off those shoes."
"That's not what I mean. Remember when I started dating Harry and you asked to meet him? Well, I let you throw a birthday party instead of arranging our traditional celebratory dinners so that you could meet him.
"But my birthday isn't for another three months."
"That's besides the point."
"It is. We're straying. So what do you think he meant?"
"I think he was just trying to say he's happy. He's very happy with you."
"And nothing else."
"Right: nothing makes him happy but you."
"Yes, but I meant that only I make him happy."
"That's right."
"And everything else makes him feel terrible."
"So perhaps you should get off the phone and get into action."
"Why are you so eager to get off the phone?"
"I'm not, Lisa, I'm eager for you to go and do what you've travelled halfway around the world to do."
"And what's that?"
"Have fun. Go sightseeing or snorkelling or something. Just get off the phone. He's waiting for you now and I will see you next week, as has been the case for the past 15 years or so. So go."
"You're yelling at me, so I'll leave now."