Laura: Careful what you write

Those notes that Angie made were to be the beginning of the end of Carolynne – thank goodness, but it was a stony ride for Charlie and Angie. Angie wrote everything down she thought would be useful to help her understand the situation better. Charlie never ever asked her for notepaper when he was on the phone. Except for the day when she’d written something she didn’t want him to see. She just said ‘it’s in the drawer - help yourself’ before she realised what she was doing; the result was a huge row and Charlie slammed his way out of the house.

Laura: Difficult lunch

If the weather was bad we would eat our weekly lunch together at a diner where we knew we could get a good salad. We grabbed our favourite table and had excellent service from one of Charlie’s students who worked there at the time. Angie updated me on Carolynne’s latest tricks and we decided to change the subject and enjoy our lunch together. 20.07.07

Suddenly Angie turned really pale, we’d chosen the same salad, so I knew it wasn’t food poisoning. She motioned to me to listen to what the people behind her were saying. They couldn’t see us and we couldn’t see them because of the plants arranged between the tables.

I hadn’t met Carolynne but I worked out that it was she who was speaking. She was saying the most dreadful things about Angie and Charlie. It was awful. Then the waitress (Charlie’s student) came over to see if we wanted dessert, she could see that something was very wrong and stood by us listening with horror. I decided that the best course of action was to remove Angie as quickly as possible. The waitress showed us out of the back of the diner. Angie asked her not to talk about what she’d heard but I’m afraid it fell on deaf ears. When Angie had calmed down we put our heads together and decided that she should write down what she had heard which was later to prove a big mistake.

Before we parted company she made me promise not to speak to Dan about what had happened; I agreed and I kept my promise! But it was not easy…

Laura: The Wicked Witch of the West

All fairy stories need a witch and it wasn’t too long before one turned up. I think it was just after we’d all spent the weekend at Charlie’s family cabin that the letter arrived. The Wicked Witch of the West was coming to town!

I didn’t believe how horrible she could be at first. I thought that Angie was having a touch of the green eyed monster. Carolynne (WWW) had decided that Angie was the worst kind of dumb blonde. The situation wasn’t helped as Angie was helping me with a project at the library for the kids during the summer holidays (later abandoned), so was studying a pile of children’s books at the time. Carolynne wanted Charlie to move so that he could join the project she was working on; later we discovered that she intended to take the credit for his ideas. Angie also discovered Carolynne downloading some of Charlie’s work. Then came the fateful lunch….

Laura: They settle down

Charlie moved in with Angie over the weeks that followed. She really needed looking after by the three of us. After her success at the hotel she decided to fill in another of her evenings by playing at a local bar. We did warn her, she thought Charlie was being possessive and I was a prude. To cut a long story short she couldn’t sing because of the cigarette smoke, someone peed up the side of her car and the place was full of men being – well – men!

Laura: At last!

Then the bad penny turned up again; Angie got her self a job on Monday evenings playing the piano at a smart hotel in town. She wasn’t going to sing at first but her talent shone through. Busy body that I am I dragged Dan and Charlie along to listen too her on her second week and we all agreed that she had settled in really well.

The third week she was there she really needed help from Charlie. That obnoxious date she had a few weeks before, turned up outside the hotel and followed her home. Fortunately she locked herself in the garage but the door through to the house was bolted from the other side. As it happened she’d given her spare keys to Bill, Charlie’s dad, to look after in case of emergency. I swear this was not one of my spells, though it would have been a good one.

Sir Charlie came to the rescue, in his battered old car but never mind. He chased off the baddie – who was bigger than him - and rescued the Lady Angela with a golden key. No prizes for guessing what happened next. At last!

Laura: Problems with my spell-ing!

Charlie and Angie were thrown together again when she was chased and bitten by a dog while out jogging. It happened near to Charlie’s house where he lived with his dad. Dan started giving me strange looks around this time; I think he suspected witchcraft on my part. I will call it fate.  Things started hotting up for them at this point. I couldn’t help giving the extra shove and invited them out with us at a special place where we knew a little walk by the river, romantic in the moonlight – yes I did check there would be a nice full moon! Dan started to joke about keeping garlic in the house; I think he mixed up vampire’s and witches. If you read what Angie wrote about that evening you’ll know I didn’t quite get the spell right!

Laura: Still not there!

I was a pleased that Angie’s ‘date’ went wrong and she ended up walking home in the pouring rain (though I wasn’t pleased about the pouring rain). Guess who rescued her?

If I’d have had a little sister she would have been like Angie. We had a great girly evening in; You can read Angie’s version here. Dan and Charlie got back sooner than we thought they would and as Charlie was so drunk he slept on the sofa.

I confess; I did lie awake listening out so see if he crept up the stairs to the guest room. He didn’t.

Laura: Not quite as I planned

Angie has the right name, Angela – angel. She came to my rescue the following week when she called in at the library. I was supposed to have organised story time for the pre schoolers. I really wanted to do it well, but I seemed to have run out of time and staff as usual. Angie offered to help and was perfect, the children and their moms loved her from the word go. She’s still finding time even now to come in and read.

I was annoyed when she was all excited because she’d been asked out by some hunk or other, I don’t know what his name was – it wasn’t Charlie. When I told Dan about it he annoyed me by telling me to mind my own business. The he made matters worse by announcing that he and Charlie would be going out on a boys night out. Dan sarcastically suggested I invite Angie to sleep over so I could keep an eye on her. So I did.

Laura: They beat me to it!

I know now that Angie thought the same as me: We both knew from the start that we would get along with each other fine. She arrived carrying lilac and some home made marmalade which was delicious. The lilac made me smile, both of our gardens are full of it. I had a good feeling about getting her together with Charlie. They had already met, but the best part was that both of them looked pleased to see each other.

I remember how lovely the spring evenings were last year, we had a barbeque that evening. Everything was perfect until Angie was stung by a wasp. I ought to know whether to use acid or alkaline on a wasp sting, but I can never remember. Angie said that ice would be fine – sensible girl! I told Dan to fetch ice and I went off to find something to get the sting out (it was a wasp sting I know, but I had my reasons) When we were out of earshot of the garden I told Dan not to hurry too much with the ice, he went into the kitchen muttering about the ways of scheming women.

When Dan and I finally went back out into the garden Charlie had his arm around Angie’s shoulder as she was feeling a little faint what with the wine and everything… He moved away when he saw us coming. Poor Angie had a very sore looking finger for the rest of the evening.

Charlie walked her home in the moonlight!

After they’d gone Dan teased me about matchmaking. I think that he was pretty pleased with the evening too, but he wouldn’t admit it.

Laura: I start matchmaking

About a year ago, Dan told me that he had a new colleague who had recently arrived from England. He told me that she was pretty and blonde and a little younger than us with a wonderful English accent. I was quite jealous of this incredible creature at first but then I started to wonder if she and Charlie might just get along together. Dan was very insistent that we didn’t start setting them up for a blind date. I love him when he’s assertive – I never take any notice! All I did was forget that we’d invited Charlie on the day I asked Dan to invite Angie. Fortunately for me, Dan had forgotten too! So there was everything nicely set up.