Round 48.

48 (temporary post)

Jenny went to the underwear party.

This sort of event used to be called a Tupper Ware party.

Now, it’s Under Ware.

She bought a black top with polka dot see-through sleeves; it had been reduced from 90 euro to 20.

A bargain.

Sal asked if she could touch; Sal is a woman.

Jack fancied touching it too, but he didn’t feel he could ask.

That was as close as he could get to feeling.

Jenny was wearing boots.

The boots were unlaced.

Jack thought they looked cool, and mentioned it.

Jenny goes to a kick boxing class and shows jack a video on her phone of her in a gym kicking a plastic dummy called Bob.

Jenny’s husband is in the video too, kicking bob.

Jack doesn’t say anything else and goes and makes a coffee.

Sal has already left the room but she is talking to a woman about the underwear party.

This woman has ash blond hair - if such a colour exists – and is wearing tight grey jeans and doc martin boots.

Although they are laughing Jack considers it better to say nothing.

Jenny’s hair is not blonde. It’s reddish brown.

Auburn?

It used to be purple.

Caroline walks in.

She has a big black bag that she leaves next to the table.

Jack falls over it as he is leaving the office.

He looks at his car.

It is covered in untidy layers of red dust from the Sahara. It fell on his car with the rain last night.

The Sahara is a long way away.

The car is old.

Jack is older.

But he is young enough to like Jenny.

Jenny has a sister, but Jack doesn’t know that.

He doesn’t really know Jenny, but she knows she has children.

Before she mentioned the underwear party she told Jack that her son had been to see the latest version of the film Thor.

Jack thought she said Saw.

Saw is a horror film.

There are many versions.

So he asked if it was Saw 28.

It was meant to be a joke, about the number of remakes that have been remade.

Jenny said yes it was.

She was still thinking about Thor, which probably hasn’t been remade half as much.

Jenny’s son is about 10; he shouldn’t be watching Saw.

Jack was confused.

He didn’t think Jenny was the sort of mum that would countenance such a thing.

He hadn’t imagined she would go to an underwear party either.

The world is full of surprises.

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