For The Love Of Barbara

Chapter 1

Still a trifle perplexed, I was still trying to place the person on the other end of the line even as I replaced the phone.  Mind you,  I had been trying to do that for the last half hour during which time I had endured a mesmerizing conversation that had supposedly been about a missing building permit!

She had rippled on and on in a long dissertation about the merits, functions and importance of building permits while seemingly being oblivious of the fact that I totally agreed with her.               

Her next move was strategy personified as she suddenly switched to a demure attitude with overtones bordering on the femme-fa-tal.’   It happened so quickly, it left me feeling somewhat shattered, or was it confused, I can’t remember which, actually it may have been both, anyway I went hot under the collar. 

Oh my Lord,  why had she called me at a time like this I wondered.  After all, it was their copy that had gone missing!  Then I suddenly remembered speaking to a group on urban planning at a borough meeting some time ago.  At the end,  I had invited questions?  That’s it, I thought, she’s the one, the only one to have put a question forward and low and behold,  I had then invited her to ring me any time if I could be of help.  The incident was now vague and try as I might,  I still couldn’t bring her face to mind.  So in desperation I had said.

      “I could send you a copy by first class post.”

      “Oh Mister Grant, she had gushed, that would surely solve the problem, thank you so much, I'll be in touch!”  Then she rang off.